Blue Mountain Land Trust (BMLT) along with a number of regional partners, will be hosting two virtual film events, The West is Burning and Catching Fire: Prescribed Burning in Northern CA to bring more community attention to National Wildfire Preparedness Month in May. Each summer, as we look to the skies, smoke permeates the region from surrounding wildfires. A number of community partners and federal entities are working together to re-examine human relationships to fire. Join us in exploring the importance of prescribed fire and how the historical use of fire ties to the work moving forward.
On Thursday, May 6th from 6:30-8:30 pm, community members will have the opportunity to attend a virtual screening of The West is Burning, followed by a panel discussion of local and regional forest and fire professionals, including a community landowner perspective.
Our panelists include:
John Punches, Extension Forester for Oregon State University - Moderator
Liz Jessee, Walla Walla Emergency Manager
Mark Klicker, private landowner
Dr. Kerry Kemp, Forest Ecologist with The Nature Conservancy
The West is Burning is a feature-length documentary that reveals the scale of wildfire issues facing the Western United States. The film examines the history of forest management and social conflict that led to the current conditions, which coupled with longer fire seasons, are causing unprecedented destruction. Climate projections anticipate increasing wildfire impact across Oregon’s treasured forested landscapes on both the east and west sides of the state. In the film, unlikely partners come together to improve forest stewardship efforts and highlight the critical need for a unified response to climate change, land use, and forest restoration. This work emphasizes the importance of community-based solutions to these challenges.
The feature-length documentary was produced by Landmark Stories at The University of Arizona by filmmakers Cody Sheehy and Galen McCaw, in association with Wallowa Resources.
Register in advance for this webinar. Be sure to register for the Catching Fire Event as well.
These virtual film events are hosted in partnership with Blue Mountain Land Trust, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, My Blue Mountains Woodland Partnership, Oregon State University Extension, Northern Blues Cohesive Strategy Partnership, Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition, The Nature Conservancy, Wallowa Resources, and the Umatilla National Forest, part of the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Check out the Catching Fire Event.