eNews
Spring 2016 | Vol 9 | No 2
Tall Timbers adds new Wildlands Fire Scientist
Tall Timbers is proud to welcome J. Kevin Hiers as our new Wildland Fire Scientist. Kevin has worked in prescribed fire science arena for nearly 20 years, has published over 50 peer-reviewed publications, and has a track record of cooperative work that fits perfectly with the new Tall Timbers Strategic Plan to attract prescribed fire expertise to the region. Kevin not only loves to prescribe burn and study fire behavior and its effects, he brings with him a breadth of knowledge in fire and smoke modelling, fire ecology, fire application, and implementation of large-scale complex studies, such as Rx CADRE.
The Greater Red Hills Region of NW Florida and SW Georgia, is the epicenter of prescribed fire in the Southeastern U.S. Our consistent application of fire provides opportunities for collaboration among top regional and national fire scientists that wish to study it. Through a soon to be developed prescribed fire consortium, we have the long-term goal of improving prescribed fire use and policies to ensure its continued safe application. “Tall Timbers can significantly improve prescribed fire science by leveraging the consistent application of fire in the region to attract the best minds developing and testing models to predict fire behavior and improve smoke management,” says Hiers. Kevin joins Tall Timbers in June and will be living in Thomasville, GA with his wife Stephanie of 14 years and their 2 children.