Fire Management
Here at For all of us who are dedicated to the preservation of our natural resources, fire must be recognized as a natural element. Not even our old friend, Smokey Bear, while considered among the most successful advertising symbols in the past 50 years, can not control the elements of nature. For most of us, the thought of fire in the forest evokes visions of horror: towering trees engulfed in flames of destruction and animals in terror-- fleeing for their lives! Smokey's words, "Only YOU can prevent forest fires!" are true in part, but they do not really tell the whole story. Indeed, not all fires are caused by careless humans and not all fires are preventable. Years of historical and biological research, of measuring the effects of fires, have brought the competent resource manager to an awareness of fire as a natural element-- to be controlled, monitored and utilized in synch with patterns of natural biological processes. An awesome task? Yes, it is! And, to be successfully accomplished, fire
management must be addressed in a scientific manner. Within This team uses all the knowledge and skill possible to bring about the most advantageous conditions for natural regeneration and conscientious preservation. They consider the history of fire. Early settlers in the One early naturalist, Thomas Jefferson, in 1813, wrote to John Adams that
Indians formed circles to drive game and used fires to make up for the lack
of men. In the years that followed, the mission of the National Park Service was shifting to preserve not just the scenery, but the natural forces making the scenery. Important ecological relationships between plants and animals and fire were discovered in research. for example: some species of plants are called "fire dependent". That is, optimal regeneration is actually dependent upon fire. One example is the longleaf pine. The lodgepole pine in the Northern Rockies, the ponderosa pine in California and Arizona and the Giant Sequoia in California, the slash pine in the Everglades, rely on soil preparation by fire, opening of the pine cones for reproduction and for retarding disease and insect damage. Dropping highly flammable needles at their base, these trees are naturally ensuring that future burning will occur. The most devastating fires in the past have been in areas where this type of natural fuel buildup was increased by early fire suppression. Had the natural fire occurred, the "cool" fire that resulted would not have allowed such a destructive intensity. Here at
Fires are defined in two ways: (1) Wildland fire: any nonstructure fire, other than prescribed fire, that occurs in the wildland. (2) Prescribed fire: any fire ignited by management actions to meet specific objectives. Within DNM, the staff monitors climate conditions, including wind, precipitation and lightning. Moreover, lightning can be expected to occur without precipitation. Lightning intensity varies widely, but on a few occasions more than 150 cloud-to-ground strikes were recorded in a 5-minute period! This will show that we have all the help with fire starts that we need! Your caution with fire use is STILL of the greatest importance, just as Smokey Bear has always told us. Any fire that threatens life or property, historic structures or cultural
sites, or endangered species or threatens to escape prescribed boundaries is
suppressed. In addition, smoke and air quality control must be in compliance
with state and local regulation. Other fires-- which ARE consistent with
resource management objectives will be monitored, controlled and utilized to
achieve the desired results. The results desired include elimination of
understory fuel buildup, increased species diversity and improved vegetative
communities.
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