PENDLETON, Ore. - Fire management officials on the Umatilla National
Forest are preparing to implement the forest’s fall prescribed burn plan, which
could impact camping and hunting opportunities in several hunting units across
the forest. Any associated road and
trail closures will go into effect prior to and during burn operations, which
typically take 2-5 days to complete. Hunters are advised to plan ahead and
avoid camping in the designated prescribed burn
areas during the upcoming 2018 hunting season.
Frequent,
low-intensity fire is essential for healthy forests and reducing the risk of
uncharacteristic wildfire caused by excessive fuel buildup. Prescribed burning
is an effective tool for removing excessive amounts of brush, shrubs, and
trees, while also encouraging the growth of native vegetation. However,
prescribed burning is highly dependent on weather conditions, which have to be
within a narrow criteria window in order to use prescribed fire. Factors such
as wind speed and direction, temperatures, relative humidity, and fuel
moistures are all taken into consideration prior to implementing a prescribed
burn operation.
“From a restoration objective standpoint, late summer and fall provide
the best opportunities for the timing of prescribed fires,” said Andrew
Stinchfield, Deputy Fire Staff Officer.
“Fire behavior during fall weather conditions are more likely to align
with how the native vegetation has adapted to fire.”
The Forest Service recognizes that hunting season coincides with
prescribed burning season and can impact hunters, but controlled burns are
necessary to reintroduce fire to the landscape and encourage healthy vegetation
that will ultimately improve landscapes and forage for big game.
Hunters should be cautious when entering a recently burned area and be
aware of increased hazards, particularly snags. Dead or dying trees that remain
standing after a fire are unstable, especially in high winds.
“Don’t camp or hang out in the burned area. And, as always, let someone know your planned
route, destination and expected return time,” said Stinchfield.
Each prescribed burn represents many years of planning and preparation to ensure
burn operations meet prescriptive conditions that allow for successful burns
that provide multiple benefits to resources. The
forest works closely with the Oregon Department of Forestry and Washington
Department of Natural Resources in accordance with the State’s Smoke Management
Plans to determine when, where, and how much is burned on a daily basis. Potential smoke impacts, looking at volume of
smoke, direction of spread, and mixing heights, are determined prior to each
burn. All burns will be monitored until
a season ending rain or snow occurs.
The
Umatilla National Forest has developed a prescribed fire interactive map
displaying planned burning activities, which is available at https://tinyurl.com/y8b433th. The
interactive map allows the user to zoom in on certain areas and click on a burn
unit for more information (such as acreage, status, etc). When burning operations
begin the interactive map will be updated to display which burn units are
actively burning. Maps of the proposed prescribed burns are also located on
InciWeb at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5808/. Additional information on prescribed burning is available on the Umatilla National
Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla/ or at any forest office.
For more information about the Umatilla National Forest’s
Prescribed Burn program, please contact one of the following Forest Service
personnel:
·
Tara Mackleit, Pomeroy
Ranger - (509) 843-4676
·
Joby Sciarrino, Walla Walla
Ranger District - (509) 522-6283
·
Jesse Bohnsack, North Fork
John Day Ranger District - (541) 427-5399
·
Kristen Marshall, Heppner
Ranger District - (541) 676-2130
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