Rocky Mountain Regional Wildfire Smoke Symposium
Success of the first ever Rocky Mountain Regional Wildfire Smoke Symposium leads to a second one
By all accounts, the 2020 Rocky Mountain Regional Wildfire Smoke Symposium was a great success. Among respondents, post-symposium survey results indicate that more than 80% of attendees were extremely satisfied with the meeting, and nearly 70% were extremely likely to recommend the meeting to their colleagues.
The 2020 symposium covered both community and occupational health impacts stemming from wildfire smoke exposure with a keynote talk from UC Berkeley Professor John Balmes, a leading public health researcher in the field. The meeting garnered attendance from over 130 registrants, speakers, and panelists. These attendees represented over 40 agencies and institutions from 12 different (US) states. A major highlight from the meeting was the wildland firefighter panel discussion where we heard directly from those with boots on the ground about their experience with smoke and its impact on health. One major takeaway from the meeting was that researchers should engage in solutions-based approaches and not just identify health-related issues.
Save the Date: November 12, 2021
We are excited to announce the Second Annual Rocky Mountain Regional Wildfire Smoke Symposium will be held virtually on November 12, 2021. This year’s symposium will be structured as a workshop that will cover key public health-related topics relevant to wildfire smoke. These topics will be released ahead of the meeting and attendees will be asked to prepare for the workshop by reading selected literature and considering a series of prompts, which will be further discussed in breakout sessions during the workshop. The overall goal of this meeting is for the attendees to actively engage with the selected key topics and discuss challenges and opportunities.
Register Now
Registration for this symposium is $50. If you are a student and would like to be considered for a stipend to cover the cost of attendance, or if you cannot afford the registration fee, contact lukemontrose@boisestate.edu for more information.
About
With Western wildfires becoming larger and more intense each year, this meeting will provide a platform for the dissemination of data on the economic and health impacts of wildfire smoke. This meeting will also be an opportunity to foster the interagency and interdisciplinary relationships necessary to 1) improve emergency readiness, 2) promote health, 3) inform best practices for education, outreach, and messaging in the Rocky Mountain Region.
Sponsors
For more information or if you are interested in sponsoring the event, please contact Dr. Luke Montrose, Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health and Population Science at Boise State University, at lukemontrose@boisestate.edu.