Fire Ecology & Management

The University Of Idaho College Of Natural Resources created the nation's first Bachelor of Science in Fire Ecology and Management. We are one of three degree programs in the nation focusing on wildland fire. As a graduate you will be positioned as a leader in fuels management, fire prevention, fire suppression, fire management and related fields.

Our program is also nationally recognized in the following crosscutting areas of fire ecology and fire science: Ecology, Biophysical and Societal Response; Fire Science and Management Technology; and Climate Change and Landscape Dynamics.

As a student, you will benefit from the expertise of faculty in the programs of Forest Resources and Rangeland Ecology and Management, who jointly administer this degree. You will also learn to assess potential fire hazards, understand how and why fires ignite and spread, and develop fuels-management practices to protect people and property. You’ll develop actual proposals for prescribed burns and evaluate the ecological effects of fire and the subsequent potential for invasive species.

We have been recognized for more than 30 years as a national leader in teaching fire ecology, conducting fire research and educating practicing fire professionals. Our undergraduate Fire Ecology and Management degree is an excellent complement to other majors offered by the College of Natural Resources, such as Forest Resources or Rangeland Ecology and Management.

Prepare for Success

If you enjoy nature, and you want to contribute to the future health of our forests by becoming a leader in fire management, then a Bachelor of Science in Fire Ecology and Management could be for you. 

Your First Year

We build upon more than 35 years of education and leadership in this field, with alumni in many influential positions in fire ecology and management. Our program provides unique opportunities to inventory fuels, conduct fire behavior experiments, plan and conduct prescribed burns, design fuel monitoring plans and work as firefighters. Many students work with faculty and graduate students during summer field season and in the U-Idaho labs during the academic year. We also partner with the City of Moscow Fire Department and with many local, state and federal agencies.

You will be able to complement your coursework by conducting research in the lab and outdoors using satellite imagery and other tools to evaluate the effects of fire on plants, animals, fuels and soils.

During your first year in the B.S. program, you may take:

• Introductory Chemistry
• Exploring Natural Resources
• Pre-Calculus
• Physics
• Public Speaking
• College Writing and Rhetoric

What You Can Do

Wildland fire ecology and management is one of the fastest growing fields in natural resources.  Graduates will be in demand for leadership positions with federal and state government agencies, nonprofit organizations, consulting firms and other businesses.

As a fire professional, you may:

• Develop fire management and fuel vegetation plans
• Coordinate and direct fire prevention
• Provide aerial and ground support to fire suppression efforts
• Research the distribution, circulation and physical properties of underground and surface water
• Establish agency fire policies
• Develop, plan and administer a fuels management program
• Work in wildland fire prevention and suppression
• Investigate how plants and animals respond to fire, and how fire influences landscape change
• Study the history and ecology of fire in natural systems
• Assess fire hazards from insect infestations and other disturbances
• Use fire as a management tool in species conservation or other efforts

For the past 35 years, the University of Idaho has built partnerships that will help jump-start your career with federal, state, and conservation agencies such as the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, the Nature Conservancy, Idaho Department of Lands, U.S.D.I. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Opportunities

Current Research

Faculty members and graduate students from across the college conduct research in diverse areas such as fire ecology, fuels management, fire risk and remote sensing of fire behavior and effects. Over the past five years, our faculty members have received more than $6 million in grants and contracts to conduct wildland fire research.

Hands-On Experience

We have an interdisciplinary approach to wildland fire research. We challenge our students with innovative research projects that provide useful, timely and sound scientific input to help solve fire management issues across the state, region and nation. You’ll have unique opportunities to gain hands-on experience in fire ecology and management. Field experiences include developing actual proposals for prescribed burns and fuel treatments and designing fire effects and fuels monitoring plans.

Facilities

College of Natural Resources facilities include:

• University of Idaho Experimental Forest
• University of Idaho Center for Forest Nursery and Seedling Research
• Remote Sensing and GIS Research Laboratory
• Forest and Range Measurements Laboratory
• Guernsey Outdoor Classroom
• Taylor Wilderness Research Station
• Idaho Stable Isotopes Laboratory
• Inland Empire Tree Improvement Cooperative
• Intermountain Forest Tree Nutrition Cooperative
• University of Idaho Laboratory for Conservation and Ecological Genetics
• Landscape Dynamics Laboratory
• Lee Sharp Experimental Area
• McCall Field Campus
• Policy Analysis Group

Online & Outreach

Program outreach efforts connect our expertise and research to people interested in, involved with, or affected by wildland fire in forests and rangelands. We deliver science and transfer technology person-to-person. The Fire Research and Management Exchange System (FRAMES) and the 401 Series are just two examples of professional outreach that are at the crossroads between research and education.