Contact: Darcy Weseman, (541) 278-3722
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 2020 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 linger in a 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. Additionally, Forest personnel
have increased coordination measures with the states regarding COVID-19
mitigation, which will be important considerations prior to implementing any burn
operations. The public can monitor smoke
and air quality by visiting http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/ or https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/.
The
Umatilla National Forest has developed a prescribed fire interactive map
displaying planned burning activities, which is available at https://tinyurl.com/y8we6ntg. 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
·
Tommy
Mentzer, North Fork John Day Ranger District - (541) 427-5385
·
Kristen
Marshall, Heppner Ranger District - (541) 676-2130
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