FIRE Forest Health Research Program (FY 2023-24)

The application will consist of a concept proposal followed by review and selection. Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal followed by a second review and selection period. Concept proposals are due by 3 p.m. (PST), January 31, 2024. Full invited proposals are due by 3 p.m. (PDT), April 17, 2024. The Forest Health Research Program (hereafter “Research Program”) was established as part of CAL FIRE’s plan for implementing the California Forest Carbon Plan. It is one of several CAL FIRE programs funded through the California Climate Investments (CCI) program, Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The mission of the Research Program is: 1)To identify and prioritize research topics in forest health and fire science critical to the State of California 2)To fund sound scientific studies that support forest landowners, resource agencies, and fire management organizations within the state. 3)To ensure scientific information generated from the program is made available to support decision making and policy 4)To further the goals of the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan, California Forest Carbon Plan, the California Natural and Working Lands Implementation Plan, CCI, and AB 32 Global Warming Solutions Act. The program, procedures and requirements apply only to “stand-alone research” projects, where research-related activities are the only activities proposed. Research activities are no longer eligible as a component of larger management-oriented Forest Health projects. The following topics have been identified as priorities for study for the Research Program for FY 2023-24. Topics are numbered for reference, but not ranked in terms of priority.  Research proposed under this solicitation must address one or more of these priority topics. Research projects should be focused on and relevant to California ecosystems and their management. 1)Disturbance, recovery, and strategies for various types of landowners to increase forest resilience in an altered future climate. 2)Implementation, effectiveness, impacts, and tradeoffs of current and alternative management strategies to reduce unwanted wildfire impacts, increase carbon storage, sustain and promote biodiversity, improve water and air quality, and provide regional economic benefits. 3)Contemporary range of variation and trends in fire regimes, forest conditions and distributions in California ecosystems (particularly those less well studied) in relation to historical or pre-European settlement conditions or processes. 4)Forest products and utilization of forest residues related to fuel reduction and forest health treatments. 5)Human dimensions, socio-economic considerations, and environmental justice issues related to forest health and wildfire management. 6)Improved prediction of wildland fire spread, behavior, severity, patch size, and potential impacts, particularly under extreme weather conditions and/or within the wildland-urban interface. In addition, the following special topics have been identified as priorities for the Research Program for FY 2023-24: 7)Development, implementation, or systematic review of ecological monitoring efforts related to vegetation treatments.