MISSOULA, Mont. — Shared Responsibility: Research, Management and Communities is the theme of the 3rd Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire Conference this month in Seattle, WA sponsored by the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF).
“The conference begins soon and we have a dynamic slate of speakers and topics,” said Chuck Bushey, conference Chairman, “so for the first time we are offering a real-time, virtual conference option for those who cannot travel to Seattle or prefer to view presentations on their own schedule. Virtual participants will be able to interact with presenters and to see the conference as it unfolds.”
Virtual participants will still need to register on line, at a reduced rate, and will be able to view presentations for up to 3 months.
“This new option provides more opportunity for sharing topical information and for reaching a much larger audience,” added Bushey. Conference information, agenda, registration, and the virtual conference sign-up are available at: http://www.iawfonline.org/HD_Seattle_2012/
Professionals and students of sociology, wildland fire, community planning, safety and risk management, insurance, emergency communications and journalism, as well as residents of fire prone areas will find value in the Conference. Speakers from the around the US, Canada, Australia, Spain, Bolivia, South Africa, Mexico and New Zealand will engage the audience in expanding their understanding of current wildfire issues, challenges and opportunities as well as explore lessons learned in other areas and connect with people interested in similar work. The keynote presentation on April 17 is by Colleen Morton Busch, author of Fire Monks: Zen Mind Meets Wildfire at the Gates of Tassajara, and Rev. Kansan David Zimmerman, former director of Tassajara, a Buddhist community in California impacted by the 2008 Basin Complex Fire. Closing comments will be provided by Lyle Laverty, President of the Laverty Group and former Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Prior to this appointment, Lyle was Director of Colorado State Parks and Associate Deputy Chief of the US Forest Service.
The conference opens April 17 at the Hilton Hotel in Seattle, WA, and concludes with a field trip on April 20. Conference presentations and discussions will take place in two concurrent tracks and there will be ample opportunities for discussion with presenters and attendees. The session also includes poster and exhibitor displays at the hotel. “We’re making every effort to make this a valuable but affordable learning and sharing experience,” said Bushey, “so we’ve loaded the program with diverse and provocative topics presented by expert researchers and practitioners. We’re using the virtual platform to engage a broader audience.”
About the International Association of Wildland Fire — The IAWF; a nonprofit, 501(c) (3) professional association, represents members of the global wildland fire community and is uniquely positioned as an independent organization whose membership includes experts in all aspects of wildland fire management. IAWF’s independence and breadth of global membership expertise allows it to offer a neutral forum for the consideration of important, at times controversial, wildland fire issues. IAWF produces Wildfire magazine, the International Journal of Wildland Fire, and FireNet as well as conferences and joint training opportunities. For more information, please check our sites at: www.iawfonline.org and www.wildfireworld.org.