Landscape Treatment Prioritization to Reduce Northern Spotted Owl Habitat Loss from Wildfire: A Test Case Using Fire Regime and Condition Class on the Klamath RD Dr. Gregg Riegel, Ecologist, Central Oregon Ecology Program, Deschutes NF Co-authors: Jane Kertis, Fire Ecologist, USFS Sarah Malaby, Fremont-Winema NF John Foster, Fire Ecologist, TNC Lois Shoemaker, Bio. Tech, Fremont- Winem, NF
Landscape Treatment Prioritization to Reduce Northern Spotted Owl Habitat Loss from Wildfire: A Test Case Using Fire Regime and Condition Class on the Klamath RD Dr. Gregg Riegel, Ecologist, Central Oregon Ecology Program, Deschutes NF Co-authors: Jane Kertis, Fire Ecologist, USFS - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Landscape Treatment Prioritization to Reduce Northern Spotted Owl Habitat Loss from Wildfire: A Test Case Using Fire Regime and Condition Class on the Klamath RDDr. Gregg Riegel, Ecologist, Central Oregon Ecology Program, Deschutes NF
Co-authors: Jane Kertis, Fire Ecologist, USFSSarah Malaby, Fremont-Winema NFJohn Foster, Fire Ecologist, TNCLois Shoemaker, Bio. Tech, Fremont-
Winem, NF
District IssuesDistrict Issues Loss of bald eagle habitatLoss of bald eagle habitat Threats of catastrophic fire Threats of catastrophic fire
to spotted owl habitatto spotted owl habitat Loss of variable stand and Loss of variable stand and
landscape composition and landscape composition and structurestructure
Project GoalsProject Goals
Develop strategic plan to reduce fuels to improve landscape resiliency
Restore landscape to appropriate appropriate composition and structure to support owls and bald eagles
Develop a current fire risk assessmentDevelop a current fire risk assessment
Identify other issues (WUI, nest site/key Identify other issues (WUI, nest site/key owl and bald eagle habitat, fish habitat)owl and bald eagle habitat, fish habitat)
Create priority areasCreate priority areas
Recommend treatment types and timingRecommend treatment types and timing
FRCC MappingFRCC MappingCondition ClassCondition Class
1. Vegetation-fuel class1. Vegetation-fuel class
2. Fire frequency/severity2. Fire frequency/severity
Condition ClassCondition ClassA categorical measure of departure:A categorical measure of departure:
Condition Class I =Condition Class I =within natural or historical range of within natural or historical range of variability (NRV or HRV)variability (NRV or HRV)
Condition Class II =Condition Class II =moderate departure from HRVmoderate departure from HRV
Condition Class III =Condition Class III =extreme departureextreme departure
0% 25% 75%-25%-75%% diff
Similar Over-represented
AbundantUnder-represented
Trace
Relative amount
Using FRCC Veg-Fuel Class Using FRCC Veg-Fuel Class Abundance as Treatment Abundance as Treatment
GuidanceGuidanceNorth Middle South
Seral MCON RFIR MCON RFIR MCON RFIR
A Over Similar Similar Trace
Abundant
Similar
B Over Over Over Over Over Similar
C Under Abundant
Under Over Similar Over
D Trace Trace Trace Trace
Trace Trace
E Abundant
Similar Abundant
Over Abundant
Over
FRCC Mapping:FRCC Mapping: Fire Frequency Fire Frequency and and
Severity Condition ClassSeverity Condition Class Used local fire history information to Used local fire history information to
determine reference frequency and determine reference frequency and severity for each PNVGseverity for each PNVG
Calculated MFI—(# of fires-1/100) to Calculated MFI—(# of fires-1/100) to determine current fire frequency..determine current fire frequency..
Used expert knowledge to determine Used expert knowledge to determine current fire severity. Current fire current fire severity. Current fire severities estimated at 75% compared to severities estimated at 75% compared to reference mixed conifer 5%, red fir 10%reference mixed conifer 5%, red fir 10%
Current Fire Risk Current Fire Risk AssessmentAssessment
3 Components:3 Components:
1.1. Probability of ignitionProbability of ignition
2.2. Fire behavior potentialFire behavior potential
3.3. Composite fire riskComposite fire risk
Probability of IgnitionProbability of IgnitionFire atlas records from Fire atlas records from
1960-20011960-2001
Used sections as cell sizeUsed sections as cell size
Counted all human Counted all human caused (excluding caused (excluding equipment) and lightning equipment) and lightning ignitionsignitions
Created fuel model and slope Created fuel model and slope class layersclass layers
Ran BEHAVE and populated Ran BEHAVE and populated coveragecoverage
Used flame length to rate low Used flame length to rate low (0-4 ft), moderate (5-8 ft) or (0-4 ft), moderate (5-8 ft) or high (> 8 ft) fire behavior riskhigh (> 8 ft) fire behavior risk
Calculated crown fire Calculated crown fire potential using flame length potential using flame length and seral stage/PNVG and seral stage/PNVG designationsdesignations
Other IssuesOther Issues Wildland urban interfaceWildland urban interface Bald eagle land management unitBald eagle land management unit Spotted owl nestsSpotted owl nests Late successional reservesLate successional reserves Spotted owl core sites outside of Spotted owl core sites outside of
LSRsLSRs Fish (sucker and bull trout) habitatFish (sucker and bull trout) habitat
stages area deviating from stages area deviating from reference conditons (reference conditons (WHAT)WHAT)
Current fire risk identifies key Current fire risk identifies key “hot spots” from ignition and fire “hot spots” from ignition and fire behavior risk (behavior risk (WHEREWHERE))
Other issues help determine Other issues help determine WHEREWHERE and and HOWHOW to treat to treat landscapelandscape
Next StepsNext Steps1. 1. Determine schedule for treating high Determine schedule for treating high
priority blockspriority blocks
2. Begin NEPA process2. Begin NEPA process
Use information from FRCC to guide Use information from FRCC to guide how much and what kinds of stands how much and what kinds of stands to treat to treat
Run FARSITE/FLANMAP to determine Run FARSITE/FLANMAP to determine best placement of multi-resource best placement of multi-resource treatmentstreatments