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Fire on the Land

A Retrospective Anthology of Selected Papers from the Archives of the Society of American Foresters.

“What can we learn from this history?  How difficult it is to invent a new idea and put it in the field.  How hard it is to admit you're wrong.  How critical it is that reforms come from within the ranks rather than be imposed from outside.  How much boldness must meld with humility, and insight with practice.  And, if the past is prologue, as Shakespeare held, how much wildland fire management will likely remain one of American forestry's great experiments.”
-Excerpt from preface by Dr. Stephen Pyne

Fire on the Land brings together the best research and thinking on fire ecology, policy, and application to examine fire's place in forest management. A collection of peer-reviewed scientific articles from the Society of American Foresters’ journals archives, this anthology provides a comprehensive examination of how fire has shaped American's forested landscape and the people who care for it. Each new section is led by a science synthesis introduction that helps to bridge the gap between the history of these pivotal papers and the current practices and work that lies ahead regarding fire science in forestry.

"Evolutionary thinking about fire’s role in managing forested landscapes: theories posed, issues identified, actions tendered, solutions defied—and hopes renewed!"
-Philip N. Omi, Ph.D.
Fire On The Land
Fire On The Land
Fire on the Land: A Retrospective Anthology of Selected Papers from the Archives of the Society of American Foresters.

Edited by Stephen Fillmore, with a preface by Stephen Pyne and new section introductions by Ross Gorte, Kelly Martin, Elizabeth Reinhardt, Alistair Smith, and Brian Van Winkle.

260 pages.

Format: Print, softcover. 6”x9”. Perfect bound. eBook coming soon.

© Society of American Foresters, 2017. All rights reserved.

Print ISBN: 978-0-939970-32-2
eBook ISBN (coming soon): 978-0-939970-34
Member price: 28.00
36.00

Table of Contents

Section 1: As Solid as Smoke—Wildfire Policy, with an introduction by Dr. Ross Gorte
Section 2: Wildfire—Fire Control to Fire Management, with an introduction by Dr. Elizabeth Reinhardt
Section 3: Fuels Management—Forestry Meets Fire, with an introduction by Brian Van Winkle
Section 4: Looking to the Future—Fire Education, Training, and Research Needs, with an introduction by Alistair Smith
Section 5: The Utilization of Fire, with an introduction by Kelly Martin

Click below to view full table of contents, contributor listing, preface, introduction, and front matter for free.
Table of Contents
(Adobe PDF File)

Cover Art

The photograph I chose for the cover of Fire on the Land is a picture I took while out on the Lake Fire in 2015. I call it “Tree and Cone.” I’ve loved this picture ever since I was lucky enough to capture it. It hints at past management (note the old saw cut top-left) as well as the old burn marks distributed around this piece of wood (an old limber pine relic). The cone nestled into the dead wood signifies the birth–death cycle and all in the context of wildland fire management. Simple…

The image used on the back cover is from the same fire. I like the movement of fire in this picture, swirling around the bole of the tree. I also like the intact crown structure of the tree; it is unclear whether the tree will fight off the flames or succumb to them.

-Stephen Fillmore
Editor

Photo credits: U.S. Forest Service, 2015, courtesy Stephen Fillmore

Click the link below to view the cover art in detail.

Cover Art
(Adobe PDF File)