Dr. Chad Hanson, Keynote Speaker at the 32nd Annual Heartwood Forest Council – May 2024
At the 32nd annual Heartwood Forest Council in May 2024, Dr. Chad Hanson delivered a keynote presentation examining the misuse of the “fire-oak hypothesis.” This forest management paradigm promotes the idea that historical eastern U.S. forests consisted of open, low-density oak stands maintained by frequent, low-intensity surface fires. The John Muir Project combines primary scientific research on forest ecology and fire with agency monitoring, public education, advocacy, and litigation. In recent years, Dr. Hanson has focused on the role of fire in shaping forest ecology and management practices in eastern deciduous forests.