About
WRL's Mission
Wildfire Resilient Landscapes (WRL) advances research, policy development, and applied strategies that strengthen the resilience of ecological and human systems facing increasing environmental stress. The organization focuses on how landscapes function as interconnected systems that support public health, infrastructure stability, biodiversity, and climate adaptation. Through research, policy analysis, and program development, WRL works to identify practical approaches that restore ecological recovery capacity and support long-term environmental resilience.
Organizational Overview
Wildfire Resilient Landscapes operates as an independent environmental research and policy initiative that integrates systems analysis, environmental governance, and applied landscape restoration strategies.
The organization examines how ecological infrastructure and institutional systems interact across urban and natural environments, particularly in regions facing increasing wildfire risk, climate stress, and landscape degradation.
The organization includes several interconnected areas of work:
• WRL Institute, the research and policy division producing publications and analytical frameworks related to environmental resilience and governance.
• Programs and initiatives that translate research insights into applied environmental strategies and pilot projects.
• Advisory and consulting services supporting organizations and agencies seeking expertise in resilience planning, ecological infrastructure, and environmental policy.
Together, these activities support a broader goal of strengthening landscape recovery systems and improving long-term environmental stability.
Founder and Research Director
Deborah J. Hanson is the founder and research director of Wildfire Resilient Landscapes. She holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Environmental Policy and Management from California State University, Northridge, and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Her work focuses on how environmental and institutional systems maintain long-term resilience under conditions of chronic ecological stress. Through the Wildfire Resilient Landscapes Institute, she conducts research examining the interactions among governance systems, ecological infrastructure, and landscape recovery processes.
Her work includes developing several research frameworks that explore how environmental systems lose and regain resilience, including the Efficiency Gap, the Institutional Resilience Policy Model, and Urban Tree Renewal for Resilience (UTRR).
Research and Policy Leadership
The Wildfire Resilient Landscapes Institute leads the organization’s research and policy work. The institute examines how environmental systems, governance structures, and institutional capacity influence the resilience of landscapes and communities.
Current research areas include:
• environmental systems resilience
• ecological infrastructure and landscape regeneration
• urban canopy and heat mitigation systems
• environmental governance and institutional capacity
• landscape restoration strategies in wildfire-prone regions
Publications produced through the institute explore how long-term ecological stability depends not only on natural systems but also on governance structures, policy coordination, and institutional capacity.
Consulting and Advisory Services
Wildfire Resilient Landscapes provides consulting and advisory services to organizations, agencies, and initiatives seeking expertise in environmental resilience and landscape systems planning.
Areas of advisory work may include:
• environmental resilience planning
• ecological infrastructure strategy
• urban canopy and landscape restoration policy
• nonprofit environmental program development
• systems-based analysis of environmental governance challenges
These services help translate research insights into practical strategies that support landscape recovery and long-term resilience.
Contact or Collaboration
Wildfire Resilient Landscapes welcomes collaboration with researchers, public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and environmental initiatives interested in advancing landscape resilience research and policy.