Climate change adaptation in wildland fire management and governance in Alaska
Date
2018
Authors
Rutherford, Tait Kater, author
Schultz, Courtney, advisor
Duffy, Paul, committee member
Davis, Charles, committee member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
In the sparsely populated landscape of Alaska, natural resource-dependent rural communities are experiencing the effects of a rapidly changing climate. Warming average temperatures have caused increases in wildland fire activity across the boreal and tundra regions of Alaska, and climate change projections forecast further increases in fire frequency, severity, and extent. These projections have resulted in dire predictions for the already-strained fire management capacity of the state and federal land management agencies. In a fire management system historically focused on the protection of isolated communities and valued resources, increasing fire activity is causing the need for adaptation in fire management approaches and decision-making structures. In this thesis, I explore priorities, challenges, and adaptation in fire management and fire governance in Alaska. I use a qualitative analysis of a series of interviews with fire managers and stakeholders in the Alaska fire management community to derive an understanding of potential adaptation options in a complex management system. This thesis consists of three standalone chapters. The first of these chapters is a white paper that summarizes interview results. In this chapter, I identify four key issues to address in fire management in Alaska based on interviewee responses, including budgeting, staffing, the protection of remote values and subsistence hunting opportunities, and the potential for climate change adaptation and mitigation. The second chapter explores climate change adaptation in specific management approaches and the processes that may need to change to achieve those adaptations. I find that local collaboration, the integration of land and fire management responsibilities within the statewide fire management network, and the consideration of recent science are significant controls on the system's capacity for adaptation. In the third chapter, I broaden the scope of my analysis to the multilevel fire governance system, seeking to understand how the organizational structures and institutions that support collective action will respond to the challenges of climate change. I find that existing adaptive mechanisms such as regular formal and informal communication among agencies and the presence of bridging organizations will be critical to successful adaptation across the state. Overall, these results show recognition within Alaska's fire management community of the urgent need to reevaluate management priorities, policies, and structures going forward.