About JFSP
- Program Accomplishments
- Governing Board
- Program Office
- Annual Reports
- Implementation Plan
-
JFSP Plan
- Accelerating Adoption of Fire Science and Related Research
- Mailing List
Program Review
- 2003 Program Review
- JFSP Response to 2003 Program Review
- 2008 Program Review
- JFSP Response to 2008 Program Review
The JFSP Governing Board will be developing a response to these recommendations during the spring of 2009. The response plan will be posted on the JFSP website when it is available.
Who We Are
The Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) was created by Congress in 1998 as an interagency research, development, and applications partnership between the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Funding priorities and policies are set by the JFSP Governing Board, which includes representatives from the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Geological Survey, and five representatives from the Forest Service.
The Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) was created by Congress in 1998 as an interagency research, development, and applications partnership between the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Funding priorities and policies are set by the JFSP Governing Board, which includes representatives from the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Geological Survey, and five representatives from the Forest Service.
Mission
The Joint Fire Science Program:
- Provides credible research tailored to the needs of fire and fuel managers
- Engages and listens to clients and then develops focused, strategic lines of new research responsive to those needs
- Solicits proposals from scientists who compete for funding through a rigorous peer-review process designed to ensure the best projects are funded
- Focuses on science delivery when research is completed with a suite of communication tools to ensure that managers are aware of, understand, and can use the information to make sound decisions and implement projects
The Program is uniquely positioned to tailor wildland fire research in response to the emerging needs of policymakers and fire managers. An annual cycle of proposal solicitation, review, and funding ensures timely response to evolving conditions. Research projects complement and build on other federal research programs, such as those in the Forest Service Forest and Rangeland Research Stations, U.S. Geological Survey, and National Fire Plan. Synthesis of research findings and targeted delivery to managers are essential components of the Program.
More than 90 colleges and universities have also collaborated on and partnered with JFSP‑sponsored research projects. By engaging masters and doctoral candidates in these projects, we are training the next generation of resource managers and scientists. This collaboration extends to private, non-profit organizations and tribal, state, county, and local governments as well. In all, nearly 200 organizations have become partners in JFSP-sponsored research.
Research Focus
In response to congressional direction, the JFSP develops science-based knowledge and tools to support federal, tribal, state, and local agencies and their partners in the following areas:
- Fuel inventory and mapping
- Fuel treatment planning, scheduling, and risk assessment
- Fire effects and fire behavior
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Restoration of fire-adapted ecosystems
- Post-fire stabilization and rehabilitation
- Remote sensing
- Developing and integrating research information for local land managers
From 1998 through 2006, the Program has funded 380 research proposals. A highly competitive, peer-review process consisting of land managers, technical specialists, and scientists ensures that the very best projects are accepted for funding. On average, about 20 percent of the submitted proposals are selected.
Land managers regularly use results from JFSP projects to plan and implement fuels treatments, support fire management decisions, restore lands affected by fire, and meet regulatory requirements.
The Program was funded in Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 at $14 million. Of that amount, 96 percent went directly to new research projects at universities, federal research agencies, and other scientific institutions. The Program Office consists of a staff of four employees who provide administrative and technology transfer support.
JFSP partners also contributed approximately $8 million and substantial in-kind resources in support of JFSP projects in 2007.
