From my experience, about all the public knows or is told about prescribed burns is that they are happening, assuming they pay attention to local news or that local news cares enough about it to report it. I think taking this document and breaking down the steps into a digestible news story with a narrative along with some quotes would go a long way toward teaching the public about what is happening on the ground. In particular, the plan shows you what those involved are thinking in those moments. It would still take the right visuals to make the reader feel like they are there, but this could be a highly read and informative story about what a prescribed burn is and the operations behind it.

1. Under Key Discussion Items, B: “Have compliance items and pre-burn considerations been completed”, specifically “[…] threatened, and endangered species”.
   Recognizing that for the overall long-term health of the habitat, a prescribed burn might be the best option I am wondering:
   • How is this threatened/endangered species compliance handled in advance of a burn? Is an EIS or whatever tool is used for this available for this region? I can’t seem to find anything readily available online about it other than a small amount of information in the 2014 foundation document and that compliance is not mentioned elsewhere in the plan.
   • There are a number of bat species in the El Malpais burn area. Since 2021, NPS have a placeholder for a list of spp on their bats page for El Malpais National Monument but that’s it, no list. USFWS ECOS doesn’t report any listed bat species for Cibola County, but do we know the species composition? Is lack of such knowledge considered in the compliance? How fragmented is the habitat for resident spp? Also on bats, the topography of the area is such that there are a number of lava tubes and caves which can host large numbers of bats that might be roosting during burns. I’m wondering if any consideration was made for what time of day these burns would be made? Humans are diurnal, bats are not. One could go on to wonder if consideration was made of where various prey insects are in their repro cycles as well, which could affect predator populations for some time.
   • Basically, I’m wondering how much the non-vegetative ecology of the areas is factored in to a burn plan and how. Much of that might be covered in the site EA and EIS which I’d love to see.
   More transparent knowledge of how species are considered before a prescribed burn could be useful when communicating with public and in further protecting the resources.

2. More broadly: Do “burn seasons” (element 8.A.1.) consider knowledge (TEK and/or via fire management science observation) of when natural fires have occurred historically? If we’re attempting to mimic a natural process but in a highly controlled way to protect our own resources, wouldn’t that information also be useful?

This assignment showed me how much goes into the burns themselves, and the go/no-go checklist is likely why my burn got cancelled. I was surprised to see so much notification efforts and pre-burn considerations in Element 9, since when I knew about the prescribed burn, I didn't hear/see about it on local news/radio or social media, I knew through my work. I would have been surprised if anyone outside of the park knew either, but that doesn't mean they weren't doing notifs.

Curious to see what they have to say.

Margot: Why is it important for communities at low risk of wildfire (like Carrboro) to prepare for air quality impacts from distant fires?
Jeff: Wildfire smoke can be transported very long distances and can have serious impacts on communities hundreds or thousands of miles away.  For example, the Canadian wildfires of June 2023.  Other closer ecosystems on the NC coast burn regularly and can impact Carrboro's air quality.  As climate change increases the likelihood of wildfires everywhere, we may expect more wildfires directly upwind in the mountains of NC and TN.   

Margot: Why do you think communities like ours don't have plans in place and how might we change that?
Jeff: I think our community doesn't have plans because the impacts have been infrequent.  As these events become more common, it will force local policy-makers to adopt plans used by other communities.  The only way to speed that up is public pressure on local elected officials and public health authorities. And perhaps education and outreach to the public health authorities by the folks from UNC public health school. 

Margot: What's your most pressing climate-related air quality concern and why?

Jeff: The most obvious issue is emissions from wildfires dramatically increasing with climate change. Not only can smoke/particulate matter emissions cause problems, but also other gaseous emissions that can contribute to Ozone formation downwind from wildfires.  This pollution not only harms human health, it also harms downwind ecosystems by depositing nitrogen and other chemicals and exposes ecosystems to high ozone.  We need to do all we can to manage forests to be more resilient to climate change. All the progress we have made in air quality in the U.S. is being reversed by increasing wildfire emissions.

The presentation made the case for prescribed burns. I must admit I haven't given prescribed burns much thought. I wonder in the future if prescribe burns will be the way to go or if another method that hasn't been considered will change it.