HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-0404
Small Woodland Services, Inc.
Forest & Resource Management
Marty Main, President
1305 Butte Falls Hwy.
Eagle Point, OR 97524
541/826-5306
April 4, 1997
Keith Woodley
City of Ashland
20 East Main St.
Ashland, OR 97520
Re: Pretreatment and/or mitigation measures prior to prescribed bum adjacent and east of
Reeder Reservoir..
Keith,
Prescribed underbuming adjacent and east of Reeder Reservoir has been designated in previous
documents as a high priority management endeavor (McCormick Plan, 1992; Preliminary
Assessment of Forest and Resource Management Priorities on City of Ashland Owned Lands,
Marty Main, 1995). As a result, preliminary planning has been undertaken in preparation for
this burn under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Forest Service. A description of
objectives and intentions for this bum have been previously developed (letter to you from me,
10/3/96; list of objectives, range of acceptable results, and mitigation measures developed by
Bill Rose [enclosed]). Bill is currently developing a bum plan which he will forward to us
when completed. Bill Hicks, consulting engineering geologist, has visited the site several times
and is preparing a report outlining geological and slope stability concerns in the bum area. In
addition, several tours have been conducted in the area to provide analysis/awareness of other
key professionals and/or community members.
This pre-treatment planning and groundwork appears to have provided a good framework for
outlining objectives for the burn and necessary techniques for accomplishing those objectives.
I will not attempt to further describe or elaborate on those objectives/techniques at this time.
However, it is important that several pre-treatment activities designed to mitigate potential
negative impacts be herein described. The key mitigation measures are: (1) pre-treatment of
existing live and dead fuels in the vicinity of preferred mature overstory conifers; and (2) pre-
treatment of existing accumulations of dead and down fuels from a previous helicopter logging
within 100 to 150 feet of Reeder Reservoir.
"Specializing in sound (orest management (or pn"vate, non-industrial small woodland ownerships"
Forest Management Plans . Timber Cruising . Reforestation . Thinning & Stand Improvement . Timber Sales/Administration
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April 4, 1997
Page 2
Pre-treatment in Vicinity of Mature Overstorv Conifers
As stated in the 10/3/96 letter (#5), 115 to 175+ year old conifers that survived the last major
wildfire in 1910 are scattered around the unit. Protection of these trees for their inherent
silvicultural, aesthetic, structural diversity, and wildlife habitat values is prioritized by the City
of Ashland. However, these trees are currently under moderate to severe levels of stress from
competition from developing understory brush, hardwoods, and small coniferous trees. In
addition, this understory vegetation provides ladder fuels which could ignite and subsequently
damage/destroy and/or additionally stress these preferred mature conifers. In the 10/3/96 letter,
it was suggested that pre-bum removal of the understory ladder fuels could be accomplished
prior to the bum to minimize potential impacts. This activity has, in fact, recently been
completed, as 19 conifers (Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine) 26 to 44 inches DBH received this
pre-treatment mitigation action. Slash that resulted from this activity was dragged away from
the preferred tree and scattered in all directions such that fire intensity will not be significant
in anyone location. Although some low-intensity fire may creep along the ground and
approach the tree, it is believed that this fire will produce no additional stress to the preferred
mature conifers. The removal and dispersion of the understory ladder fuels will not only
significantly decrease the likelihood of fire impacts into the crowns of the preferred trees, but
also hopefully allow more full utilization of site resources by the mature tree with a subsequent
increase in health, vigor, and long-term survival. The absence of "bark mounds" of
accumulated duff and debris in the vicinity of these trees (unlike many locations in the West)
reduced the importance of autumn as opposed to spring bums (consumption of bark mounds
in spring bums has been suggested as having potential negative impacts on preferred conifers)
and/or other mitigating measures. It must be noted that survival of these trees cannot be
guaranteed even with these protective measures undertaken. It takes as much as 5 to 7 years
for conifers to respond to "release" treatments, and many of these trees were of poor condition
and vigor even prior to treatment.
Pre-treatment of Dead and Downed Fuels Within IOO-Foot Buffer of Reeder Reservoir
The City of Ashland requested that the planned prescribed bum be limited to an area above a
100-foot buffer adjacent Reeder Reservoir. This protective buffer is not only required under
state forest practices rules, but was desired to maintain riparian habitat values and provide a
buffer of denser vegetation to help minimize and/or mitigate potential erosion and/or sediment
input directly into Reeder Reservoir. The U.S. Forest Service indicated that it would have no
problem in cutting off the prescribed bum within 100 feet of the reservoir. However,
occasional rolling embers could potentially spread fue below the 100-foot buffer, and
particularly cause problems if existing fuel accumulations remain untreated. Although these
accumulations of dead and downed fuel (created during the 1990 helicopter logging) are not
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AprilA, 1997
Page 3
common, it was nonetheless suggested that they be burned. prior to the proposed prescribed
burn. Submission of a Written plan to the Oregon State Department of Forestry for conducting
an activity within the IOO-foot buffer was submitted and approved in mid-February. 'This
activity has yet to be accomplished, although it is prioritized for the next available d'!-y with
acceptable fuel moistures and smoke management conditions. A recent 'recon" of the buffer
area found even fewer fuel accumulations than previously thought. The failure of an
appropriate day to develop for burning this material prior to initiating the proposed prescribed
burn should not preclude the burn. In this event, additional care and monitoring will be
required when the burn reaches this buffer area.
Sincerely,
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Marty Main
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~' OBJECTIVE; (IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS OF OBJECTIVE)
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Fuels haz~rd reduction: Reduce fuel loading and
altering live or dead and down or standing dead
Site preparation: Rx burn decadent brush fields
germination of forage plant species.
Vegetation management: Promote or maintain fire tolerant/dependent species
reduce multi-layered, shade tolerant, fire intolerant species. Forest
Health. A major objective is to maintain as much of the large dominate
overstory~ (conifer) as possible while reducing understory ladder fuels-
I Ignition technique and intensity will be orchestrated to achieve this obj.
4 I Fish, wilqlife and range: Rx burn decadent brush fields to promote sproutin
and germination of forage plant species.
Esthetics,' recreation, and access: Fire fighter access will be enahnced wit
reduction of dense vegetation.
Smoke management: Comply wi the Oregon Smoke Mgt. Plan and avoid effects
to upper Bear Creek Valley. Need good ventilation, etc.
Soils and woody debris: See Bear Watershed Analysis for Coarse
Woody Deb~is objectives: for Interior Valley Vegetation Zone for south
I aspect.' USouth facing aspects 0-3 pieces per acre wi thin ponderosa pine
sites where previously exists/capable.
Othe~ (explain): The primary objective is fire hazard reduction. The
. ultimate desired result is have fuel (live/dead) conditions such that 75%
of the area during a wildfire (<90 percentile ERC conditions) episode will
primarily be a ground fire with approx. , 4 flame lengths during the
average worse fire weather. The area has had fire excluded due to fire
'prevention and efficient fire suppression. This first RX burn will reduce
decadent shrubs which will resprout new viable growth of higher fuel
moisture 'content. Dead and down fuels will be reduced that have
un-naturally accumulated on the forest floor or where decadent shrubs have
died under, a canopy. In areas of dense hardwoods and conifers, understory
trees will be thinned (killed) by RX fire, reducing the multi-layered
closed canopy vegetation (ladder fuels). After 5 to 8 years another RX
burn will need to take place to consume or reduce the newly created killed
,vegetation' of the first RX burn- since the amount of vegetation at the site
'is an un-natural amt.. and the mortality of the 1st RX burn will increase
the dead and down amounts. This is primarily for the dense decadent
manzanita and conifer sites with dense understory vegetation.
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RANGE OF ACCEPTABLE RESULTS, expressed in quantitative terms, based on
objectives. Reduce'overall fuel loading by 40-75% over 75% of area. Burn
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50-75% of the pure brush field areas located primarily on the upper 1/3 of
slopes. No impacts to D,A. Minor amt of residual smoke in the upper Bear
Crk Valley area. Retain 50 to 100% of duff over 90% of the area (where it
is pre-existing). Maintain minimum site requirements for CWM: From Bear Crk
WAA within *PIPO-PSME dry series 0-3 pieces where material exists be
fore RX burn. Recruitment of CWO from understory mortality will take place
Riparian class 3 and 4 streams: create and maintain a diversity of seral
stages, species and vegetation structures, allowing no more than 25% of the
basin in age classes less than 30 years of age. Reference riparian zone DFC
within page ~ Bear Creek Watershed Analysis. Ignition protocol to
follow (staged ignition) will accomodate the above reference DFC. No more
more than 10% of riparian class 3 and 4 vegetation estimated to be burned
(eliminated) by virtue of moisture conditions and ignition technique.
continuity, by reducing or
fuels.
to promote sprouting and
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".crOATION MEASlJRES, TO PRI;:SERVE THE RIPARIAN VEOATION IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO
;EEDER' RESERVOIR:': Pre-treatment of existing dead and down fuels will take place
-6r 100:~o 150 fekt from reservoir to the east within proposed underburn unit. '
and ,piling, and'covering of piles or swamper burning will take place within
this Istrip. "i)'
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~reburning of dead and down fuels *hand pile!swamper burning will reduce the
intensity of the flaming front of the underburn and convective heat. 95% of the
11parian veget~tion will be maintained +pom thif pre-treatment.
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:,.',1: Ii;. S~~l1 Woodland Services, Inc.
.:: : III Forest & Resource Management
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MAR,rrMAIN PRESIDENT
1305 Butte ,Falls Highway
Eagle Point, a'regon 9752
503/826.5306
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Small Woodland Services, Inc.
Forest & Resource Management
Marty Main, President
1305 Butte Falls Hwy.
Eagle Point, OR 97524
541/826-5306
Aj/"-/ I 5/ /'19 :7
/( '( I th tVfPO tI /'0/
City of /!-sI;ICf'1c1
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"Specializing in sound forest management for private, non-i7ldustrial small woodland oumerships"
Forest Management Plans . Timber Crnising . Reforestation . Thinning & Stand Improvement . Timber Sales/Admitlistratio71