Table Of Content

Historic, Archive Document Do assume not content reflects current scientific l<nowledge, policies, or practices. Rcsorvo asni I .A48 \ No. 320 States Proceedings: rtment riculture Symposium St Service on Fire mountain rch Station Wilderness and General Technical in Report INT-GTR-320 September 1995 iVIanagement Pari( Preface • Steering Committee—Jim Brown (Chair), Inter- mountain Research Station, Missoula, MT; Bob The Fire in Wilderness and Park Management Sym- Mutch, Intermountain Research Station, Missoula, posium was held from March 30 through April 1 , 1993, MT; Rod Norum, National Park Service, Boise, ID; in Missoula, MT. It was sponsored by the U.S. Depart- and Ron Wakimoto, The University of Montana, ment of Agriculture, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Missoula, MT. Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and • Program—Chuck Spoon (Chair), Lolo National For- Wildlife Service, National Wildfire Coordinating Group, est, Missoula, MT; Dave Bunnell, Flathead National The Wilderness Society, Renewable Natural Resources Forest, Kalispell, MT; Bob Clark, Bureau of Land Foundation, Society of American Foresters, and the Management, Boise, ID; Dave Cole, Intermountain University of Montana. Research Station, Missoula, MT; Sue Husari, USPS, Maintaining the primeval character of wildernesses Pacific Southwest Region, San Francisco, CA; Steve and national parks with fire as a natural process is con- Morton, USPS, Northern Region, Missoula, MT; troversial. How can fire be allowed to play its natural Tom Nichols, National Park Service, San Francisco, role without unacceptable consequences? In 1983, a CA; and Jan van Wagtendonk, Yosemite National major symposium in Missoula on wilderness fire gave Park, CA. impetus to wilderness fire management programs. In — 1988, extensive fire in wildernesses and national parks • Posters Bill Fischer, Intermountain Research brought national attention to the problems of meeting Station, Missoula, MT. — wilderness goals with fire. • Tours Dan Bailey, Lolo National Forest, This symposium, one decade after Missoula's first Missoula, MT. major wilderness fire conference, examined past les- • Commercial Exhibits—Dan Mangan, Missoula sons and future opportunities. The presentations and Technology and Development Center, Missoula, MT. discussions were centered around three majorthemes: — • Local Arrangements Gerry Baertsch, The Univer- • Are goals and policies being met? sity of Montana, Missoula, MT. • Understanding and managing constraints. — • Implementing programs and future opportunities. • Proceedings Bert Lindler, Intermountain Research Station, Ogden, UT. A major change over the past 10 years is the recog- — nition that different approaches to managing fire are • Publicity Dave Tippets, Intermountain Research Station, Ogden, UT. needed to satisfy the goals and constraints of large and small wilderness areas in remote and some not- Managers have made significant progress in returning so-remote locations. fire to wilderness and parks since the prescribed natural The symposium was attended by 421 fire managers, fires were first allowed in the 1970's. Because fire is a wilderness managers, educators, researchers, and primary ecological force, its presence is often essential members of the general public. The presentations in- to preserve the natural character of wilderness areas. cluded 26 papers and 6 panel discussions. A poster In most situations, however, managers must consider session of 65 exhibits was scheduled for one evening. how fire will affect recreation, safety, existing plant com- The posters and 10 commercial exhibits were available munities, endangered species, air quality, and adjacent for viewing throughout the symposium. nonwilderness land. This symposium should help man- wish to acknowledge the planning committee mem- agers deal with the challenge of using fire to maintain I bers for their diligent, imaginative, and enthusiastic ef- primeval conditions while satisfying other wilderness forts in planning the symposium. Special thanks are due goals and constraints. Chuck Spoon, as program chairman, and Bill Fischer, as poster chairman, for their long hours of dedicated James K. Brown work. The planning committee members were: Research Forester The use oftrade orfirm names in thispublication is forreaderinformation anddoes not implyendorsementbythe U.S. DepartmentofAgriculture ofanyproductorservice. The views expressedin eachpaperare those ofthe authorandnotnecessarilythose ofthe sponsoring organizations ofthe USDA ForestService. Symposium Proceedings: on Wilderness and Fire in Management Park Missoula, MT, March 30-April 1, 1993 J Technical Coordinators: James K. Brown, Project Leader, Intermountain Research Station, Forest Ser- vice, U.S. Department of Agriculture, located at the Intermountain Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. Robert W. Mutch, Technology Transfer Specialist, U.S. Department of Agricul- ture, Forest Service, Intermountain Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. Charles W. Spoon, Program Officer for Resources, Lolo National Forest, Fort Missoula, Missoula, MT. Ronald H. Wakimoto, Professor, School of Forestry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT. Rece — MIRON L. (BUD) HEINSELMAN 1920-1993 Passionate scientists are not common. Bud Heinselman was one of tine few. He was a fine ecologist, who loved his work on the natural role of fire in forest ecosystems, especially in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in his native northern Minnesota. Bud is well known for developing Heinselman's fire regime classification. It is still used to describe fire's natural role in American forests. Bud worked long and hard, but with joy and enthusiasm. He left a nearly completed book on the Boundary Waters ecosystem when he died of a stroke on February 28, 1993, following a brief illness with a rare blood disorder. Bud not only studied the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, he loved deeply. it He traveled it in all seasons, and took annual 3-weekcanoe trips with his wife of 50 years, Fran. He put his love of the area into practice by organizing, lobbying, writing, speaking, and, finally, persuading the public and politicians to amend the Wilderness Act, the first and only time it has been amended. The amend- ment gave the Boundary Waters additional wilderness status by eliminating most of the special exceptions that had applied there. The time and effort he devoted to this cause would have staggered most people, but Bud's intense dedication fueled his labors. Forest Service scientist. University of Minnesota professor, conservationist, activist, hunter and fisherman, friend of many, respected opponent of others Bud Heinselman. May his spirit roam the lakes and forests of the north country he worked so hard to understand and perpetuate. — by Bob Lucas, friend and retired wilderness researcher 3 Contents Page Goals and Policies 1 David F. Jolly Challenge address: Fire in wilderness and park management 3 Jim Bradley Political considerations of park and wilderness management 6 George Stankey Evolving conceptions of wilderness: implications for the Stephen F. McCool management of fire 9 Stephen J. Pyne Vestal fires and virgin lands: a reburn 15 * Jerry T. Williams Managing risk in wilderness fire management 22 * Bruce M. Kilgore National Park Service fire policies and programs 24 Tom Nichols * Stephen Woodley Playing with fire: vegetation management in the Canadian Parks Service 30 Steve Morton Meeting wilderness goals: a wilderness specialist's perspective 34 Robert W. Mutch Prescribed fires in wilderness: how successful? 38 David N. Cole Defining fire and wilderness objectives: applying limits of acceptable change 42 James K. Brown Comparing the Selway-Bitterroot fire program with Stephen F. Arno presettlement fires 48 Larry S. Bradshaw James P. Menakis David L. Bunnell Prescribed natural fire planning considerations: negotiating conflicting goals 55 li Constraints and Solutions 63 Conrad Smith Fire issues and communication by the media 65 Elmer J. Hurd, Jr. Fire in wilderness and parks: political issues 70 * Stanley G. Coloff Air quality and prescribed fire: striving for a common goal 72 * Brian Mitchell The Federal Clean Air Act and its impact on fire management programs 74 * Marian S. Chambers Prescribed natural fire and air quality: identifying the real problem 77 Edward A. Duncan * Dennis Haddow Involvement of wilderness and park fire managers in developing air quality regulations 80 Anne Marie LaRosa Predicting fire effects on rare plant taxa: a management perspective 83 M. Lisa Floyd * Arnold Silverman Appropriate risks for recreation in wildlands 89 Richard L. Stauber Availability of resources and funding 91 Stephen J. Botti Availability of fire resources and funding for prescribed Howard T. Nichols natural fire programs in the National Park Service 94 22 Programs and Future Opportunities 105 James K. Agee Alternatives for implementing fire policy 107 Jan W. van Wagtendonk Large fires in wilderness areas 1 1 Susan J. Husari Fire management in small wilderness areas and parks "I "l^ 7r *lndicates panel paper Page * Ron Coats Agency planning considerations are critical 121 * Rod Norum The National Park Service program 122 *Jerry Stokes Planning for desired future conditions in wilderness 123 * Bill Leenhouts U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wilderness planning considerations 124 Elayne M. Murphy Public involvement in wilderness fire planning and decision making 127 *Jane Schmoyer-Weber Public information on actively burning prescribed natural fires 131 David E. Poncin Prescribed natural fire strategies and tactics 133 *Gardner Ferry Implementing programs and future opportunities: east and west 136 *T. Destry Jarvis Smokey science meets ecosystem management: a vision of the future 137 *Jack Neckels Wilderness and park fire policies and programs: vision of the future 139 "V^ *Veto J. "Sonny" LaSalle A vision for the future of fire in wilderness 142 Posters 45 1 Patricia L. Andrews Fire growth simulation for prescribed natural fire 147 Collin D. Bevins Patricia L. Andrews Fire danger rating and the go/no-go decision for prescribed natural fire 149 Larry S. Bradshaw Stephen F. Arno Quantifying historic fire and forest patterns 152 Elizabeth D. Reinhardt Joe H. Scott Christopher H. Baisan Historical fire occurrence in remote mountains of southwestern Thomas W. Swetnam New Mexico and northern Mexico 153 Stephen W. Barrett Three contrasting fire regimes in Yellowstone National Park 157 Stephen F. Arno Andrew M. Barton Fire adaptations in pines and oaks: tree population responses to fire suppression in Arizona's Madrean Forests 159 Nathan C. Benson Vegetation,establishment on rehabilitated bulldozer lines after Laurie L. Kurth the 1988 Red Bench Fire in Glacier National Park 164 Dawn M. Berry Postfire regeneration and clonal growth strategies of two Eric S. Menges Florida scrub oaks 168 Ann Camp Spatial changes in forest landscape patterns from altered Chad Oliver disturbance regimes on the eastern slope of the Paul Hessburg Washington Cascades 169 Richard Everett Anthony C. Caprio Historic fire regimes along an elevational gradient on the Thomas W. Swetnam west slope of the Sierra Nevada, California 173 Kelly R. Close GIS applications in wildland/urban interface fire planning: Ronald H. Wakimoto the Missoula County (Montana) Project 180 Jack D. Cohen Protecting structures in parks and wilderness 186 James M. Saveland Richard A. Chase Mark A. Finney Fire growth modeling in the Sierra Nevada of California 189 M. Joan Foote An analysis of the process, problems and results using Fred Deines the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge Buttes Gap experience as a case study 192 1 Page Henri D. Grissino-Mayer Effects of habitat diversity on fire regimes in Thomas W. Swetnam El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico 195 Roberta A. Hartford Displaying and analyzing seasonal change in vegetation greenness 201 Robert E. Burgan Roberta A. Hartford Greater Yellowstone area fire growth, 1988 203 Carolyn A. Chase Richard C. Rothermel Richard L. Hutto The importance of intense crown fires to some bird species in rocky mountain coniferous forests 204 Laurie Stroh Huckaby Fire history of subalpine forests at Fraser W. H. Moir Experimental Forest, Colorado 205 Stephen G. Jakala Underburning to reduce fire hazard in the southern boreal transition forest of Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota: preliminary results 21 Robert E. Keane FOFEM: a first order fire effects model 214 Elizabeth D. Reinhardt James K. Brown MaryBeth Keifer Fire effects monitoring in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 215 Peter M. Stanzler Laurie L. Kurth Prescribed fire in two prairies in the north fork of the Nathan C. Benson Flathead River Valley of Glacier National Park 219 Richard J. Lasko Quantifying risk and displaying ecological consequences of prescribed Paul R. Tine fire decisions in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness 226 Charles A. Mark Fuel model identification and mapping for fire behavior prediction in Charles L. Bushey the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Montana and Wyoming 227 Wayne Smetanka Melanie Miller Fire management considerations for BLM wilderness areas 230 Carl Gossard Ken Mahoney Francis Mohr Light hand tactics for wilderness wildfire suppression 233 Moody Bill Brian E. Morber Post-fire regeneration of black cherry and chokecherry in a Kiyoko Miyanishi southern Ontario Oak Savanna 234 Michael P. Murray Whitebark pine and fire suppression in small wilderness areas 237 Stephen C. Bunting Penelope Morgan Linda S. Mutch Effects of fire severity and climate on ring-width growth of Thomas W. Swetnam giant sequoia after burning 241 Jack G. Oelfke Prescription for a wilderness: Isle Royale National Park 247 William R. Parkhurst A comprehensive system to monitor 1 ,000-hour fuel Richard R. Bahr moistures in Yellowstone National Park 250 Lawrence W. Johnson William R. Parkhurst A system to remotely sense moisture levels in 10-hour time-lag fuels 253 Richard R. Bahr Lawrence W. Johnson David J. Parsons Restoring fire to giant sequoia groves: what have we learned in 25 years? 256 Page Paul Reeberg The western region fire monitoring handbook 259 Richard C. Rothermel Characterizing severe fire behavior 262 Jon Skinner Using a geographic information system for presuppression planning Ronald H. Wakimoto of lightning-ignited wildland fires in Missoula County, Montana 265 Charles W. Spoon The Galusha Peak fire: a case study in wilderness management 266 Diana F. Tomback Fire and Clark's nutcracker aid whitebark pine regeneration 267 Stephen F. Arno Ramzi Touchan Effects of livestock grazing on pre-settlement fire regimes in Thomas W. Swetnam New Mexico 268 Henri D. Grissino-Mayer Dale A. Thornburgh The natural role of fire in the Marble Mountain Wilderness 273 J. M. H. Weir Wildland fire management and the fire regime in the southern K. J. Chapman Canadian Rockies 275 E. A. Johnson Jack L. Wierzchowski Evaluation of the Banff National Park Planned Ignition Clifford A. White Prescribed Fire Program 281 Ian R. Pengelly