CENTRAL PINE BARRENS COMPREHENSIVE PRESCRIBED FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN January 2021 Prepared by the Central Pine Barrens Joint Policy and Planning Commission Science and Stewardship Program Bob Panko - Fire Management Specialist Polly Weigand – Science and Stewardship Program Manager Shaun Ziegler – Senior Ecologist _____________________________________________ Central Pine Barrens Joint Policy and Planning Commission 624 Old Riverhead Road Westhampton Beach, New York 11978 Signature Page The Commission’s mission is “to manage land use within the Central Pine Barrens to protect its vital groundwater and surface water and the region's vast and significant natural, agricultural, historical, cultural and recreational resources for current and future Long Island residents”. As part of this mission the Commission is facilitating a collaborative and adaptive prescribed fire program to which the goals include planning, implementation and monitoring for the purposes of specifically improving ecosystem health as authorized by Central Pine Barrens Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP, Section 7.6.9). This Plan is a guideline to achieve these goals and assure compliance with the State Environmental Quality Review Act (Article 8 of the New York State Environmental Conservation Law). I certify this Plan as accepted by resolution of the Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission. ________________________________________ _____________ John W. Pavacic Date Executive Director Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission i Acknowledgements First and foremost, the Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission wishes to recognize that the development of this Central Pine Barrens Prescribed Fire Management Plan and Program has been made possible thanks to contractual funding provided from the New York Environmental Protection Fund as dedicated by the New York State Legislature to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Lands and Forests’ Forest Health Program for southern pine beetle prevention and suppression. We also wish to recognize the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS-DEC) Region 1 and the Albany Central Office staff especially Rob Cole, Forester within the Forest Health Unit. Rob provided the leadership and laid the groundwork that resulted in the dedication of the funds which in turn helped advance timely and collaborative prescribed fire operations within the Central Pine Barrens for the purposes of ecological health improvement, southern pine beetle resilience and wildfire risk reduction. In addition to this leadership, this plan would not be possible without the extensive knowledge and expertise regarding land and fire management that was sourced from regional partnership. The NYS- DEC’s Unit Management plans and Prescribed Fire plans for the Long Island Pine Barrens State Forests were key references in preparation of this Plan. We especially recognize the work of NYS-DEC Forest Ranger Bryan Gallagher. Ranger Gallagher has been the rock of Central Pine Barrens prescribed fire leadership, planning, organization, coordination, training and implementation throughout the past two decades and he continues every day in this leadership role as a key interagency partner. He is also the author of many of the Unit Management Plans and was always available for consultation about aspects of this Plan. John Wernet, Regional Forester of NYS-DEC Region 1 and Nate Hudson, Southern Pine Beetle Incident Commander, NYS-DEC Forest Health Unit have both also been integral in the development and implementation of hazard maps related to southern pine beetle that resulted in the development of prescribed burn and vegetation pretreatment plans identified within this greater plan and program. We also recognize Andrew F. Windisch and his work “A Preliminary Wildfire History for The Long Island Central Pine Barrens” published by his employer of the time, The Nature Conservancy, in September 1994. This work was, and still is, a landmark chronology of wildfires that occurred in the Central Pine Barrens from 1931 until 1994. Without his work the details of this important fire history would likely have remained lost. Similarly, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is recognized for its past fire management work in the Central Pine Barrens that helped create the foundation this Plan was designed to build upon. We especially recognize the work TNC conducted in digitizing the Windisch fire history maps and in creating a very accurate digital plant community map in the mid 2000’s. Both of those products were invaluable in creating this Plan. Thanks are extended to Christine A. Purpura, GIS Specialist, NY State Department of Environmental Conservation Albany, NY who provided Suffolk County wildland fire occurrence data from 1995 to 2020 that, combined with the Windisch report enabled us to incorporate 90 years of wildfire history analysis in the Central Pine Barrens in this Plan. Finally, this Comprehensive Prescribed Fire Management Plan could not have been created without the support of the Suffolk County Water Authority and specifically the Administration and Information Technology staff that enabled collaborative remote workplace connectivity for the plan preparers and reviewers throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020. ii Table of Contents Signature Page ............................................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Figures ............................................................................................................................................ iv Table of Tables ............................................................................................................................................. vi Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................................... vii 1.Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 1 2.Ecological and Historical Background ........................................................................................................ 5 2.1 Location - Regional Extent .................................................................................................................. 5 2.2 General Descriptions of Ecosystem Drivers and Modifiers................................................................. 6 2.3 Human Land Use ............................................................................................................................... 14 2.4 Vegetation, Wildlife, and Natural Communities Classification: ........................................................ 19 2.5 Ecological Justification for Fire Management ................................................................................... 23 2.6 Pine Barrens Fire and Disturbance Ecology ...................................................................................... 24 3.Weather, Fire History and Fuels .............................................................................................................. 30 3.1 Weather Pattern and Fire History Analysis ....................................................................................... 30 3.2 Fuel Models and Distribution ............................................................................................................ 39 4.Management Alternatives to Prescribed Fire .......................................................................................... 53 5.Legal Considerations ................................................................................................................................ 58 6.Planning and Implementation Considerations ........................................................................................ 61 6.1 Collaborative Landscape Management: ........................................................................................... 61 6.2 Pre and Post Treatment Plans ........................................................................................................... 62 6.3 Prescribed Fire Plan Scope, Development, Coordination and Components .................................... 64 7.Strategies for Prioritizing Prescribed Fire Management.......................................................................... 71 8.Fire Management Units ........................................................................................................................... 74 Rocky Point Fire Management Unit (FMU) ............................................................................................. 77 Brookhaven FMU .................................................................................................................................... 92 Manorville - Calverton FMU .................................................................................................................. 104 Dwarf Pines FMU .................................................................................................................................. 121 Southampton