|
|
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
2002
|
|
|
Big Cypress National Preserve
Successful Prescribed Fire Season Ends 2002
|
|
|
The
Big Cypress fire program had a record year for prescribed
fire, treating over 71,000 acres for hazard fuel reduction
during fiscal year 2002. This number represents about
half of the year's total hazard fuel reduction acreage
for the National Park Service. A total of 20 burns were
conducted during the period from April through September
using aerial and hand ignition methods. The areas burned
included prairies and palmetto brush fields. Most of
the brush fields were the understory beneath slash pines.
The burn treatments accomplished the desired fuel reduction and also maintained the fire dependent ecosystem. Most of the acreage treated this year was burned during the growing season which produced excellent fire effects, including reduction of hardwood brush species encroaching on prairies and overabundant in pinelands. Several red cockaded woodpecker colony sites were protected and enhanced by the reduction of hardwoods in the understory. Habitat for the Florida panther was maintained and forage for panther prey species was improved by the burn treatments.
Fuels around over 30 private inholdings were reduced to protect these structures from wildfires. The burns also reduced the risk of smoke on the highway incidents, enhancing safety for the public, and for firefighters and law enforcement personnel, who would have to deal with these smoke incidents on the very busy highways running through and adjacent to the Preserve. Smoke incidents in the past from wildland fires have caused accidents on Interstate highway 75, including recent fatalities west of the Preserve and have required closure of the interstate for periods of a few hours to a week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
success of the program at Big Cypress can be attributed
to a number of factors. Some of these relate to the
physical characteristics of the Preserve, including
location, topography, vegetation, weather and barriers
to fire spread. The Preserve is located on the South
Florida peninsula. Air quality presents much less of
a problem than it does for areas within a basin. For
many months each summer and fall, large portions of
the Preserve are flooded, while the pinelands are a
few inches above the water level and can be burned with
little or no opportunity for escape. Cypress strands
cross the area in many places providing natural barriers
to fire spread and excellent boundaries for burning
during much of the year. The local pines and cypress
are well adapted to fire and withstand scorch levels
near 100 percent. Fire will burn in the local fuels
under a wider range of weather variables than might
support a viable burn in other areas of the country.
Of equal importance are human factors,
including relationships between the fire management
staff and Preserve management, relationships with local
cooperators and attitudes of the public toward prescribed
fire activities. A high level of trust and confidence
has been developed and maintained between the fire management
staff and the Superintendent’s office based on
good communication and a track record of burning success.
Fire staff have been fortunate to have strong support
from all of the Preserve’s upper managers for a
proactive burn program. A long history of coordination,
mutual assistance and cooperation has developed a level
of trust with the Florida Division of Forestry which
had allowed the Preserve to obtain burning authorizations
on days when the Division would not issue these to other
burners. Long time Preserve users and inholders are
some of the strongest supporters of prescribed fire
and will comment when they believe that not enough burning
has been accomplished in the areas they frequent.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Finally the fire management staff has developed a wide prescription window to allow burn bosses a range of opportunities to conduct burns while meeting management objectives. Burns have historically been conducted in the Preserve during every month of the year. Winter burns take advantage of North winds from frontal passages to keep smoke off highways, when prescribed fires are being conducted on the south side of these roads. As noted earlier, growing season burns (spring-early summer) have some additional desirable fire effects.
The fire return interval for the 728,000
acre Preserve, in pinelands and prairies, is in the
3 to 5 year range. The fuels removed this year will
largely be replaced and in need of treatment in a few
years. Which means the fire staff won’t have much
time to rest on their laurels and savor the major accomplishments
of the past year. As of mid-December, 6,300 acres have
been burned for fiscal year 2003 so the new year is
off to a good start.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
