South Central Fire Learning Network

Our network is a broad collaborative and community of practice which is integrated into the coalition of state, federal, and local partners who make up the Ozark Ouachita Interior Highlands Collaborative. Since 2001 we have implemented extensive ecosystem restoration in support of the goals of the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program and Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership. 

Other projects include the 60,000-acre Woodland Ecosystem, 80,000-acre Bearcat Hollow, and 80,000-acre Happy Bat Projects on the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest. On the Ouachita National Forest, the Shortleaf Pine-Bluestem Restoration is one of the largest red-cockaded woodpecker restorations in the country and serves as a testing ground for landscape-scale forest restoration and resiliency. All restoration projects serve as demonstration sites at the national scale and host multiple local, regional, national and international field tours annually. Many of these areas have developed public engagement displays installed at key locations across a diverse range of restoration models and habitats to maintain public awareness, understanding and support for resilient forest management and restoration.