In recent years the role of severe drought in exacerbating wildfire size and severity in the western US has become increasingly evident

The Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management awarded Boise State University a $300,931 cooperative agreement on September 17, 2025, under the Joint Fire Science Program (CFDA 15.232) to develop and test management strategies that address concurrent fire and aquatic species needs in western wildfire-prone landscapes.

The work centers on a place-based partnership at Zena Creek, Idaho, where the recipient will develop model-based tools and design wetland and beaver dam analog structures to integrate fire management with aquatic species conservation while strengthening collaboration among scientists, managers, tribal agencies, and local landowners. The project comprises three components: developing new management strategies, implementing and testing beaver dam analogs and wetland structures, and evaluating the effectiveness of the models and structures deployed on the ground.

Performance occurs in Idaho, with work running through December 31, 2027. The Joint Fire Science Program funds research and studies to enhance decision-making ability of fire, fuels, natural resource, and land managers addressing wildland fire issues; projects are generally limited to three years and reviewed for relevancy to posted task statements, scientific methods, study design, science deliverables, collaboration and leverage, and cost effectiveness.

New fire regimes necessitate novel management approaches. We propose a place based partnership at zena creek idaho that addresses the following question. How can the dual needs of fire and aquatic species management be achieved through the development of new model based tools and on the ground design of wetland and beaver DAM analog structures while concurrently strengthening partnerships among scientists managers tribal agencies and local land owners. This proposed work follows the three primary components of the framework proposed by hunter ET AL. (2022). We will 1) develop new management strategies 2) implement this strategy through the testing and implementation of bdas and 3) evaluate and learn if the models and structures are effective.