Balancing Ecological and Operational Fire Management in ...wildfire/2012/PDFs/Jane Park.pdf ·...
Transcript of Balancing Ecological and Operational Fire Management in ...wildfire/2012/PDFs/Jane Park.pdf ·...
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Balancing Ecological and Operational Fire
Management in Banff National Park
Jane Park, M.Sc.
Fire and Vegetation Specialist
Banff Field Unit
Parks Canada
Wildland Fire Canada Conference
Kananaskis, Alberta
October, 2012
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Parks Canada’s Fire Management Program
Program Foundations: • Protection of people, infrastructure
and adjacent lands is our first
priority
• Fire is a natural and important part
of many ecosystems
• Must balance the ecological
objectives of reintroduction of fire
with socio-economic and
operational interests in National
Parks
~Lighting, Controlling and Researching Fire for over 25 years~
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History of Fire Management in National Parks
• 1760 -1880 Implementation of forest fire laws in Canada
• 1883 - Banff National Park established
• 1886 – Yoho National Park established
• 1907 – Jasper National Park established
• 1920 – Kootenay National Park established
• 1930s – Fire prevention programs initiated
• 1980s – Parks Canada’s Prescribed Burn Program started
Nearly 100 years of fire suppression
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Parks Canada Fire Policy
• Bow Valley Study 1996 – Recommendation to use
prescribed fire to maintain ecological integrity
• Parks Canada Guiding Principles and Operational Policies – ‘the manipulation of natural
occurring processes such as fire...may take place ‘
• Banff National Park Management Plan 2010 – Restore landscape-scale fire
through prescribed fire
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Area Burned in Banff 1880-1999 (acres)
1983 PC 1st Prescribed
Fire
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100 Years of Fuel Build Up
Norquay Ski Area
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100 Years of Fuel Build Up
Norquay Ski Area
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Bow Valley Looking West from Banff
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Bow Valley Looking West from Banff
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Banff Townsite
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Banff Townsite
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Ecosystem Based Fire Management
• Historical range of variation
– Overall national goal of 20%
– Mountain park goal 50%
• No single species management
– Ungulates
– Grizzly bears
– Wolves
– Whitebark pine
– Caribou
• Fire Effects Research and Monitoring
– Fescue & elk grazing
– Grizzly bear habitat
– Douglas-fir restoration
Carrot Creek Prescribed Fire/Fuel Break
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Community Protection
• Need to balance reintroduction of fire with community and public safety • Fuel management challenging in National Park setting
• Wildlife corridors, aesthetics, tourism
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Public Perception and Communications
• Smoke is primary concern
• Public health
•Tourism and recreation
• Understanding management decisions and policies
• Public and stakeholder support is paramount
• Social science provides interesting insights
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Social Science (From McFarlane et al., 2008)
• Restoring park ecosystems and protecting human communities the most important goals
• Over 90% support both fuel management and prescribed fire for these goals
• Few residents support full suppression
• Only viewed as slightly negative for local business
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Examples from Banff National Park
Red Deer Valley Prescribed Fires (1991-2011)
• Long history of burning for multiple ecological objectives
Fairholme Prescribed Fire (2003)
• Complex fire with multiple operational complexities
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Red Deer Valley Prescribed Fires 1991-2011
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Red Deer Valley • Largest area of flat lower subalpine
forest outside of Bow Valley
• Highest concentrations of
archaeological sites within BNP
• Historic fire cycle 50-100 years
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Prescribed Fire in the Red Deer Valley
1991
Red Deer I
11 ha
1994
Red Deer II
1438 ha
1998
Red Deer III
10 ha
2005
Scotch/
Tyrell
187ha
2005
Red Deer IV
1487ha
2008
YHT
Hat Mtn
139ha
2009
YHT
2145ha
2011
Red Deer IV
1184ha
2011
Hat Mtn
204ha
20 Year Total – 7045 ha
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Ecological/Operational Objectives
• Restore fire to lower subalpine
• Restore forest diversity, structure, composition
• Restore and maintain fescue grasslands
• Improve grizzly bear and ungulate habitat
• Reduce threat of wildfire to neighbouring lands
• Few values at risk
Fescue meadow burning
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Red Deer III- Scotch/Tyrell Meadows 1998/99
• 10 ha + 187 ha
• Fescue restoration
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Red Deer IV - 2005
• 372 ha
• Reburn previously burned areas
• Fescue restoration
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Red Deer V 2011 - Objectives
•> 30% reduction in canopy cover on south facing sub alpine slopes •60% mortality of lodgepole pine regen in previously burned areas •Improve grizzly bear, ungulate and wolf habitat
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2011 Results
• 1200 ha burned
• 12 days with significant
ignition
• August 29 – October
16, 2011
Red Deer V
Hat Mtn
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Fairholme Prescribed Fire (2003)
Operational Considerations • Large scale prescribed burn unit
• Main valley for frontcountry
recreation in Banff National Park
• Directly upwind of Harvie Heights and Canmore, AB
• Adjacent to the Trans Canada Highway and CP Railway
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Fairholme PF Objectives
• Reduce the threat of wildfire to adjacent communities
• Restore Douglas-fir grasslands
• Reduce the susceptibility of stands to mountain pine beetle
• Stimulate the reproduction of aspen and poplar during period of reduced herbivory pressure
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Public and Stakeholder Support
• Many public open houses
• Media attention
• Roadside interpretive trailer
• Increased awareness of importance of communications
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Community Protection
• Landscape scale fuel break downwind of prescribed fire and adjacent to Harvie Heights
• Maintenance prescribed fire in 2008
• Result in prime ungulate habitat and long term fuel break for Harvie Heights
Carrot Creek Prescribed Fire/Fuel Break 2008
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Results
Total area burned: 4968 ha
• 2008 Carrot Creek PF • Increased ungulate, wolf and grizzly bear use • Potential utility for bison habitat
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Next Steps.....
• Continue to conduct landscape level prescribed fire to achieve both ecological and operational objectives
• Collaborate with neighbouring agencies on boundary units
• Work with research agencies to further the state of knowledge on fire behaviour and ecology
Lower Carrot Creek Prescribed Fire
Dormer Prescribed Fire
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Thank-you……
Questions? Jane Park Fire and Vegetation Management Specialist Banff Field Unit [email protected]