The Mountaineers
Join us for The Era of Megafires with Dr. Paul Hessberg, a research landscape ecologist with Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station. In this multi-media presentation, Hessburg explains how over the past decade the number of large, severe wildfires has been on the rise. These megafires burn more than 100,000 acres at a time; they can destroy communities, wildlife habitat, and natural resources. This special presentation conveys the conditions that lead to megafires and how they might be managed or mitigated.
“A future without wildfire isn’t an option,” Hessburg says. “So, what kind of future do we want for our forests? The goal of this project is to share a vocabulary and increase the understanding and ability of ordinary citizens so that they can enter into local discussions and planning for a more certain future for public forest lands."
The impetus for The Era of Megafires stems from large, atypical wildfires burning beloved forests and the homes of friends near Dr. Hessburg’s hometown, Wenatchee. One of those fires, The Carlton Complex Fire, became the largest fire in state history when it burned 256,000 acres and destroyed 322 homes in 2014. Just one year later, The Sleepy Hollow Fire destroyed 30 homes and several warehouses. This presentation describes why forest conditions throughout the west are now conducive to megafires, what’s at stake, and how we can tackle the problem.
Dr. Paul Hessburg is a research landscape ecologist with the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station and a member of the University of Washington’s Affiliate Faculty. Dr. Hessburg’s work, published in leading scientific journals for more than 30 years, documents the startling changes in forest conditions over the past century that contribute to wildfires.
Join us for The Era of Megafires
Date: May 30, 2019
Location: The Seattle Program Center
Doors: 6pm
Show: 7pm
General Admission | $12
Mountaineers Members | $10
At the Door | $12
Mountaineers Members receive $2 off the general admission ticket price. Visit The Mountaineers Event Promotional Code Page to redeem your promo code.
