Impediments to prescribed fire across agency, landscape and manager: an example from northern California

2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lenya N. Quinn-Davidson ◽  
J. Morgan Varner
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Social Constraints ◽  
Northern California ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Environmental Laws ◽  
The Public ◽  
Management Objectives ◽  
Fire Activity

Though the need for prescribed fire is widely recognised, its use remains subject to a range of operational and social constraints. Research has focussed on identifying these constraints, yet past efforts have focussed disproportionately on single agencies and geographic regions. We examined constraints on prescribed fire by surveying a wide variety of organisations (including six state and federal agencies and several tribes, non-governmental organisations and timber companies) in northern California, a fire-prone region of the western United States. Across the region, prescribed burning annually covered only 38% of the area needed to fulfil land-management objectives, and 66% of managers indicated dissatisfaction with levels of prescribed fire activity. The highest-ranked impediments were narrow burn window, regulations, lack of adequate personnel and environmental laws. Impediment ratings differed among entities, with legal and social impediments of greater concern in the private sector than in the public, and economic impediments of greater concern in the state and private sectors than in the federal. Comparisons with the south-eastern United States, where similar research has taken place, point to important regional constraints on prescribed fire activity. These findings suggest further need for research spanning geographic and ownership boundaries, as prescribed fire impediments can vary by context.

scholarly journals Facilitating Prescribed Fire in Northern California through Indigenous Governance and Interagency Partnerships

Fire ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Tony Marks-Block ◽  
William Tripp
Keyword(s):  
Political Ecology ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
The United States ◽  
Northern California ◽  
Prescribed Burn ◽  
California Department ◽  
State Regulations

Prescribed burning by Indigenous people was once ubiquitous throughout California. Settler colonialism brought immense investments in fire suppression by the United States Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CAL FIRE) to protect timber and structures, effectively limiting prescribed burning in California. Despite this, fire-dependent American Indian communities such as the Karuk and Yurok peoples, stalwartly advocate for expanding prescribed burning as a part of their efforts to revitalize their culture and sovereignty. To examine the political ecology of prescribed burning in Northern California, we coupled participant observation of prescribed burning in Karuk and Yurok territories (2015–2019) with 75 surveys and 18 interviews with Indigenous and non-Indigenous fire managers to identify political structures and material conditions that facilitate and constrain prescribed fire expansion. Managers report that interagency partnerships have provided supplemental funding and personnel to enable burning, and that decentralized prescribed burn associations facilitate prescribed fire. However, land dispossession and centralized state regulations undermine Indigenous and local fire governance. Excessive investment in suppression and the underfunding of prescribed fire produces a scarcity of personnel to implement and plan burns. Where Tribes and local communities have established burning infrastructure, authorities should consider the devolution of decision-making and land repatriation to accelerate prescribed fire expansion.

Evaluation of the CONSUME and FOFEM fuel consumption models in pine and mixed hardwood forests of the eastern United States

2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (7) ◽  
pp. 784-795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan J. Prichard ◽  
Eva C. Karau ◽  
Roger D. Ottmar ◽  
Maureen C. Kennedy ◽  
James B. Cronan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Fuel Consumption ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Validation Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Predicted Values ◽  
Fine Fuels

Reliable predictions of fuel consumption are critical in the eastern United States (US), where prescribed burning is frequently applied to forests and air quality is of increasing concern. CONSUME and the First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM), predictive models developed to estimate fuel consumption and emissions from wildland fires, have not been systematically evaluated for application in the eastern US using the same validation data set. In this study, we compiled a fuel consumption data set from 54 operational prescribed fires (43 pine and 11 mixed hardwood sites) to assess each model’s uncertainties and application limits. Regions of indifference between measured and predicted values by fuel category and forest type represent the potential error that modelers could incur in estimating fuel consumption by category. Overall, FOFEM predictions have narrower regions of indifference than CONSUME and suggest better correspondence between measured and predicted consumption. However, both models offer reliable predictions of live fuel (shrubs and herbaceous vegetation) and 1 h fine fuels. Results suggest that CONSUME and FOFEM can be improved in their predictive capability for woody fuel, litter, and duff consumption for eastern US forests. Because of their high biomass and potential smoke management problems, refining estimates of litter and duff consumption is of particular importance.

scholarly journals Relationships of Fire and Precipitation Regimes in Temperate Forests of the Eastern United States

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles W. Lafon ◽  
Steven M. Quiring
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Daily Precipitation ◽  
Precipitation Variability ◽  
Annual Precipitation ◽  
Moisture Regime ◽  
Fire Occurrence ◽  
Climate Variables ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Fire Activity ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Fire affects virtually all terrestrial ecosystems but occurs more commonly in some than in others. This paper investigates how climate, specifically the moisture regime, influences the flammability of different landscapes in the eastern United States. A previous study of spatial differences in fire regimes across the central Appalachian Mountains suggested that intra-annual precipitation variability influences fire occurrence more strongly than does total annual precipitation. The results presented here support that conclusion. The relationship of fire occurrence to moisture regime is also considered for the entire eastern United States. To do so, mean annual wildfire density and mean annual area burned were calculated for 34 national forests and parks representing the major vegetation and climatic conditions throughout the eastern forests. The relationship between fire activity and two climate variables was analyzed: mean annual moisture balance [precipitation P − potential evapotranspiration (PET)] and daily precipitation variability (coefficient of variability for daily precipitation). Fire activity is related to both climate variables but displays a stronger relationship with precipitation variability. The southeastern United States is particularly noteworthy for its high wildfire activity, which is associated with a warm, humid climate and a variable precipitation regime, which promote heavy fuel production and rapid drying of fuels.

scholarly journals We’re Not Doing Enough Prescribed Fire in the Western United States to Mitigate Wildfire Risk

Fire ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Crystal A. Kolden
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Local Ecological Knowledge ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Southeastern Us ◽  
Wildfire Hazard ◽  
Western Us

Prescribed fire is one of the most widely advocated management practices for reducing wildfire hazard and has a long and rich tradition rooted in indigenous and local ecological knowledge. The scientific literature has repeatedly reported that prescribed fire is often the most effective means of achieving such goals by reducing fuels and wildfire hazard and restoring ecological function to fire-adapted ecosystems in the United States (US) following a century of fire exclusion. This has translated into calls from scientists and policy experts for more prescribed fire, particularly in the Western US, where fire activity has escalated in recent decades. The annual extent of prescribed burning in the Western US remained stable or decreased from 1998 to 2018, while 70% of all prescribed fire was completed primarily by non-federal entities in the Southeastern US. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) was the only federal agency to substantially increase prescribed fire use, potentially associated with increased tribal self-governance. This suggests that the best available science is not being adopted into management practices, thereby further compounding the fire deficit in the Western US and the potential for more wildfire disasters.

scholarly journals Prescribed Fire — Its Place in Reforestation

1970 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 448-451
Author(s):  
A. D. Kiil ◽  
Z. Chrosciewicz
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Close Association ◽  
The Public ◽  
Hazard Reduction ◽  
Resource Managers

Forest fires have played an important role in determining the type and composition of forest ecosystems in the temperate region of North America. The close association between fires and forest ecosystems has helped the resource manager to interpret the significance of fire in reforestation, which in turn has induced him to use burning for this specific purpose. Until very recently, however, most of the burns in Canada have been carried out primarily for slash-fire-hazard reduction. Considerations in the planning and use of prescribed fire for hazard reduction and reforestation are inextricably linked and sometimes complementary. In addition to protection and reforestation objectives, prescribed burning should find wide application in the management of wildlife habitats and watersheds. Recommendations are made to assist resource managers and the public in appreciating more fully the present and potential role of fire in the forest ecosystems.

A Climatology of Inland Winds from Tropical Cyclones for the Eastern United States

2010 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 1538-1547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael C. Kruk ◽  
Ethan J. Gibney ◽  
David H. Levinson ◽  
Michael Squires
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
The United States ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
The Public ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
High Winds ◽  
Threat To Life

Abstract Tropical cyclones pose a significant threat to life and property along coastal regions of the United States. As these systems move inland and dissipate, they can also pose a threat to life and property, through heavy rains, high winds, and other severe weather such as tornadoes. While many studies have focused on the impacts from tropical cyclones on coastal counties of the United States, this study goes beyond the coast and examines the impacts caused by tropical cyclones on inland locations. Using geographical information system software, historical track data are used in conjunction with the radial maximum extent of the maximum sustained winds at 34-, 50-, and 64-kt (1 kt ≈ 0.5 m s−1) thresholds for all intensities of tropical cyclones and overlaid on a 30-km equal-area grid that covers the eastern half of the United States. The result is a series of maps with frequency distributions and an estimation of return intervals for inland tropical storm– and hurricane-force winds. Knowing where the climatologically favored areas are for tropical cyclones, combined with a climatological expectation of the inland penetration frequency of these storms, can be of tremendous value to forecasters, emergency managers, and the public.

scholarly journals Climate change projected to reduce prescribed burning opportunities in the south-eastern United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (9) ◽  
pp. 764
Author(s):  
John A. Kupfer ◽  
Adam J. Terando ◽  
Peng Gao ◽  
Casey Teske ◽  
J. Kevin Hiers
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
The South ◽  
South Eastern

Prescribed burning is a critical tool for managing wildfire risks and meeting ecological objectives, but its safe and effective application requires that specific meteorological criteria (a ‘burn window’) are met. Here, we evaluate the potential impacts of projected climatic change on prescribed burning in the south-eastern United States by applying a set of burn window criteria that capture temperature, relative humidity and wind speed to projections from an ensemble of Global Climate Models under two greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Regionally, the percentage of suitable days for burning changes little during winter but decreases substantially in summer owing to rising temperatures by the end of the 21st century compared with historical conditions. Management implications of such changes for six representative land management units include seasonal shifts in burning opportunities from summer to cool-season months, but with considerable regional variation. We contend that the practical constraints of rising temperatures on prescribed fire activities represent a significant future challenge and show that even meeting basic burn criteria (as defined today) will become increasingly difficult over time, which speaks to the need for adaptive management strategies to prepare for such changes.

scholarly journals COVID-19 lockdowns drive decline in active fires in southeastern United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (43) ◽  
pp. e2105666118
Author(s):  
Benjamin Poulter ◽  
Patrick H. Freeborn ◽  
W. Matt Jolly ◽  
J. Morgan Varner
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Burned Area ◽  
The Past ◽  
Active Fire ◽  
Fire Activity ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
In Fire

Fire is a common ecosystem process in forests and grasslands worldwide. Increasingly, ignitions are controlled by human activities either through suppression of wildfires or intentional ignition of prescribed fires. The southeastern United States leads the nation in prescribed fire, burning ca. 80% of the country’s extent annually. The COVID-19 pandemic radically changed human behavior as workplaces implemented social-distancing guidelines and provided an opportunity to evaluate relationships between humans and fire as fire management plans were postponed or cancelled. Using active fire data from satellite-based observations, we found that in the southeastern United States, COVID-19 led to a 21% reduction in fire activity compared to the 2003 to 2019 average. The reduction was more pronounced for federally managed lands, up to 41% below average compared to the past 20 y (38% below average compared to the past decade). Declines in fire activity were partly affected by an unusually wet February before the COVID-19 shutdown began in mid-March 2020. Despite the wet spring, the predicted number of active fire detections was still lower than expected, confirming a COVID-19 signal on ignitions. In addition, prescribed fire management statistics reported by US federal agencies confirmed the satellite observations and showed that, following the wet February and before the mid-March COVID-19 shutdown, cumulative burned area was approaching record highs across the region. With fire return intervals in the southeastern United States as frequent as 1 to 2 y, COVID-19 fire impacts will contribute to an increasing backlog in necessary fire management activities, affecting biodiversity and future fire danger.

Changes of mercury concentrations in streamwater after a destructive wildfire (Camp Fire 2018) and a prescribed burning in northern California

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Chow ◽  
Jackson Webster ◽  
Hunter Robinson ◽  
Robert rhew ◽  
Martin Tsz-Ki Tsui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Northern California
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