Please read on for an opportunity to inform the future of prescribed fire, provided by the University of Minnesota and Friends of the Boundary Waters.
Hello,
We want to hear your thoughts about prescribed fire! We are collecting input from prescribed fire practitioners and ask that you please forward this survey to the staff at your organization who work on prescribed fire planning or implementation.
Who? We are conservation and fire ecologists with the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment and Friends of the Boundary Waters seeking input from individuals who apply prescribed fire across the Midwest.
What? We are asking you to take a short survey (as little as 10 minutes) with questions about your current burn practices, barriers to burning, and experiences with changing burn conditions. Responses are anonymous and will be treated as expert knowledge.
Why? We are building a model of how burn windows may shift with climate change in the Midwest, and your survey input will make that model stronger and more reflective of real-world practice. The survey will also assess how current operations align with projected changes and identify practices that support adaptation.
How? Take the survey [here]. The survey will remain open through the end of January, but we encourage early participation.
We are relying on word-of-mouth to reach as many experienced practitioners as possible. Please share this survey with colleagues and networks involved in prescribed fire planning and implementation across the Midwest. You are welcome to forward this message and the attached flyer for wider distribution.
We are grateful for your time and expertise, and we hope to include your voice in this work! If you choose to complete the survey and provide your contact information, we will share a summary of the findings with you, expected by late 2026.
Thank you,
Katherine Charton, Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute on the Environment
Sam Reed, Climate and Conservation Manager, Friends of the Boundary Waters
Jessica Hellmann, Director, Institute on the Environment
