Pre- and Post-Wildfire Forest Management Conference

Pre- and Post-Wildfire Forest Management Conference Sacramento February 9-11, 2010 Forest ownership and wildfire goals and practices Gary Nakamura – UC Coop. Ext.

California’s Forest Resources, 2001-2005: Five-year Forest Inventory and Analysis Report. USDA Forest Service. General Technical Report: PNW-GTR-783. 2008. Forestland – 10% stocking with trees Timberland – 20 cu ft wood growth/ac/yr

Projecting climate change impacts on forest growth and yield for California’s Sierran mixed conifer forests. Battles, Robards, Das, Stewart. Calif. Energy Commission, CEC-500-2009-047-F. 2009.

Forest Management Goals USDA Forest Service

USDI National Park Service, BLM and public reserves

Private Industrial Forest

Private Family Forests/Wildland Urban Interface WUI

16 million acres in 20

4.2 million acres (13 %)

4.7 million acres

8.5 million acres

national forests (48 %)

20 forested parks

(14%) 20 major landowners

(26 %) 50,000 landowners

To restore and sustain the ecological health of forest, woodland and grassland ecosystems, and the multiple uses and benefits derived from them.

Whenever possible, natural processes will be relied upon to maintain native plant communities and influence natural fluctuations in populations of these species.

Maintain a healthy forest that provides a sustained yield of forest products in perpetuity and makes a profit for the landowner. FPA requires long term management of other forest values. Manage fire risks and benefits to protect assets.

Create and maintain a healthy forest for wildlife, recreation, aesthetics, economic (forest products), watershed, homesite FPA requires long term management of other forest values.

Fire Management Goals USDA Forest Service

USDI National Park Service, BLM and public reserves

Private Industrial Forest

Private Family Forests/Wildland Urban Interface WUI

To manage fire as an ecological process supporting forest management goals and Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (FLRMP) objectives.

management objectives— including allowing fire to perform its natural role as much as practicable—will ensure that firefighter and public safety are not compromised.

Minimize wildfire ignitions and extent. Facilitate initial attack effectiveness. Maintain effective fire detection and reporting system. Coordinate and cooperate with state, federal and local fire fighting agencies.

Minimize wildfire ignitions and extent

Management Practices to achieve fire goals In order of priority USDA Forest Service

USDI National Park Service, BLM and public reserves

Private Industrial Forest

Private Family Forests/Wildland Urban Interface WUI

Ecological Restoration Vegetation Management

1--naturally ignited wildland fires managed for resource benefit

1)biomass harvest 2)thinning 3)herbicides 4)Road access for initial attack 5)Diverse forest structure 6)timber harvest 7)Fuel Breaks 8)Intensive treatments near WUI 9)Prescribed fire (2 for some companies) 10)restoration activities

biomass harvest thinning timber harvest herbicides restoration activities prescribed fire (and biomass) –

Remove hazardous surface,ladder fuels Overstory stand density reduction Biomass removal and utilization Reforestation Fire Prevention Including support to local communities in Community Wildfire Protection Planning and the establishment of Firewise Communities.

2--human-ignited wildland fires as management tools (prescribed fires) 3--manual & mechanical thinning and biomass harvest in developed areas to restore highly altered forest communities that cannot be managed by fire alone

need financial, technical assistance, liability protection; cooperation with adjacent landowners, national forest.

Treatments – Why, Where, When, Costs USDA Forest Service

USDI National Park Private Industrial Service, BLM and public Forest reserves

Private Family Forests/Wildland Urban Interface WUI

In the WUI on, and adjacent to, National Forests System lands, and on State and Private lands through grants.

Within WUI zones, immediately adjacent to at risk resource areas (e.g. an historic backcountry cabin), along road corridors and near park boundary areas as identified and approved in the park’s Fire Management Plan.

Investments to protect assets

WUI around home

Treatments can include manual and mechanical thinning and biomass removal, usually followed by a prescribed fire.

Assoc. with timber harvest Paid for by company

In the general forest as per the forest FLRMP.

Costs are paid through regular or supplemental federal appropriations and with challenge-cost-share partner contributed funds or in-kind contributions.

Project costs are covered by appropriations.

Grant funds Cost/benefits analysis of strategic placement of fuel treatments. Opportunistic, market conditions

Public/Private partnerships WUI interface Biomass fuel thinnings Grants –Fire Safe Councils, RCD, BCAP

Paid for by owner (small landowner land ethic) Consider treatment beyond WUI; treat during commercial harvest, increasing harvest costs to achieve fuel/fire goals.

Fire suppression policies, Post-fire concerns, actions USDA Forest Service

USDI National Park Service, BLM and public reserves

Private Industrial Forest

Private Family Forests/Wildland Urban Interface WUI

Unplanned fires located in WUI adjacent to the forest are generally suppressed.

Suppress fire in WUI within and adjacent to the National Park unit as defined in the park’s approved Fire Management Plan.

Suppress at all times and places

Suppress at all times and places

Unplanned fires occurring in general forest areas are managed according to the FLRMP.

Manage naturally ignited and human-ignited wildland fires as management tools following approved procedures in the park’s approved Fire Management Plan.

Immediately – Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation to mitigate risks of increased overland water and debris flows to downstream values.

Immediately – Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation to mitigate fire suppression impacts that occurred to park resources and infrastructure.

Long Term – Restorative activities consistent with the FLRMP, including reforestation, erosion control, drainage enhancements, etc.

Minimal long-term management activities since NPS manages land for natural processes of which fire plays a critical role in ecosystem health.

Salvage harvest, Salvage harvest, planted and natural reforestation reforestation Erosion, flooding, Erosion, flooding, watershed damage watershed damage, long term protection, protecting and maintaining roads

Pertinent Laws and Regulations, Regulatory agencies, for pre- and post-fire projects USDA Forest Service

USDI National Park Service, BLM and public reserves

Private Industrial Forest

Private Family Forests/Wildland Urban Interface WUI

Organic Administration Act National Forest Mgmt Act Endangered Species Act National Environ. Policy Act National Fire Plan

1916 NPS Organic Act 1970 General Authorities Act 1978 amend Park’s Enabling Legislation National Environ. Policy Act National Historic Preservations Act 1972 Wilderness Act Endangered Species Act Clean Water Act Clean Air Act (class I)

Calif Forest Practices Act Porter-Cologne Clean Water Federal laws – ESA, Clean Air, Clean Water CalFire burn regulations

Calif Forest Practices Act Porter-Cologne Clean Water Federal laws – ESA, Clean Air, Clean Water County Plans and local ordinances (can be prohibitive. e.g. Nevada Co.)

State, local air, water boards State Historic Preservation State Forester Other federal agencies like the US Fish and Wildlife Service

State, local air, water boards State Historic Preservation Other federal agencies like the US Fish and Wildlife Service and neighboring National Forests

CalFire burn regulations

CalFire, DFG, USFWS, RWQCBs, Corps of Engrs., counties, BOE, IRS CEQA for grants

Departure from historic fire frequencies and effects

2003 Forest and Range Assessment, FRAP

Cal Fire Amador-El Dorado Unit – SRA, DPA

The WUI

Angora Fire

Sacramento

CalFire Unit

Angora Fire

Protecting homes from wildfire and reducing wildfire severity in general forest: Fuel treatment to: Slow the fire rate of spread - suppression

Reduce fire intensity- defensible space, fire fighters Reduce fire severity – tree mortality, ecosystem damage

Low intensity surface fire, Blacks Mt Exp. Forest

2002 Cone Fire. Untreated forest. High intensity crown fire

Cone Fire. Unit 41 –Thinned and prescribe burned. Surface fire. Scorch.

Angora Fire June 24-26, 2007 2400 ac, 4 hours, 3 miles “In the first hour of the fire, we had probably a total of 10 engines and we lost a large portion of those 254 homes,” Lake Valley Fire District Chief Michael. “We didn’t have enough resources.”

Unit 29

Angora Fire, June 2007

Unit 29

Angora Fire, Unit 29 post-fire

Unit 29

2007 Angora Fire

CTC

Angora Fire, October 2007 Mastication, salvage harvest

California Tahoe Conservancy Angora Fire – October 2007 Salvage harvest, site preparation

Forest Service

Adjacent to CTC lands

1992 Fountain Fire Salvage harvest, site preparation for planting

1992 Fountain Fire Shasta Co., CA

Right - 10 years after reforestation Left – no reforestation

Fountain Fire in 2002

Elliot Ranch Elliot Ranch Tahoe NF 1950-2009

Local solutions to wildfire issue 2010 State Strategic Fire Plan – CDF and Board of Forestry – Vision, Goals, Objectives http://bof.fire.ca.gov VISION A natural environment that is more resilient and man-made assets which are more resistant to the occurrence and effects of wildland fire through local, state, federal and private partnerships. GOALS Through government and community collaboration, the following goals will enhance the protection of lives, property and natural resources from wildland fire, as well as improve environmental resilience to wildland fire. 1. Support and participate in the collaborative development and implementation of wildland fire protection plans and other local, county and regional plans that address fire protection and landowner objectives.

Fire Safe Councils Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP)

Gary Nakamura Forestry Specialist Center for Forestry (UC Berkeley) 1851 Hartnell Avenue Redding, CA 96002 530 224-4902 [email protected] http://groups.ucanr.org/forest/