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Operational Planning. West Windfall. As a commitment to the DFMP and a proactive approach to fire management, MW engaged fire researchers and practitioners in developing a harvesting compartment called the West Windfall. Researchers and practitioners participated in a 2-day workshop.
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Operational Planning West Windfall As a commitment to the DFMP and a proactive approach to fire management, MW engaged fire researchers and practitioners in developing a harvesting compartment called the West Windfall. Researchers and practitioners participated in a 2-day workshop. Was an excellent opportunity to apply some of the research knowledge in an operational setting. Conversely, it gave practitioners an opportunity to outline operational limitations.
Operational Planning West Windfall Recognize and identify the fire risks associated with the Windfall Area. Identify fire hazards of the Windfall Area. Develop strategies to mitigate the effects of potential risks and hazards. • Millar Western will continue with its salvage • and commercial thinning policy in this area to • make stands more resistant to crowning and • candling. Identified 700 ha of Salvage Thinning and 72 ha of Commercial Thinning.
Operational Planning West Windfall
Operational Planning Before After Before After
COMMERCIAL THINNING BEFORE AFTER
Operational Planning Before After After
Salvage Thinning BEFORE AFTER
Salvage Thinning BEFORE AFTER
Operational Planning West Windfall Recognize and identify the fire risks associated with the Windfall Area. Identify fire hazards of the Windfall Area. Develop strategies to mitigate the effects of potential risks and hazards. • Millar Western will develop a long-term strategy to • deal with the silvics of the1956 burn. The strategy is • necessary, as it will consider additional thinning and • spacing prescriptions for stands not yet commercial • in nature. Currently, this project is under review. A pilot project will likely be implemented prior to a full scale analysis. Will be completing a photo interpretation exercise of dense pine stands and ground verification. Silviculture matrix to be developed for treatment of each strata.
Operational Planning West Windfall
Operational Planning West Windfall
Operational Planning West Windfall Recognize and identify the fire risks associated with the Windfall Area. Identify fire hazards of the Windfall Area. Develop strategies to mitigate the effects of potential risks and hazards. • Millar Western will identify areas in the West Windfall • license where permanent water sources for fire • fighting are lacking, and develop remedial strategies • to address this concern. Areas were identified in the area that exceed 1600 metres from a permanent water source. Need to follow up with an implementation policy on this information. Construction of non- draining borrow pits, damming intermittent creeks etc. We have identified water extraction points for water trucks on the FMA.
Operational Planning West Windfall Recognize and identify the fire risks associated with the Windfall Area. Identify fire hazards of the Windfall Area. Develop strategies to mitigate the effects of potential risks and hazards. • Millar Western will identify potential helipad locations. No work has been completed to date. Need to identify locations - both remote and vehicle accessible.
Operational Planning West Windfall Recognize and identify the fire risks associated with the Windfall Area. Identify fire hazards of the Windfall Area. Develop strategies to mitigate the effects of potential risks and hazards. • Millar Western will develop a long term road into the • east side of the West Windfall planning area to • facilitate fire fighting activities. Developed and laid out large road corridor in the last inaccessible location in the FMA. Road is 100 metres wide and will be a all weather grade. 30 metres of right-of-way will be permanent non-vegetated. The remaining 70 metres of ROW will be planted to fire a resistant species.
Operational Planning West Windfall Recognize and identify the fire risks associated with the Windfall Area. Identify fire hazards of the Windfall Area. Develop strategies to mitigate the effects of potential risks and hazards. Millar Western will develop a long-term strategy for species conversion in this area and the entire FMA to make the forest more fire resistant. Need to develop this strategy within the context of the DFMP. Validation that we can mange a consistent flow of timber of long term even by making large landscape changes.
Operational Planning West Windfall Recognize and identify the fire risks associated with the Windfall Area. Identify fire hazards of the Windfall Area. Develop strategies to mitigate the effects of potential risks and hazards. • Millar Western will review the potential for clear-cutting, pruning or thinning stands, and removing dead and downed fibre adjacent to active wellsites. Nothing completed to date. Need to better job of identifying localized risk and hazard potential. Company is aware of many man related risks in FMA. In concert with LFS, need to be proactive in preventing man caused fires.
Operational Planning West Windfall
Operational Planning Conclusions This experience through DFMP process and bad fire years have provide insight and urgency to applying these fire management principles on the FMA. Forest Managers and practitioners are thinking of fibre in a less traditional light.