Catron County Community Wildfire Protection Plan
VOLUME 2 (Planning)

• Home page
• Volume 1 - Contents
• Appendix 2 - maps
• Downloads

• Table of Contents
• Relevant Authorities
• Planning
• Analysis
• Public Comment
• Recommendations
• Monitoring
• Acronyms
• Glossary
• References

Recommendations: Prescription Guidelines

Firewise in the WUI's The boundaries between WUI firewise treatments and wildland treatments will be feathered so that there is not a sharp break between.

References: www.firesafecouncil.org, www.firewise.org

"The fire hazard problem in New Mexico is best addressed by management approaches that recognize the broader ecological context within which it occurs. Whether the problem is viewed from the standpoint of hazard reduction, ecological condition, or treatment cost, a comprehensive approach that considers the density, structure, and species composition of the reserve stand is superior to prescriptions that focus only on the size of trees removed. The comprehensive prescription evaluated… is particularly superior when compared to the prescription with a singular focus on small-tree (<9") removal." "The comprehensive treatment approach aimed at initiating ecological restoration, and not just reducing fire hazard, can generate substantial revenue from timber products - enough on average to offset treatment costs. In contrast, the value of timber products (if any) from the Thin-from-Below and Diameter-Limit treatments fails to offset treatment costs on virtually every acre. Two potentially problematic situations exist: a relatively large "break-even" diameter, and limited milling capacity. New Mexico mill operators indicate that trees smaller than 12" typically do not have sufficient value to offset harvest and haul costs." (Fiedler et al, 2002)

Reduction of crown fire potential should be done in four ways:

• Removing lower branches from tress to reduce laddering potential.,
• Reduction of laddering potential by thinning from below,
• Reduction of crown fire spread in the canopy by thinning to provide adequate space between crowns and
• Reduction of the amount of ground fuels.

The above will be accomplished by mechanical means or by fire.

Strategic placement of treatments

Fire spread modeling theoretically shows that treatments, on as little as 20% of a landscape, could significantly reduce large fire growth while the same percentage of randomly placed treatments would have little or no effect. (Finney, 2001)

"A recent study (under review for publication evaluated the effect of fuel treatments on the spread of the Rodeo-Chediski Fire in Arizona. An important finding of this study was that Landsat 7 imagery clearly showed the fire circumventing some treatment units producing a "wake-effect of unburned area immediately down-wind of the treated area. At this time there is no scientific evidence supporting a conjecture that treating a minority of acres within a landscape, even when the treatments are strategically placed, will provide the same level of protection or restoration effects as treating a majority of the landscape. However, treating in a spatially strategic pattern will increase effectiveness in minimizing large fire spread and buy time to complete treatments on additional areas before they burn." (USFS, 2004)

Reason for large scale treatment of wildlands in addition to treatment of WUI.

"Plume-dominated wildfire has been rare, especially in the southwest, but has become more common in the past 10 years. Once these plumes start losing their heat and uplift they collapse creating winds over 50-60 mph in all directions. These winds blow fire through all areas, treated or not. Additionally, this is where the long range spotting (1 ½ - 3 miles) initiates. The solution? The greater landscape needs to be treated in order to keep these large areas from burning so intensely and creating these types fire behavior. Research is showing that treatments up to this point in time have been too narrow, too small, and too few to change overall fire behavior or to be used by suppression forces as "anchor points". Fuel breaks are only a small part of a needed landscape scale fuel treatment program. Additionally, ..this "back country" is where the critical habitats, critical watersheds, recreation areas, and scenic values exist." Denton, C. Long range spotting can be caused by high winds. Old timers that were on the Circle Cross Fire that burned in the 1950's claim that spotting was up to 7 miles, but the wind was a steady 50 mph.

Retention of large trees and old-growth guidelines for HFRA covered projects. (Healthy Forests Initiative and Healthy Forests Restoration Act: Interim Field Guide)

http://www.fs.fed.us/forestmanagement/projects/stewardship/index.shtml

Stewardship Contracting

Over the past two decades, the federal timber sale program has declined. However, the need for restorative or maintenance work in ecosystems remains. Some of the project work includes: watershed restoration and maintenance, road obliteration for sediment control, wildlife habitat improvements, fuel load reductions, timber stand improvements, and insect/disease protection. To accomplish the Forest Service's stewardship responsibilities, creative approaches are needed to complete the necessary work and simultaneously contribute to the economic growth of local and rural communities. " Stewardship End Result Contracting" is one solution to this problem.

Stewardship contracting includes natural resource management practices seeking to promote a closer working relationship with local communities in a broad range of activities that improve land conditions. These projects shift the focus of federal forest and rangeland management towards a desired future resource condition. They are also a means for federal agencies to contribute to the development of sustainable rural communities, restore and maintain healthy forest ecosystems, and provide a continuing source of local income and employment.

In February 2003, Congress authorized the Forest Service (FS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to implement stewardship contracting for a period of 10 years. Some of the features of the authorizing legislation includes allowing FS & BLM to apply the value of timber or other forest products removed as an offset against the cost of services received, apply excess receipts from a project to other authorized stewardship projects, select contracts and agreements on a "best value" basis, and award a contract or agreement up to ten years which may stimulate long term investment in the local community. The authorizing legislation is found in the 2003 Appropriations Act (16 U.S.C. 2104 Note).

next page >>