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
2019 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.
Prescribed burning is also 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. With the
current rains and moderate temperatures across the Forest, many areas are
conducive to successful prescribed fire implementation in the near term.
“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/,
on the Forest Facebook page at www.facebook.com/UmatillaNF,
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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