Montana wildfire forum to be held Nov. 13
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
MSU News Service
MONTANA — The Osher Lifelong Institute at Montana State University, formerly MSU Wonderlust, will partner with the Bozeman Public Library Foundation to present “Wildfire in Montana: Past, Present and Future” for a Friday Forum. The event will take place noon to 1:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, and is free and open to the public.
David McWethy, assistant professor in the Department of Earth Sciences in the College of Letters and Science at MSU, will discuss the factors responsible for increasing wildfire activity in the West and describe some of the future challenges presented by wildfire in Montana and the Gallatin Valley.
According to McWethy, fire is an important process that has shaped Western ecosystems for ages. However, fire activity has increased over the past few decades and recently has become more violent. Homes and lives have been lost, on top of persistent smoke that creates hazardous air quality in the West. Changing climate conditions enable record-setting fire seasons throughout the West, creating sustained periods of hot weather that dry out fuels and are conducive to fires. At the same time, a growing number of homes and other structures are built in landscapes with abundant fuels, increasing the danger fires pose to human health and safety.
Registration for the Friday Forum is required and can be done at montana.edu/wonderlust/register. Registrants will receive an email with the Webex link and instructions to join the program.
Friday Forums are a partnership between the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at MSU and the Bozeman Public Library Foundation. OLLI is a program of Academic Technology and Outreach at MSU. ATO works across the university to support and advance its land-grant mission through unique and innovative opportunities for outreach and engagement.
