Living with Fire on Idaho’s Rangelands Focus of U of I Talk in Boise

BOISE, Idaho— What Idahoans can do to be good stewards of the land and protect their home from fire in the wildland/urban interface is the subject of the next Vandal Voices speaker series event at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, hosted by University of Idaho Boise.

April Hulet, assistant professor of Rangeland Conservation for the College of Natural Resources at University of Idaho Boise, will discuss “Up in Flames: Wildfires and Idaho Rangeland” at Amsterdam Lounge, 609 W. Main St., Boise.

Rangeland comprises about half of Idaho and has multiple uses affecting where and how people live, work, and recreate. Both natural and human factors, including population growth and fire, impact rangeland. Over the past decade, fires burned more than 1.9 million acres of Idaho rangeland, resulting in high economic, health, and environmental costs.

“The management of rangeland is one of the most complex challenges in the American West, primarily because people value this natural resource for many different reasons such as recreation, food production, wildlife, and wide open spaces.” Hulet said. “Balancing these values with our growing population and human-caused disturbances, such a fire, is challenging; however, there are steps we can take to be good stewards of the land and enjoy these natural resources throughout our lifetime and beyond.”

Hulet, who also serves as the U of I Extension Rangeland Specialist, focuses her research on fire ecology and fuels management, restoration ecology, and remote sensing with GIS application on rangeland ecosystems. She collaborates with a variety of researchers, land managers, and public interest groups to help design and promote outreach efforts, education programs and scientific studies.

Vandal Voices is free and open to those 21 and older. Space is limited and admission is on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants can RSVP here.

The bi-monthly speaker series is sponsored by U of I Boise. It is designed to inform and engage Idahoans in the Treasure Valley about research and educational topics.

A subsequent Vandal Voices is planned for December. The topic, time and location for that talk will be announced at a later date.