Forest Treatments to Reduce Fire Hazard in Alaska: a Compilation of Case Studies Special Report from JFSP Project 14-4-01-27
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Forest Treatments to Reduce Fire Hazard in Alaska: A Compilation of Case Studies Special Report from JFSP Project 14-4-01-27 2001: T-19 pre-treatment (0-30m view), R. Jandt. R.R. Jandt, S.A. Drury, J.M. Little, A. Molina and B. Lane Alaska Fire Science Consortium A JFSP FIRE SCIENCE EXCHANGE NETWORK April 1, 2019 About this Guide: This compilation is intended to provide an illustrated overview of the current science of fuelbreaks in Alaska boreal forest, with citations and links to additional reference material for practitioners and the public. Research on fuelbreaks in the high northern latitudes is scarce, yet there is a pressing need for strategies to improve infrastructure and public protection from wildfires which are intensifying as the climate warms. This guide is a follow-on product of the Joint Fire Science funded project: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Fuel Treatments in Alaska (Little, et al. 2018) Authors: Joseph Little, PhD1, Randi Jandt, M.S.2, Stacy Drury, PhD3, Allen Molina, PhD Candidate1, Brock Lane, M.S.1 —————— 1University of Alaska Fairbanks 2Alaska Fire Science Consortium, University of Alaska Fairbanks 3U.S. Forest Service, Pacific South- west Research Station Cover Photos: Left– Monitoring of thinned fuel break at Tanacross (R.Jandt, 2003). Right top– View of smoke column from the Tanacross fuel break: showing dam- age from 2012 wind event. (F. Keirn, Tan- ana Chiefs Conference) Right center - Shear-bladed experimental treatment block at Nenana Ridge (D. Haggstrom, 2006) Right bottom— USFS FERA personnel do- ing post-burn assessment at Nenana Ridge experimental shaded fuel break in black spruce near Fairbanks, Alaska (R. Jandt, 2009) Burnout of masticated fuelbreak during the 2014 Funny River fire (Photo credit: Chena IHC). Table of Contents Page I. CASE STUDIES: Forest Treatments to Reduce Fire Hazard in Alaska 1 Interior Alaska A. Ft. Wainwright Demonstration Site 2 B. Delta Bison Range Demonstration Site 8 C. Nenana (TOG) Demonstration Site 14 D. Nenana Ridge Experiment 20 E. Dot Lake Fuel Treatment 26 F. Tanacross Fuel Treatments 30 Southern Alaska C. Campbell Tract Fuel Break 36 D. Funny River Fuel Break 42 E. Bean North Fuel Reduction 48 F. Hope Gate Fuel Reduction 50 II. OTHER FUELBREAKS AROUND ALASKA 52 Photo: BLM and Dept. of Defense conduct a spring burn to reduce hazardous fuels adjacent to military training facilities (R. Jandt, 2006) 1 Ft. Wainwright Demonstration Site also Delta-DBR and Nenana-TOG sites). This site off Holmes Road on Ft. Wainwright Treatment Fuelbed Characteristics property near Fairbanks was treated in 2001 Canopy closure was reduced by about half on the thinned treatments, with tree by a cooperative effort of Tanana Chiefs Con- densities down from an average of 3,000 stems/ac to less than 500 stems/ac. ference (TCC) and BLM Alaska Fire Service. It Crown fuel density was greatly reduced at all 3 demonstration fuel breaks in black is one of 3 similar demonstration fuel treat- spruce (see Table, below) as was estimated canopy fuel loading. ment sites created with Joint Fire Science pro- Changes in treatment blocks after two years included drying and death of feather moss2, deeper ac- tive layers, and some stimulated growth of grass and shrubs. Further development of understory vascular plants can be seen between 2001 and 2006 (photos, next page). In- sect damage was not noted. Interestingly, one microclimate difference noted at Ft WW contrasts with other demo sites in that mid- day relative humidity (RH) was high- er in thinned units (Graph, next page). Slightly decreased tempera- Photos show an experimental block at FtWW before (left) and after (right) treatment in 2001 (8’ thinned block, 270°, R. Ott). tures were noted on all 3 JFSP demo units (see graph, Nenana site), with gram (JFSP) funding (also see Delta-DBR and Nenana-TOG sites). There are 4 the largest deviance from control temperature occurring at around 14:00 (solar thinned treatments and an untreated control in 1-acre blocks in black spruce. The noon in Alaska)1. One possible explanation is that spruce forest has such low sur- 4 treatments consisted of thinning trees to 8 ft or 10 ft spacing with and without 5 face albedo (dark color) that it absorbs around 90% of incoming solar radiation , pruning ladder fuels. Slash was piled and burned outside treatment blocks. De- which can be re-radiated as heat, and thinned units have less dense crown foliage tailed measurements of vegetation and fuel characteristics were collected pre– for absorption and re-radiation. and post-treatment. The pro- ject completed with a final Fire Behavior Trade-Offs Analysis report in 20051. Alaska Fire Steve Theisen’s analysis of predicted fire behavior at the Ft WW treatments indi- Service repeated the vegeta- cated slightly increased rates of spread but also higher crown fire initiation (CFI) tion measurements in 2006 to assess changes in canopy, CANOPY FUEL CHARACTER- Treated stands Control stands understory, and surface fuels ISTICS, all JFS sites (see photos). Several allied (10’ spacing, pruned) studies looked at various (from Horschel, 2007) Ft WW Delta Nenana Ft WW Delta Nenana changes in the treatments, including duff moisture2, pre- Canopy bulk density, kg/m3 0.07 0.12 0.15 0.34 0.45 0.23 dicted fire behavior3,4, micro- climate differences1,2, and Avg. canopy base height, m 0.92 1.62 0.98 0 0.40 0.64 active layer response (see Aerial view of Ft. Wainwright fuel treatments. Total canopy fuel load, T/ac 1.58 3.1 5.36 5.89 12.32 6.18 2 thresholds using BEHAVE3. Horschel later analyzed data from all three JFSP for four 1-acre treatment blocks but do not include the cost of slash pile burning. Demonstration sites using NEXUS 2.0 (Scott 2004) which allows modification of Burning was conducted in mid-winter (photo: below). canopy to be reflected in fire behavior models. Her report on predicted fire be- havior in shaded fuel breaks suggested that the treatments did not preclude Citations crown fire behavior4. However, at the site with the densest pre-treatment canopy 1Ott, RA and RR Jandt. 2005. Fuels treatment demonstration sites in the boreal (Delta), passive rather than active crown fire behavior was predicted after thin- forests of interior Alaska - JFSP Final Rep. Fairbanks, AK. 23 pp. ning. On the other hand, trade-offs included higher rates of spread in thinned 2Jandt, RR, JL. Allen and EA Horschel. 2005. Forest floor moisture content and fire units in dry conditions—in part due to increased mid-flame wind speed under FtWW JFS post-Rx 2006 (8’ thinned block, 270°, J. Hrobak). FtWW JFS post-Rx 2006 (10’ P block, 90°, J. Hrobak) danger indices in Alaska. BLM-Alaska Burning slash piles with leaf blower, Graph: Relative humidity (RH) hourly differences between 10x 10’ thinned and Technical Report 54. DOI:BLM. Anchor- 2002. pruned, treatment “10P” and control at Ft WW from 6/21—8/16, 2002 . age, Alaska. 30 pp. FW RH Diff (10P-C) open stands. Simulations at the time of 3Theisen, Steve. 2003. An analysis of treatment indicated only moderate 3 shaded fuel breaks on fire behavior. Tech reduction in flame length and fire in- 2.5 Fire Mgmt 17. Fairbanks, AK: Bureau of tensity in the treated sites, but sub- 2 Land Management, Alaska Fire Service. stantial reduction in the crown frac- 1.5 41 p. tions burned and crowning index, 1 4Horschel, EA. 2007. Using NEXUS to which may reduce spotting potential. (%) 0.5 Assess the Effectiveness of Experimental (See NEXUS outputs table in Delta Bi- 0 Black Spruce Forest Fuel Breaks to Re- son Range Site case study.) -0.5 duce Crown Fire Potential in Alaska. UAF Treatment Cost -1 Res. Paper (unpubl.), 24 pp. Average Relative Humidity Difference Humidity Difference Relative Average -1.5 5 Hall, FG, PJ Sellers and DL Williams. Treatment cost of $7,650 ($1912.50/ 0000 0200 0400 0600 0800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 acre) reflects the cost of tree thinning, Hour 1996. Initial results from the boreal eco- re-locating and hand piling of slash system-atmosphere experiment, BORE- outside of test treatment boundaries AS. Silva Fennica 30(2-3):109-121. 3 Ft. Wainwright Holmes Road Demo - 2015 update Although there was a trend toward more grass (especially Calamagrostis) and shrubs—particularly tall shrubs like willow—as seen in the thinned treatment pho- Repeat measurement of fuel characteristics and active layer were collected again tos, the effect varied between treatments and among the 3 Demonstration sites in June, 2015 as part of a JFSP study on fuel treatment effectiveness duration and (see graph Nenana-TOG site). Cover values at FtWW are shown in the Table on cost in Alaska1. Field work was carried out by the Tanana Chiefs Conference For- the next page—note that cover values for vegetation classes can exceed 100% estry Program and Chugachmiut Tribal Consortium. because there can be multiple species in successive layers of the canopy. Fuelbed Lifecycle Changes After 14 years, feather moss ground cover which was initially damaged and re- FtWW 8’ block, no pruning in 2015 (Plot 5, 0°, TCC). FtWW 8’ block, pruned in 2015 (Plot 2, 270°, TCC). Tree tags/range pole (2001, J. Hrobak). duced by as much as half in treated blocks at all 3 demonstration sites, had mostly After 14 years, thinned demonstration units had gained 4-7% overstory tree cover recovered. Moss cover averaged 32-37% on pruned treatment blocks and 52-53% but recruitment of seedlings/small trees was not detected. Likewise, crown mass cover on non-pruned blocks at Ft WW (vs.