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Fire Resiliency

Fire Resilience

The idea that beaver dams can improve the resiliency of riverscapes to fire is common sense. That argument is made in Module 1's Principles Lecture. This page highlights examples, anecdotes, and the surprisingly small amount (but convincing) of published scientific evidence behind the idea that “It’s really not complicated: water doesn’t burn…” (National Geographic).

You will find resources on:

If you are looking for post-fire LTPBR case studies, check out:


Media Coverage

Recent media has highlighted how beavers improve fire resilience. A great summary is Emily Fairfax’s stop-motion explainer:

PBS Special

Want to Solve Wildfires and Drought? Leave it to BEAVERS! (November 2021)

News Articles

National Geographic on Twitter:

Beaver dams slow the spread of wildfires, and in some cases, can even extinguish them

Read the tweet here


Radio

NPR All Things Considered

To improve wildfire resistance, researchers look to beavers (3 min segment)

NPR Science Friday

Beavers Build Ecosystems of Resilience (17 min segment)


Documentaries

Sara Tensegrity’s Beaver Believers (2018) describes how beaver ponds helped protect habitat during the 2015 Twisp Fire:


Presentations on Beaver & Fire

Emily Fairfax

Joe Wheaton


Documentation of Beaver Increasing Resilience

Beaver benefits are starting to be documented in the literature:


Potential Sources of Funding

  • US Forest Service BAER
  • Bureau of Land Management BARR
  • NRCS EWPP

Public Fire Information