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Agren Projects
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Regional Fire Management PlanThe Challenge:The original prairie ecosystems of the Loess Hills in western Iowa are steadily being replaced by unwanted plant species and woody vegetation. Planned, or prescribed fire, is a tool to combat that encroachment and help restore the hills to their original diversity. Private and public agencies saw a need to create a unified fire management plan for the entire region, but lacked the time and skills to create such a plan.Agren's Solution:The Loess Hills Alliance and The Nature Conservancy took the lead in developing a coordinated fire management plan for the Loess Hills. They contracted with Agren to coordinate the process and edit the document. In preparing to assist with the plan, we searched for past fire management plans completed by other organizations and agencies. Our research found no examples of a strategic fire management plan anywhere in the United States, so Agren created a new template for fire management plans.Our staff met regularly with local partners to determine issues that needed to be included in the fire management plan. We prepared a goal statement and rationale for each chapter, then again consulted the partners to design action steps to carry out the stated goals. The actual document was written collaboratively by our partners and our staff. All portions were edited by Agren for consistency. Once the first draft was completed, we posted it on-line to give interested parties the opportunity to review it and make suggestions. After this process, we again met with the full partnership to discuss and finalize the plan. The final Regional Fire Management Plan was presented to The Loess Hills Alliance and The Nature Conservancy for distribution. |
