Fuels Management at the Landscape Scale

Abstract

important factor affecting burn severity. Grazing effects increased in grassland systems and decreased as shrub cover increased. While post-fi re determinations of grazing impacts were diffi cult at best, additional large-scale research on grazing/fi re behavior is needed. “Managing the Invasive Fine Fuels at the Landscape Scale” was presented by Ronald Clementsen, BLM, who reported on the Mojave Desert Initiative (MDI). The MDI was established as a forum for government agencies (BLM, National Park Service [NPS], US Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS], Department of Defense, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Utah Department of Wildlife Resources, and Arizona Game and Fish Department) and other partners to collaboratively address wildfi re and invasive species issues within a defi ned eco-region of the northeastern Mojave Desert in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. Their goals are to 1) protect remaining unburned Mojave Desert vegetation and reduce reburning; 2) restore strategically located islands, key habitat areas, and corridors; 3) improve communication, collaboration, and coordination; and 4) maximize leveraged funding. They developed regional priorities and guidance for incident commanders to minimize or avoid further habitat loss to fi re. They also completed regional assessment to identify priority work areas and to develop project selection criteria. High-density, unburned desert tortoise critical habitat is their fi rst priority for protection and restoration. It is followed by unburned critical habitat for all listed species (not included in priority one) within BLM National Conservation Areas, BLM and NPS monuments, NPS recreation areas, and USFWS refuges. They will identify, prioritize, and develop potential projects across the MDIdefi ned–eco-region, including fuel breaks, green-strips, seedings, plantings, applications of preemergent herbicide, etc. Robin Tausch, US Forest Service (USFS) Rocky Mountain Research Station, addressed “Fuels Management Strategies for Woody Natives to Avoid Promoting Invasive Species.” Using data from research projects in Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and Oregon, Robin showed the remarkable increase in the area, cover, size, and density of pinyon pine and juniper. These trees are changing plant communities in many areas of the western United States. Once established, Introductory Focus by Featured Speakers Workshop IV was moderated by Brad Washa, Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Jason Davison of the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension spoke about a “Case Study of the Murphy Complex Fire.” A team of scientists and managers1 had been charged to 1) provide preliminary observations and recommendations on how plant communities and livestock grazing affected fi re behavior, 2) recommend long-term research or studies needed to address issues regarding the use of livestock to reduce fuels while maintaining post-fi re resource values, and 3) discuss the potential application of the fi ndings from the Murphy Complex wildfi res in Idaho and Nevada to other locations. After identifying many areas with high discontinuity and contrast, the team evaluated each area using 10 factors: 1) actual use by livestock, 2) distance from water, 3) anomaly performance (related to pasture actual grazing pressures in grassland areas), 4) fi re history, 5) location of seedings, 6) vegetation type, 7) shrub cover, 8) cheatgrass cover, 9) prefi re plant biomass, and 10) fi re behavior/suppression. They ranked burn severity factors across all focus areas and across grass-dominated areas. Vegetation (fuel loads) was the most