This partnership focuses on sharing technologies and practical lessons learned among the many other groups that are working to protect communities and restore fire-adapted systems in the region. We believe that the pragmatic approaches that we are developing to collaboration, landscape modeling and analysis, mapping, restoration project design and multi-party monitoring could be profitably borrowed and adapted by others who are working to restore fire-influenced grasslands, shrublands, woodlands and forests of the southwestern United States . Focal ecosystem types are desert, semi-arid and montane grasslands; semi-arid shrublands; piñon-juniper and pine-oak woodlands; and ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forests.

Our first workshop, held in February 2005, focused on sharing and peer-review of landscape analysis & fuel treatment priority-setting, with an emphasis on grassland/shrubland/woodland systems.  Participants included BLM, State, tribal, university, Department of the Army, NRCS and Forest Service planners, biologists, fire management officers and resource managers from Arizona , Colorado, New Mexico and Texas . The Gila and BLM  teams took the lead in sharing information in this workshop. 

The second workshop content will be finalized pending review of survey results from participants in the first workshop. One known area of interest to managers, researchers, working in Southwest ecosystems  is the design and implementation of prescriptions designed to restore ecosystem processes. Site teams would share their experience with fire use, prescribed fire, mechanical treatment and subsequent effective monitoring and adaptive management as tools for restoration. Depending on partner availability, this workshop will be scheduled for late fall 2005 or early 2006.