Fire-Smart Forest Management:

ENVIRONMENT Fire-Smart Forest Management: A Pragmatic Approach to Sustainable Forest Management in Fire Dominated Ecosystems K. Hirsch, V. Kafka, C. Tymstra, R. McAlpine, B. Hawkes, H. Stegehuis, S. Quintilio, S. Gauthier, K. Peck Natural Resources Canada Ressources naturelles CanadaCanadian Forest Service Service canadien des forêts

Presentation Outline 1. Introduction and background 2. Concept of fire-smart forest management 3. Creating and evaluating fire-smart landscapes 4. Where do we go from here?

Introduction and Background

Social • balance between social, economic, and ecological sustainability Ecological Economic Characteristics of Emerging Forest Management Philosophies SFM, ecosystem management, ecological management • systems-based, process oriented • stand and landscape level • current and future needs

Wildfires are a natural component of boreal and subalpine forest ecosystems Ecological benefits • ecosystem health • biodiversity • landscape metrics Socio-economic impacts • life and property • timber supply • water and air quality

It is neither economically possible nor ecologically desirable to eliminate fire from the ecosystem. • Forest management becomes a form of risk • Short-term socioeconomic risks associated with fire • Longer-term ecological risks associated with no-fire • Requires proactive, landscape level, long-term thinking that acknowledges the value of ecosystem processes

Fire-Smart Forest Management: The Concept

Minimize Area Burned Forest Mgt Fire Mgt • site preparation • regeneration • stand tending • harvesting systems and scheduling • block layout and design • road construction • prevention • suppression Fire-Forestry Relationship Under Sustained Yield Maximize Fibre Production

Fire-Smart Sustainable Forest Management Objective: To use forest management activities in a planned and strategic manner to: • reduce the area burned by undesirable wildfires and • reduce the risk associated with the use of prescribed fire Working with nature to determine where and when to put and/or allow fire on the landscape while minimizing short- and long-term risk

Forest Management site preparation, regeneration, stand tending, harvesting systems and scheduling, block layout and design, road construction Behaviour potential Ignition potential Suppression capability Number of escape wildfires Risk associated with prescribed fire Area burned by escape fires Social, economic, and ecological effect of fire Fire-Smart Sustainable Forest Management

Creating and Evaluating Fire-Smart Landscapes: An Exploratory Example

Factors affecting fire behavior Vertical arrangement Moisture content Size and shape Compactness Fuel loading Continuity Chemistry Steepness of slope Position on slope Aspect Elevation Shape of landscape Fuels Topography Weather Wind speed and direction, Relative humidity Precipitation, Temperature, Atmospheric stability

Use forest management to manipulate the forest fuels • Reduce fire intensity and spread potential • Increase suppression effectiveness

Fuels 1998 1998 ~200,000 ha Scale 20 km Study Area Millar Western FMA

Creating a Fire Smart Landscape Understanding Fire and the Fire Environment • Assessment Data • Fire history • Fire weather • Large fire spread patterns • Fire occurrence risk • Fuels and current fire behaviour potential • Topography • Local knowledge of values (forestry, water, infrastructure, critical habitat, etc.)

Creating a Fire Smart Landscape Strategically Located Fuels Management Timber Supply Analysis non-spatial and spatial 10-year snapshots FBP fuel type landscapes over 200 year rotation Deciduous/mixed (some conifer) Deciduous/mixed Conifer production Conversion to mixed Conversion to conifer Intensive conifer production Mixed/deciduous (some conifer) Mixed/deciduous Maintain current

Fire Smart Management Scenario 1998

Fire Smart Management Scenario 2178 2078

Evaluating a Fire-Smart Landscape WILDFIRE: Wildland Fire Growth Simuulation Model Characteristics 1) 8-point cellular elliptical model 2) FBP calculations & diurnal weather 3) hourly propagation Conditions 1) Season: spring (no green-up) 2) 90th percentile conditions: FFMC = 90, BUI = 50, WS = 20km/hr 3) Wind Direction: NW & SW 4) Day 2 run 5) Area burned & other fire behaviour characteristics

Exploratory Analysis “Fire Door Effect” 1998 Land Base Fire Smart Land Base

FGM: 2 hr Landbase Fire Smart

Fire-Smart Forest Management: