Detroit Lakes Fire Management District seasonal fire crew:  Left to Right Brian Lobitz, AD-firefighter; Jay Rude, Range Technician;  Jaxson Obrien, Range Technician; Chuck Flach, AD-firefighter; Julie Matson, Range Technician,  Travis Nelson, Ranger Technician,  and Shawn Woodbury, AD-firefighter.  Missing are Cory Henry, and Cheryl Didier, AD-firefighters.  - USFWS photo by Cheryl Didier, April 2005

A prescribed burn at Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District, Headquarters Waterfowl Production Area - USFWS photo, April 2005

Removing undesirable tree species through the personal use Christmas tree program at Rydell NWR. - USFWS photo

Mechanical removal of unwanted tree species by harvesting logs at Rydell NWR for saw mills and pulp mills. - USFWS photo by Juancarlso Geise, December 2004

Peter Boyum (left) Detroit Lakes WMD Range Technician and Kurt Svendsgaard Tamarac NWR Biological Technician during a prescribed burn at North River Road on Tamarac NWR.  - USFWS photo by Wayne Brinninger, April 2005

Audubon School students watch prescribed fire operations at Hamden Slough NWR as their teacher discusses fire ecology with them. - USFWS photo by Steve Schumacher, April 2005

Stations supported by the Detroit Lakes Fire District:

            Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District  (Host Station)

            Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge

            Hamden Slough National Refuge

            Rydell National Wildlife Refuge

            Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge

These stations are located in Becker, Clay, Mahnomen, Norman, and Polk counties of Northwestern Minnesota.

PRESCRIBED FIRE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR ALL STATIONS OF THE DETROIT LAKES FIRE DISTRICT April 1 to September 30, 2005

STATION	BURN TYPE	# OF RX BURNS	ACRES
DETROIT LAKES WMD	HFR	18	4188
	WUI	9	1978
TOTAL		27	6166
TAMARAC NWR	HFR	8	436
	WUI	0	0
TOTAL		8	436
RYDELL NWR	HFR	0	0
	WUI	3	75
TOTAL		3	75
HAMDEN SLOUGH NWR	HFR	1	25
	WUI	0	0
TOTAL		1	25
GLACIAL RIDGE NWR	HFR	0	0
	WUI	0	0
TOTAL		0	0
GRAND TOTAL		39	6702

HFR – Hazard Fuels Reduction

WUI – Wildland Urban Interface

COOPERATIVE EFFORTS DURING THE 2005 FIRE SEASON

Cooperators include:

MN DNR  Detroit Lakes, Forestry and Wildlife Divisions

MN DNR Crookston Wildlife Division

BIA White Earth Indian Reservation

Detroit Lakes WMD provided assistance to the BIA White Earth Reservation on several prescribed burns in April of 2005.  In turn the BIA assisted the Detroit Lakes WMD and Tamarac NWR with prescribed burns.

DNR Forestry and Wildlife resources Detroit Lakes have assisted Tamarac NWR and Detroit Lakes WMD with prescribed burn implementation.  These partners are also consulted during the planning phase to determine what treatments would best meet community wildfire protection needs.  This is an outgrowth of the cooperative wildfire suppression efforts of the DNR and USFWS.

ANNUAL SAFETY REFRESHER

On March 17, 2005, Detroit Lakes WMD, in cooperation with the Minnesota DNR, presented a joint Annual Fire Safety Refresher.  A total of 47 persons attended this training.  Of this, 27 were Fish and Wildlife Service employees of Detroit Lake WMD, Tamarac NWR and Rydell NWR. These cooperative sessions were begun in 2003 and have been a corner stone in the building of a coordinated wildland fire management program in Western Minnesota.

DETROIT LAKES WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

Melvin Slough WPA/Chicog WMA prescribed burn in Western Polk county was a cooperative effort between the Detroit Lakes WMD and the DNR wildlife office in Crookston, Minn.  The prescribed burn was 1,460 acres in size.  Of this 780 acres were DNR lands, 340 acres private lands (enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program), and 340 acres of USFWS lands.  This unit had moderate amounts of dead and down fuels in decadent aspen stands as well as some logging slash.  The burn resulted in significant reduction of these heavy fuels, and the site will be used for native prairie seed harvest.  This seed will be used for ecosystem restorations on nearby USFWS, DNR and private land.

Rydell NWR is situated in western Polk County.  It lies between the towns of Mentor and Erskine and is adjacent to the lake community of Maple Lake.  The refuge removes non-native spruce and pine trees to restore the natural ecosystem and reduce wildfire potential.  This work is accomplished with the assistance of the Friends of the Rydell Refuge Association who administer a pine and spruce tree removal program. There are two facets to this program.  These are the removal of trees with a tree spade to be used as landscaping in nearby towns and the removal of trees for personal use Christmas trees.  Trees that are too large for landscape or Christmas trees are removed by mechanical means.

This is done with conventional tree harvest where the trees are used for pulp and lumber.  When the trees are unsuited for harvest as wood or pulp they are cut and piled for burning.

TAMARAC NWR

Tamarac NWR is located in Eastern Becker County and is a mixture of hardwoods and pines.  Management practices include tree harvest and prescribed fire for pine regeneration and fuel reduction.  With assistance from Detroit Lakes WMD, Rydell NWR, Agassiz NWR, DNR Forestry and the Bear River Module, Tamarac NWR completed the North River Road prescribed burn.  This 60 acre prescribed burn significantly reduced fuel loads of Jack pine slash leftover from a year 2002 Jack pine harvest. The slash and duff removal will also facilitate meeting the long-term habitat goal for the stand which is Jack Pine regeneration.

HAMDEN SLOUGH NWR

Hamden Slough NWR and Detroit Lakes WMD coordinated a prescribed burn within the city of Audubon.  This prescribed burn was on a 45 acres outdoor learning area owned by the Audubon School District.  Cooperators included the Audubon Fire Department which assisted in the planning and implementation of the burn. Adjacent landowners provided permission to access the burn unit and burn their lands as well.