Wildfire activity has increased in recent history and is threatening natural resources and human communities in the western US

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Washington State University $958,350 under the Cooperative Forestry Research program (CFDA 10.202) on October 1, 2025.

WSU researchers investigate wildfire effects across the Pacific Northwest using multiscale remote sensing technology, aerial LiDAR, space-borne sensors, and field data to quantify impacts of wildfires, insects, disease, and drought. The research examines fire refugia—unburned locations preserving biota critical for forest recovery and wildlife habitat—and develops decision support tools and geospatial data layers in collaboration with federal and state agencies to improve natural resource management. Foresters, forest ecologists, wildlife biologists, and ecophysiologists work together to assess wildfire impacts on animal populations and biogeochemical cycling. The work addresses fuel load dynamics and forest resilience by evaluating fuel reduction treatments for effects on forage quality and quantity for wild ungulates. WSU researchers have developed a stocking rate decision support tool for rangeland to control wildfire spread through fuel load limitation while optimizing forage for cattle. Additional focus areas include utilization of forest thinning and harvest residuals through innovation development.

Place of performance is Pullman, Washington. The period of performance runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. The McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research program supports forest and forest-related research and education to increase forestry research in production, utilization, and protection of forestland and to train future forestry scientists.

Research examining management challenges such as wildland urban interface risk assessments, fuel load dynamics, forest resilience, and recovery following wildfires is needed to address key concerns in fire management. WSU researchers are investigating the effects of wildfires across the pacific northwest and the importance of fire refugia (locations with important biota that remain unburned during a fire) for forest recovery and wildlife habitat. They use cutting-edge multiscale remote sensing technology in combination with field data, aerial lidar, and space-borne sensors to quantify effects of wildfires as well as insects, disease and drought. In collaboration with federal and state agencies, they develop and improve decision support tools and geospatial data layers to manage natural resources more effectively. Our foresters and forest ecologists will work together with wildlife biologists and ecophysiologists to understand the impacts of wildfires on animal populations and biogeochemical cycling. Fire suppression over the last half century has increased canopy cover, and fuel loading of forests in the inland western US. This leads to high-severity, stand-replacing wildfires that alter natural forest communities, but also reduce light transmission to the forest floor and limits understory vegetation that serves as forage for native wild ungulates. WSU researchers are examining fuel reduction treatments for their effects on improving the quality and quantity of forage resources available to wild ungulates. WSU researchers have also developed a stocking rate decision support tool for rangeland that also has potential for controlling spread of wildfires by limiting fuel loading on rangeland while optimizing forage for cattle. Other areas of focus are the utilization of forest thinning or harvest residuals by developing innovations and technologies to provide fuel, fiber and other building materials and improve soil health. The pacific northwest is fertile ground for the development of biochar from forest thinning or harvest residuals and methods for valorizing and utilizing biochar are underway. We are also exploring technical options for deconstructing cell walls of woody biomass to release constituent molecules to be used as precursors to synthesize more valuable products.