Problem statement. Decision makers often must face difficult choices and choose among severalpriorities when making policy and practice decision about wildland fire

Decision making can becomplicated by a lack of time or resources needed to find and explore relevant science, and newknowledge can languish in journals where access is difficult. Scientists may lack the time or failto realize the need for presenting their research results in an easily accessible manner. Landmanagers, agency staff, and private landowners may struggle to find relevant research they canapply to the lands they manage. Agencies internal policies and practices may not facilitateinformation sharing broadly across the region. The great plains fire science exchange providesa link between the science and management communities by building a network between firepractitioners, researchers, and policy makers that spans university, agency, and landownerboundaries, widely promoting the use of science to address wildland fire challenges and tostimulate new research and management discoveries. Increased science knowledge can improvedecision makers ability, public or private, to make the most beneficial choices.objectives. 1. Support prescribed burning education and training, leading to wildfire reduction. The science-supported need to manage great plains grasslands with prescribed burningcontinues to create a demand for training and educational materials in a variety of formats, including in-person and virtually. Landowners, ranchers, students, and agencies continuallyrequest new science information to improve the effectiveness of their prescribed burningactivities.2. Address region-wide woody encroachment through science dissemination. Woody plantcontrol is the most important fire issue in the great plains, affecting control of prescribed burns, wildfire, and grassland persistence. New approaches based on recent research are needed in bothpolicy and on-the-ground application. Application of new social science can benefit communitiesand increase control effort effectiveness.3. Connect people and agencies to enhance fire science communication. Through continued andnew relationships new science is identified and disseminated in forms that translate intomanagement activity and policy decisions. Deliberate activities to include additional groups andpeoples to expand and enhance science knowledge flow throughout the region are needed.coordination with agencies also allows additional routes for fire science distribution.4. Identify emerging fire science needs to support prescribed burning and wildfire suppression.through informal personal conversations, consultation with agencies, discussion at workshops and meetings, and with evaluations and survey, fire science needs are discovered and conveyedto researchers. Additional refinements and research needs are revealed via practitioners as thescience is applied.benefits. The proposed work of the great plains fire science exchange supports conservation ofthe remaining 40% of north american old-growth grasslands, which provide importantecosystem services including wildlife habitat, biodiversity, carbon storage, water collection andfiltration, and suppling food and fiber. Activities and education specifically tailored to tribal firescience needs advance equity and environmental justice. Easing and encouraging informationflow improves government agency effectiveness and efficiency. Reduction of woodyencroachment reduces wildfire risk and promotes wildfire-resilient communities. Trainings, workshops, and expanded interactions between researchers, prescribed burn associations, agencies, and private landowners build fire community capacity. Production of publications, videos, website, social media, and other fire science educational materials and communicationefforts encourage asynchronous and individual learning.