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 A
major windstorm, with wind speeds up to 100 miles/hour, swept
across northern Minnesota on July 4, 1999, impacting approximately
477,000 acres within the Superior National Forest boundary,
including approximately 370,000 acres inside the Boundary Waters
Canoe Area (BWCAW). Since the storm, the Superior National Forest
has worked with other members of the Minnesota Incident Command
System (MNICS) to address the risk of wildfire in the heavy
fuels created by the blowdown through a comprehensive interagency
response plan with four areas of focus: fuel reduction, fire
prevention, fire suppression preparedness, and emergency response
preparedness.
As of Fall 2005, fuels have been reduced on nearly 50,000 acres
of national forest lands on the Superior National Forest affected
by the blowdown, including strategically located treatment units
within the BWCAW. A comprehensive information and education
plan is in place that targets visitors and landowners with information
on how to reduce the risk of wildfire. We have nearly doubled
our staff of experienced fire specialists, increased aerial
fire suppression capabilities, and increased fire training for
all employees. The Forest continues to work with local, state,
and regional partners to coordinate resources and define responsibilities
in the case of a large wildfire event.
The potential still exists for an extreme
wildfire event in remaining blowdown. The
Superior National Forest is continuing Storm
Recovery activities as part of our overall
Forest-wide programs including monitoring
of the various fuel treatment projects.
To learn more about the storm, and storm-related
activities on the Superior National Forest,
click on one of the links to the left. The
After the Storm Report
is a good place to start.
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