This summer, Tall Timbers accepted a position on the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Policy Council, a national non-profit coalition of conservation organizations and related outdoor entities that works to guarantee quality areas for hunting and fishing for all Americans.
Dr. Morgan Varner, Tall Timbers’ Director of Research and Senior Scientist, will serve as the official Policy Council Representative. Varner’s acumen and knowledge will help in specific discussions on forest and fire ecology, as well as land management and conservation. Whit Fosburgh, TRCP’s President and CEO, says, “Tall Timbers brings unique expertise to the Policy Council through its focus on forest and fire ecology, land stewardship, research, and education.”
Dr. Morgan Varner participating in a large scale prescribed fire research burn.
Today, the need for management of fire-dependent flora and fauna is growing rapidly. According to Fosburgh, “Now more than ever we need to address the management of fire-dependent ecosystems, and their fish and wildlife species.”
As the Policy Council Representative, Varner hopes to bring Tall Timbers’ perspective on prescribed fire as a critical process for wildlife and biodiversity conservation, in addition to its ability to reduce wildfire risks.
The TRCP, which was founded in 1999, works to increase federal funding aimed at conservation, in addition to preserving access to these areas for fishing enthusiasts and hunters. The mission behind the group is inspired by a 1912 quote by Theodore Roosevelt: “There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country.”
During his tenure as a politician, largely faced by making conservation a top-tier national issue, Roosevelt strived to safeguard hunting grounds and fishing holes for future generations. The group strives to carry out that goal each and every day. Per Fosburgh, “The Policy Council’s 62 partner organizations share a commitment to conservation and working together to develop and promote positions advancing fish and wildlife policy and ensuring the public’s access to quality places to hunt and fish.”
As the liaison between Tall Timbers and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Varner expressed, “I’m excited about solidifying support for prescribed fire as a prudent practice that everyone who values time outside can get behind. Tall Timbers is actively working to reestablish our national voice on fire policy, so partnering with TRCP and their well-established ability to amplify the collective voice of conservationists is really a natural fit.”
Varner continued, “I get that prescribed fire can be a complex topic, and we absolutely recognize this as we work to deliver the research and applications needed for the future of fire training and decision support, along with the funding and markets to increase prescribed fire use and its multiple benefits.”
Fosburgh added, “The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is thrilled to have Tall Timbers as the newest member of the TRCP Policy Council…. The TRCP looks forward to working more closely with Tall Timbers to strengthen our shared objectives.”
