Delivering Actionable Science Communication for a Dynamic Fire Landscape

Fire suppression and exclusion, combined with climate change and the limited implementation of fuel treatments, have significantly altered and degraded landscapes across the country (Miller et al. 2020). Restoration of these fire-adapted ecosystems faces many barriers, including capacity limitations and gaps in ecological knowledge (Spencer et al. 2015), as well as rapidly evolving information needs as fires become more complex (Wildland Fire Leadership Council 2023). These challenges highlight the growing importance of accessible and actionable fire science information to support land managers, fire practitioners, decision-makers, and the wider public in effectively addressing the wildfire crisis. Outreach strategies often struggle to keep pace with these challenges, underscoring the importance of adaptive and regionally responsive fire science communication. The Fire Science Exchange Network (FSEN) addresses these constraints by striving to accelerate the awareness, understanding, adoption, and implementation of fire science information by stakeholders. The FSEN utilizes a variety of outreach and dissemination strategies tailored to the unique audiences, partners, needs, and priorities within each region (Dante-Wood and Hunter 2026). The California Fire Science Consortium (CFSC) exemplifies this approach, demonstrating how the FSEN remains effective in a constantly evolving fire landscape and providing insights for others engaged in similar work.

To effectively engage and support regional stakeholders, the CFSC conducts needs assessments for each funding cycle to inform the organization’s work program and evaluate current efforts. In June 2025, the CFSC completed a needs assessment, drawing 206 responses across all target audiences (tribal, local, state, and federal agencies; nonprofit organizations; university students, staff, and faculty; private landowners; the general public; and private sector organizations). Questions addressed research and outreach needs and evaluated the CFSC’s effectiveness in meeting these needs.

Participants identified not enough time (60%), lack of research (46%), and paywalls (43%) as the top barriers to accessing scientific research (Table 1). Similarly, time (40%), financial resources (38%), and lack of actionable information (33%) were identified as the top constraints for applying scientific research (Table 2). These findings suggest that many in the fire science community operate under significant time and resource limitations, compounded by a gap in research availability and utility. Addressing these challenges requires a shift toward science communication that prioritizes concise, accessible, and actionable insights for decision-makers.

Participants most frequently accessed scientific journals and publications (44%), webinars (35%), and peer communication (33%) to obtain information (Figure 1). The CFSC’s most valued activities included hosting and facilitating events (60%), producing research briefs and syntheses (46%), curating database or annotated bibliographies (30%), and facilitating networking between scientists and land managers (28%). Results indicate that many in the fire science community rely on peer communication and formal research publications and dissemination methods, suggesting outreach centered around these sources would be most impactful.

The majority of CFSC stakeholders and end-users engage, either directly or indirectly, with ecosystem restoration through a variety of methods including prescribed burning, post-fire restoration, and the development of land management plans. Notably, over 60% of all stakeholders who were surveyed identified landscape resilience as the most important fire science topic related to their work.

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Figure 1.

Most useful products or information sources for accessing and applying research findings.

The CFSC conducts a broad range of outreach activities using multiple formats and dissemination methods (Table 3), each strategically selected to target specific audiences and meet stakeholder needs. Outreach activities are grouped into three major categories: events, resources, and advisory services. The CFSC hosts virtual and in-person events such as webinars, field tours, conferences, and workshops. Virtual events are free to attend and accessible from anywhere, reducing time and financial barriers, while in-person events support direct peer communication and networking between researchers and land managers. CFSC resources, including research briefs, syntheses, and success stories, are open-access, short-form, and non-technical, increasing the accessibility of research by eliminating paywalls and reducing the time needed to find and apply relevant research. Additionally, the CFSC facilitates connections through several advisory services, including the Ask an Expert program, personal briefings, and participation in working groups. These services provide organizational information, collaborative opportunities, and personalized expertise. CFSC outreach activities may serve as standalone products but are frequently used to complement other CFSC activities.

Outreach activities are then distributed through in-person and digital channels to amplify their reach and impact. Digital platforms such as websites, newsletters, and social media are particularly effective and provide fast, accessible, and centralized repositories for fire science information.

Feedback from stakeholders, particularly through needs assessments, is crucial in shaping these efforts, ensuring the CFSC adapts and innovates its approach to enhance the use and impact of fire science. Outreach activities are tailored to fit the needs of the target audience, selecting the most effective format, topic, and dissemination method to connect research and practice across a diverse fire community. The reach and impact of these activities are further extended through collaboration with partners, which is the backbone of the CFSC.

The CFSC collaborates with a diverse network of federal, state, and local fire and land management agencies (e.g., CAL FIRE, United State Forest Service, National Park Service); universities and researchers (e.g., Berkeley Forests, University of California Cooperative Extension, University of California); as well as community groups and non-profits (e.g., Firewise, CA Fire Safe Council, Prescribed Burn Associations). By combining strengths through strategic partnerships, organizations can overcome capacity limitations and magnify their impact.

Demonstrating this adaptive approach, in 2025 the CFSC partnered with the California Society of American Foresters and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to co-host the first annual California Forest Science Symposium (CFSS). This event arose from a shared mission and recognized need for better integration across research and management to support decision-making. Each partner organization provided complementary strengths, diverse perspectives, and distinct networks to enhance the scope and impact of the Symposium.

The CFSS convened over 300 forest and fire scientists and practitioners from across the private, nonprofit, academic, and government sectors to engage in knowledge exchange. This event featured diverse topics and formats, including workshops, panel discussions, presentations, networking events, a field tour, and a career panel. The symposium also prioritized land management perspectives, which are often underrepresented at conferences, providing a more balanced exchange of ideas and helping bridge the gap between applied research and management.

Participant feedback, collected via post-event surveys, underscored the event’s value in creating meaningful opportunities for in-person collaboration, networking, and knowledge exchange. Participants praised the event’s organization, diverse content, and regional insights, with one noting, “This was the best conference I’ve attended in the last ten years.” Many appreciated the longer breaks for reflection and networking, and several expressed strong interest in making the symposium an annual event. Future events will incorporate this feedback, ensuring continued alignment with participant needs.

The CFSS highlights how stakeholder input, responsive and varied programming, and collaborative partnerships come together to effectively address evolving needs across the fire community. Effectively communicating and disseminating fire science information presents many challenges, necessitating diverse strategies to successfully reach audiences. The CFSC provides a useful example of ways organizations are addressing these challenges and adapting to meet evolving needs.

Incorporating stakeholder feedback through evaluations—specifically, needs assessments—is crucial for maintaining relevant, high-impact programming. The frequent collection of evaluation data enables organizations to quickly detect these emerging needs and adapt programming accordingly. As capacity within the science community becomes increasingly constrained by funding limitations, administrative burdens, and increasing workloads, this information is essential, allowing communicators to prioritize key topics and maximize the impact of limited resources. Effective science communication requires dynamic programming, and evaluation data is key to making informed outreach decisions.

Outreach efforts should be guided by evaluation data to address regional needs. This data-driven approach increases the engagement and utility of science communication products and activities by reflecting the unique needs of stakeholders, ensuring maximum impact. Diversifying formats and dissemination methods improves accessibility and supports communication tailored to varying capacities and preferences, extending the reach of these efforts.

Strong partnerships further enhance the outreach and dissemination capabilities of organizations involved in this work. Collaboration enables organizations to amplify impact, expand reach, and overcome capacity limitations by leveraging shared resources, networks, and expertise. Partnerships also bring diverse perspectives and skills together, fostering innovative approaches to meet needs and overcome challenges.

Each of these strategies of science communication is useful in isolation, but are most impactful when combined. Stakeholder input helps identify emerging needs, evaluation data inform outreach and dissemination methods, and these methods are strengthened through partnerships, creating a feedback loop where each strategy informs and enhances the next, driving continuous improvement.

Restoration and fire science face a shared set of challenges; both must contend with a rapidly evolving scientific landscape, persistent disconnects between researchers and decision-makers, and diverse audiences with varying needs and capacities. The strategies outlined here are not unique to fire science, but offer a transferable and effective model for the broader scientific community. The California Fire Science Consortium’s model demonstrates that effective science communication goes beyond a single activity or resource, but is an integrated and adaptive system, grounded in stakeholder feedback, diverse format and dissemination strategies, and strong partnerships. Our approaches must adapt alongside the science and landscapes they serve, and science communication is critical to ensuring that research does not just advance, but translates into meaningful action on the ground.