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​The Central Appalachians FLN engages federal, state and private land managers in a collaborative effort to enhance capacity to implement ecological fire management in the Central Appalachian Forest, Western Allegheny Plateau, and Cumberlands and Southern Ridge and Valley ecoregions. The landscapes include rolling and mountainous terrain, hardwood and mixed–pine hardwood forests, pine-oak-heath shrublands and woodlands, small-patch grasslands including hillside prairies and cedar glades and high levels of species endemism. 
Within this biologically diverse region, the FLN seeks to: 
  • collaborate with stakeholders to strengthen the scientific basis for landscape-scale fire management, and develop landscape-scale desired future condition and fire management objectives;
  • transfer knowledge and lessons learned to facilitate ecological objective setting, effective stakeholder engagement, efficient compliance with regulatory requirements, and funding of ecological fire management projects; and
  • identify critical barriers to implementing restoration of fire adapted ecosystems, and develop strategies to overcome these barriers;
in order to achieve tangible and measurable progress in restoration of fire adapted ecosystems at demonstration sites throughout the network.


Selected publications and products:

Monitoring protocol & forms: Forest Structure and Composition Monitoring in the Heart of the Appalachians (updated 2019)

Webinar (recording & publication): Hot Burns, Cold Burns and Everything in Between: Exploring Prescribed Burning's Impacts on Forest Structure in the Appalachians (2019)

Webinar (recording & slides): A Decade of Monitoring in the Heart of the Appalachians (2018)


Strategic Plan (2021-2026): Heart of the Appalachians landscape (2021)

Timeline: Heart of the Appalachians FLN 2005-2017 (2018)

Workshop presentations: Slides from the November 2017 regional FLN workshop

Reports & appendixes​: Mapping ecological zones in Virginia and West Virginia (for George Washington NF (2011) and Jefferson NF (2014))

Report: Avian Monitoring 2017 Summary

Report​​: Avian Monitoring 2016 Summary

Report​: Avian Monitoring 2015 Summary

Report​​: Avian Monitoring 2014 Summary (Warm Springs Mountain Restoration Project)

Interpretive panel​: Controlled burning in the Heart of the Appalachians (2014)

Brochure​​: "Controlled Burning for Healthy Forest Management in the Appalachians" (2014)​

Poster​: "Fire Severity Assessment in the Allegheny Highlands of Virginia"  (2013 Fire Behavior & Fuels Conference)

Post​er: Central Apps FLN poster from the June 2015 national FLN workshop

Poster​Central Apps FLN poster from the June 2014 national FLN workshop


Notes from the FIeld: Burning Big! A Workshop on Large Burn Implementation in the Central Appalachians (2020)

Notes from the Field: Central Appalachians FLN 2017 Year in Review

Notes from the Field: Central Apps FLN workshop & Avenza shared learning event

Notes from the Field: Central Appalachians FLN 2016 Year in Review

Notes from the Field: Potomac Headwaters Kick-off Workshop (Jan 2017)

Notes from the Field: Central Appalachians FLN Annual Workshop (Nov 2016)

Notes from the Field: Contract Prescribed Fire Modules Add Capacity in the Appalachians

Notes from the Field: Central Appalachians FLN 2015 Year in Review

Notes from the Field​: Central Apps FLN-CAFMS Joint Workshop (Oct 2015) 

Notes from the Field​: Central Appalachians FLN Summer 2015 Update

Notes from the Field​: Central Appalachians 2014 Year in Review (March 2015)

Notes from the Field​: Central Appalachians annual FLN workshop (Nov 2014)

Notes from the Field: Blue Suck Burn (March 2014)

Notes from the Field​​​: Spring 2014 updates

Notes from the Field: April 2013 updates

Notes from the Fiel​d​​: Big Wilson Burn (March 2012)

Notes from the Field​: Big Wilson Prescribed Burn (April 2011)




For materials from workshops in the Potomac Headwaters FLN landscape, visit the Maryland FLN Resources page.





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