Adaptation Action Plan For Fire from Learning to Live with the Heat: Adapting to a Changing Climate in the Sky Island Region May 21-22, 2013

Transcription

1 Adaptation Action Plan For Fire from Learning to Live with the Heat: Adapting to a Changing Climate in the Sky Island Region May 21-22, 2013 Report by Louise Misztal July 2013

2 Adaptation Action Plan for Fire Working Group The underlying goals for the Fire Working Group and Adaptation Action Plan were: manage for ecosystem resilience (returning to a functional state) to ease transition and avoid abrupt changes; and prevent catastrophic post-fire fallout. The primary mechanisms for achieving this goal were identified to be: Treatment of whole watersheds Targeted restoration Prevention of catastrophic fires Prevention of catastrophic post-fire fallout keep the soil on the ground, but not to the detriment of systems that need scouring floods Full implementation of FireScape and Pinaleño Ecosystem Restoration Project Collaborative effort to educate communities, stakeholders, and media on the role of fire in ecosystems (reduce fear factor) Creation of a community of practice that encourages collaboration Creation of a climate-informed toolbox Development of effective reforestation efforts and seeding guidelines Observed, Measured, Predicted Changes of Concern Climate impacts of concern to ecosystems affected by fire in the Sky Island region include increased temperature and increases in extreme hot and cold events that affect fire-season start and length, fuel loading and moisture, and post-fire regeneration, and altered precipitation patterns (more drought, more intense rain events) that affect fire behavior and post-fire effects. Vulnerabilities Increasing temperature and decreasing water availability that changes fuel moisture Increased demand for water for human uses Decreased water availability for the environment and for firefighting Earlier onset of fire season and longer season High/altered fuel loads in some areas due to previous fire suppression Increased intensity of storms affecting fire behavior (e.g. more violent winds) Slow speed of implementation of collaborative pre-fire treatment projects Increase in catastrophic fires Focus (time/money) on the Wildland Urban Interface to the detriment of other areas Rapid pace of climatic changes Geographic isolation of Sky Islands Competition for space and resources post-fire (wildlife) Invasive species- changing the fire regime and behavior (e.g. buffelgrass) Invasive species coming into habitat post-fire Absence of defined triggers/tipping points for management changes Lack of budget/funding for pre-fire treatment and post-fire restoration

3 Adaptation Goal: Prevent catastrophic fires, slow rate of change to give ecosystems time to adapt. Manage public lands for healthy ecosystems and wildlife as well as keeping them open to recreation. Adaptation Strategy: Identify priority pre-fire treatment areas based on resource values. Identify key areas and how we want them to be managed through forest plan revision and other collaborative planning processes. Develop common visions for desired future conditions for these areas (e.g. are we trying to preserve what we have now, or is the goal different?) Identify and define areas where thinning of fuels at high elevations will have the most beneficial effects across a broader area. Use fire models (Integrated Lands Assessment) for proactive analysis of fire effects potential in these areas. Expand fire treatment criteria to include other resources beyond public safety and structures. Lead: US Forest Service FireScape Partners Integrated Landscape Assessment Program Public (Forest Plan Revision) Forest Stakeholders Conservation groups Schedule of Activities: Short-term Engagement in the Coronado Forest Plan revision to include priority values and resources and management (fall of 2013). Progress on FireScape compliance completion and implementation. Long-term Reassess management objectives at the next forest plan revision. Inclusion of specific values and management parameters in planning. Post-fire assess resource condition against desired conditions for priority areas. Adaptation Strategy: Identify and implement lower cost approaches to increase feasibility of pre-fire restoration treatments for larger part of the landscape. Take advantage of situations when there are crews on deck for fires to do large-scale restoration/thinning.

4 Plan out incident response ahead of time for upper watershed areas. Get FireScape and NEPA compliance in place. Less fire suppression - take advantage of fires that do happen. Ensure focal areas of pre-fire treatment occur in priority areas first based on resource values (see above strategy). Create economic opportunities for forest products. US Forest Service Other land management agencies Volunteer-based organizations Conservation organizations Local communities and markets Upon completion of restoration methodologies guidebook monitor use of the guidebook through website hits, downloads and a survey. Adaptation Strategy: Full Implementation of FireScape. Complete analysis and compliance for FireScape. Identify funding mechanisms and partners for implementation of restoration treatments. Leads: U.S. Forest Service University of Arizona Southwest Fire Science Consortium Neighboring jurisdictions and Land Management Agencies (BLM, NPS, Pima County, etc.) Funding partners (e.g Turkey Federation) Conduct planned treatments. Schedule for Activities Short-term Santa Catalina Ecosystem Management Area completion of FireScape planning/compliance Completion of analysis for Galiuro and Chiricahua FireScape Treatment initiation in the Pinaleño and Huachuca FireScape areas Medium-term Finish FireScape planning and compliance for the full Coronado National Forest. Identify ongoing funding streams to implement treatments.

5 Monitoring number of acres treated. Ideally monitor efficacy of treatments to inform ongoing efforts. Assess effects on priority values and resources. Adaptation Strategy: Treat whole watersheds, expand pre-fire treatment beyond the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). Safety in the WUI depends on areas beyond the WUI. Look at what others have done in other parts of the country (burning near WUI) Incorporate Wilderness and other areas beyond the WUI into fire-treatment planning. Adaptation Strategy: Implement the Pinaleño Ecosystem Restoration Project. Conduct planned treatments. Develop stewardship agreements with partner organizations. Conduct Mexican Spotted Owl and Mt. Graham Red Squirrel monitoring. Lead: Coronado National Forest Partners/Resources: Citizen Scientists to implement monitoring (birds and phenology, lizards) Habitat partnership committee grants. Arizona Game and Fish Department US Fish and Wildlife Service Turkey Federation Sky Island Alliance Tribes Schedule for Activities Short-term Initiate monitoring of resources ahead of planned PERP treatments for Monitor restoration effectiveness, impacts on wildlife and priority resources, and look at cost/benefit of restoration approaches. Adaptation Strategy: Educate community, stakeholders, and media on the role and benefits of fire in ecosystem (reduce fear factor) get the public on board to let some fires burn.

6 Develop public education about fire interpret contradictory messages regarding fire being bad yet also good depending. Educate landowners and stakeholders on fire effects. Keep messages fresh to keep people engage and keep it consistent. Educate the media about the benefits of fire and encourage a holistic view. Get public onboard to let some fires burn. Re-envision Smokey the Bear fire is good but don t start it yourself. US Forest Service Community stakeholders Urban and rural communities near public lands Conservation organizations? Adaptation Goal: Prevent catastrophic post-fire fallout, keep the soil on the ground Adaptation Strategy: Ensure appropriate plant materials are available for post-fire restoration. Identify plants/seeds with genetic plasticity. Take advantage of in-situ materials the Pinaleño Mountains (USFS) have 5 seed zones present. Increase native seed inventories. Evaluate current seeding guidelines and limitations, and look at post-fire seeding success. Plant Materials Centers USFS Children s Forest Nursery Other Conservation Organizations Volunteer-based organizations USFS Research Stations Others? Monitor restoration effectiveness and look at cost/benefit of restoration approaches.

7 Adaptation Strategy: Identify Best Management Practices (BMPs) for watershed health pre- and post-fire. Create inventory of existing flora and fauna and species distributions Evaluate window for prescribed burning. Look at current BMPs and reassess for different climate change scenarios. Identify defined triggers/tipping points for management changes. Get FireScape and NEPA compliance in place. Engage volunteers/citizen scientists in monitoring photo points. Develop early warning systems to detect areas of disturbance, can use USFS aerial photos that are taken periodically (e.g. USFS Eastern Threats Assessment). Utilize satellite imagery and track onset of spring to determine prescribed burning windows shift as necessary. Create effective coordination between agencies. Leads: U.S. Forest Service University of Arizona and FireScape science team Neighboring jurisdictions and Land Management Agencies (BLM, NPS, Pima County, etc.) Tribes (interest in partnering across boundaries sharing resources). Sonoran Joint Venture (database) The Nature Conservation Other Conservation Organizations Volunteer-based organizations USFS Research Stations Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative Climate Science Centers Schedule for Activities Short-term Complete FireScape planning, initiate inventories, examine current BMPs. Medium-term Use monitoring information to re-examine BMPs. Monitor pre and post fire for species presence - what has changed; monitor phenologies to evaluate prescribed burning windows. Burned Area Emergency Response has 3-year effectiveness monitoring. Additional Strategies and Activities for Consideration: Increase confidence in precipitation models through scenario assessments for precipitation. Herd landscapes into vegetation state that are more resilient and sustainable (burn parameters may change).

8 Ensure the Burned Area Emergency Response is climate-informed. Use seasonal outlook models to test management expectations on a shorter cycle. Manage buffelgrass it brings fire from urban areas to wild areas (and vice versa) and into the lower vegetation communities that are not fire-adapted. Additional Science and Research Needs Monitoring of spring onset of fire season. Increase understanding of the fire-landscape interaction. The climate that the forests evolved under is different from the current and future climate. Understand long term impacts to wildlife species which will do well and which will have trouble? Understand post-fire impacts to individual species and what the long-term trends might be. Working Group Members Shari Ketcham, Coronado National Forest Chad Ketcham, Oregon State University Jennifer Jennings, Logan Simpson Design Inc Susan Wethington, Hummingbird Monitoring Network Katy Brown, Pima Community College Brooke Gebow, The Nature Conservancy Daniel Patterson, SW Chapter Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility Holly Hartmann, University of Arizona Chris Jones, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Gila County Shalonda Guy, Coronado National Forest Sheridan Stone, Ft Huachuca Carolyn Enquist, National Phenology Network/Wildlife Conservation Society Heidi Schewell, Coronado National Forest Jennifer Ruyle, Coronado National Forest Marc Stamer, Coronado National Forest Ann Youberg, Arizona Geological Survey Craig Wilson, Coronado National Forest Sharon Biedenbender, Coronado National Forest Selso Villegas, Tohono O odham Nation George Ferguson, University of Arizona Acasia Berry, Sky Island Alliance Carianne Campbell, Sky Island Alliance Louise Misztal, Sky Island Alliance Aaron Lien, Water Resources Research Center David Hodges, Cuenca Los Ojos Yolanda Morris, Wilburforce Foundation