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Kootenai National Forest |
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Fire & Aviation
2008 Prescribed Burn PlansPrescribed BurningIn addition to wildland fire suppression, fire is used in a variety of ways on the Kootenai National Forest to meet management needs. Prescribed burning is used for site preparation for tree planting or natural regeneration where commercial harvest has occurred, for reducing hazardous fuel build up under natural stands, increasing browse for wildlife and protection of private land by removing ingrowth under the tree canopy. Commercial Harvest Fuels ReductionAfter a commercial harvest of timber the site must be treated to remove the hazardous fuel accumulation and to prepare the site for regeneration if it is a regeneration harvest. Several methods can be used to accomplish this goal. Some of the methods commonly used are excavator piling, slashing of damaged residual trees, hand piling of slash and prescribed fire. The goal is to reduce the slash caused by harvesting of timber to approximately 10-15 tons of woody debris per acre while leaving the larger diameter slash for future nutrients and small wildlife habitat. Snag retention is also needed to provide both nesting and a food source for birds and small mammals. This is accomplished by piling the slash with careful attention to the amount of slash piled and its arrangement. During prescribed burning of the slash, snags and woody debris can be left as needed by timing the burning when the dryness of the slash is such that the larger material and snags will not be consumed. By piling or prescribed burning, scarification of the site (providing bare soil) can be accomplished to provide a seed bed for either natural regeneration or hand planting. Providing Browse for Wildlife
Prior to modern man, fire played a major role in the forest ecosystem. It cleansed the forest by removing unwanted ingrowth of trees under stands which allowed the larger trees to thrive. It removed excessive branches and needles which naturally accumulated, thus reducing the intensity of future fires. Older, decadent forests would be replenished and revived by the natural fires.
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USDA Forest Service - Kootenai National Forest |