Fire Rehabilitation Program
Fire Rehabilitation Program |
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The 1996 wildfires on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) resulted in the loss of perennial vegetation over large areas of arid and semi-arid ecosystems in Utah. Rehabilitation of these lands became a public issue when various groups disagreed on whether treatment methods disturbed cultural resource values or whether the burned sites even required treatment. Several issues were discussed with the Resource Advisory Council (RAC), who then formed a Subgroup to look into the matter and provide direction to the State Director. On November 7, 1997, the RAC met in Provo to discuss the Subgroup Report on Fire Rehabilitation. After reviewing the report, and following much discussion, the RAC adopted the following eight recommendations for submission to the BLM State Director: Issue #1 - Vegetative
Rehabilitation and Management of a Burned Area
The main objective of fire rehabilitation must be the protection of the basic resources of soil, plants, and water. If an adequate perennial plant community is in place at the time of burning the normal succession process should be allowed. When a sufficient understory is lacking, or the existing plant community is judged likely not to recover naturally, there will be a need for seeding. The establishment of a perennial community is essential for
preventing the establishment of exotic annual weeds.
It is critical that seeding be completed within the window of opportunity for annuals will
likely dominate the site and fire frequency and intensity will be drastically altered. It
is imperative that desirable species be established so that primary weeds, like cheatgrass
and other secondary weeds do not invade and cause further site degradation.
Funding and resources should be provided to better evaluate and monitor rehabilitation projects. When selecting personnel to participate in fire rehabilitation projects, emphasis should be placed on the experience and practical knowledge of potential team members. Because fire rehabilitation expertise can be spread thin in major fire years, additional training must be provided so that well qualified individuals are always available for fire rehabilitation planning and implementation. Training should include the selection of plant species adapted to specific sites, methods of seeding, ecological site evaluations, etc. Current information should be assembled, updated and made available to field personnel. Managers should be encouraged to attend symposia and workshops specifically related to this subject. Fire management should be included in the land use planning
process and monitoring should be a major part of rehabilitation plans.
Seeds of most species must be covered in order to assure establishment. Depending on terrain, soil and moisture conditions, rehabilitation of wildfires, using suitable seed mixtures, may include drilling seed, broadcasting seed without covering it, broadcasting seed and dragging a chain to cover it, and using livestock to stir the soil and cover the seed. Since drilling is a very effective method, BLM should purchase and have available state of the art range drills. The chain can be used to achieve rehabilitation objectives in a cost effective and practical manner when large acreages, and areas of burned trees and shrubs are to be treated. On rocky soils, harsh or steep slopes where plant establishment is critical for controlling erosion, dragging a chain over burned and seeded areas is a suitable technique for covering the seed. For the purposes of this report, which deals exclusively
with fire rehabilitation, a distinction has been made between the chaining of live
vegetation and covering seed on areas where trees and shrubs have been killed by fire.
Areas of live vegetation should be avoided when using a chain to cover seed.
Guideline #5 of Utah's Standards for Rangeland Health and Guidelines for Grazing Management (May 1997) addresses this issue and states, "The use and perpetuation of native species will be emphasized. However, when restoring or rehabilitating disturbed or degraded rangelands non-intrusive, non-native plant species are appropriate for use where native species (a) are not available, (b) are not economically feasible, (c) cannot achieve ecological objectives as well as non-native species, and/or (d) cannot compete with already established non-native species." While native species are preferred and should be used where
feasible, the major concern must be to maintain ecologically functioning perennial plant
communities. Seeded species should be selected for ease of establishment, seedling vigor
and persistence in the community. Emphasis should be placed on those plants that are best
suited for the site in question. A preinventory of expected needs and a proactive program
of encouraging the collection and storage of native seed should result in quantities
adequate for a "normal" fire year at reasonable cost. Species selection must be
made at the local level by qualified personnel on a site specific basis.
A reasonable and good faith effort must be made to identify any cultural resources that may be impacted by the proposed action and which may be eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. The potential impact of fire rehabilitation must be considered. On large burns, field methodologies should be streamlined. Location, external site boundaries, and a brief characterization should be emphasized. The use of all available human resources provides choices that have benefits and drawbacks. Use of each should be considered on a case-by-case basis. Small acreage can be handled with in-house personnel and qualified volunteers. On large fires, BLM should rely on contract efforts. More reliance should be made on 0re-fire contract packages. It may be possible to determine that certain areas, usually defined by landform or environmental condition, exhibit a paucity of eligible properties. Once these areas are identified, and spot field checked, inventory standards may be reduced or waived, with the approval of the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO). Sampling, or class II probabilistic inventory, may be
appropriate in limited circumstances.
Cultural Resources significance should be guided by predetermined research questions. Field surveyors should be able to describe why a particular cultural resource is significant. On questionable sites, significance should be determined by limited sub-surface testing (such as, shovel scoop or test pit), if time allows. Significant sites should be avoided or negotiated with SHPO. Legally, a cultural resource, site, or property has significance if it is eligible for inclusion on the National Register. At a minimum, determination of eligibility must be reached in consultation between the federal agency and SHPO. A narrative report must be prepared, and a site record must be prepared for each resource. Efficiencies could be gained by determining in advance what
cultural sites might be considered eligible. This process will help balance the needs of
cultural resource protection and preservation against the needs of natural resource
conservation.
Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and cooperative agreements could be developed to anticipate resource activities, including emergency fire rehabilitation. BLM is legally mandated to coordinate and consult with Native Americans, on the full range of land management activities, to determine whether or not agency actions will impact tribal values, religion, culture, and/or other interests. BLM should be pro-active and do this before the fires. BLM must contact, coordinate and consult with tribes on the nature and potential impacts of proposed actions and consider tribal input, views, and concerns. This government-to-government relationship requires exercise of due respect to the needs of each tribe and must be based on credibility and trust. BLM should learn more about tribal concerns, beliefs, needs, and how tribal interests are affected by land management decisions. BLM should not wait until it is determined that
rehabilitation is needed, but should notify the affected tribe at the time of any wildfire
whose size is likely to require rehabilitation. The tribe would be better informed and
this would alert them to potential needs for their input for rehabilitation and
consultation with BLM managers.
Determinations on how to treat an archaeological or historical site should be made by BLM in consultation with SHPO, the President's Advisory Council, interested parties and Indian tribes. Studies should continue that will determine if sites are more likely to be damaged by rehabilitation procedures or by the natural erosional process and vandalism on sites where re-seeding is not aggressively conducted. These studies should take into account soil type, slope, and other factors.
Introduction
/ Fire Rehab Primer / Photo Story
/ Myths vs Facts / RAC Recommendations
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Resource Advisory Council (RAC) 
