The Value of Prescribed Fire in

Colorado’s Front Range

Rob AddingtonThe Nature Conservancy

Hayman

Ecosystems of the Front Range are Fire Adapted

Passive crown firePatches of stand

torching but fire spread mainly through surface

fuels

(Mixed-severity fire regime)

Active crown fireMainly aerial fuels

involved in fire spread across landscape

(High-severity, replacement fire regime)

“Types” of Fire

Surface fireMainly surface

fuels involved in fire spread

(Low-severity fire regime)

Vegetation and Fire Regimes across Elevation Gradients in the Front Range of Colorado

Elevations in feetDrawing by Laurie HuckabyRocky Mountain Research Station

Fire rare

Infrequent, stand-replacing

Moderately frequent, mixed severity

Moderately frequent, surface fire

1899

2000

Past

Current

What is the role of prescribed fire in changing wildfire outcomes (and providing additional ecological benefits) for Colorado’s Front Range?

What can we do about it?

We are currently observing “uncharacteristically” severe fire in lower-elevation settings, with undesirable fire effects.

Prescribed fire modifies wildfire dynamics

Hayman post-fire assessment (Graham 2003):• “Prescribed fire can be

expected to moderate subsequent surface fire intensity and reduce the potential for crown fire initiation…” p. 98

• “The Hayman’s June 9 run crossed Trout Creek and Highway 67 but stopped at the edge of the Polhemus burn.” p. 108

Polhemus prescribed fire

2001

Hayman fire2002

Through reduction in surface and ladder fuels; increases in canopy base heights

Protection of seed trees for regeneration

This area burned as a surface fire in the Bobcat Gulch burn (2000); it had also burned in 1993.

Prescribed fire maintains open stand structures

Photo: Peter Brown

• Species such as ponderosa pine need post-fire conditions (reduced competition and bare mineral soil) for seedling germination and establishment

Photo: JeffersonConservationDistrict

“Site-prep” for regeneration

• Necessary for rare wildlife species that depend on old-trees and open, fire-maintained habitats

Abert’s squirrel

Northern Goshawk Photo: Audubon Society

Prescribed fire for wildlife

• Prescribed fire stimulates nutrient cycling and nutrient-rich leaf production; stimulates seed production; favors herbaceous species

Improves forage for wildlife

Skunkbrush sumac—edible berries, branches good for baskets

Mountain mahogany—very palatable to wildlife, especially sprouts

Sego Lily—edible roots

Chokecherry—edible fruit

Yucca—edible flowers and roots, leaves useful for fiber

Common useful native plants that respond favorably to burning

Prescribed fire for disease control

Dwarf mistletoe

Rusts

• Maintaining carbon in large, old trees and soils as opposed to losing carbon stores to high-severity fire

Prescribed fire for carbon sequestration

• Escapes• Smoke – health consequences, traffic

accidents• Slow recovery in low productivity

systems… may be aesthetically unappealing

• Undesirable fire effects, e.g. killing old trees in long-unburned stands… but often adjustable with burn planning, targeting weather conditions to achieve desired fire behavior, ignition patterns

Prescribed fire – the benefits are great, but not without risks

But fire will occur one way or another…

“The question before public land managers and citizens is not whether there will be fire and smoke in their future, but how they might want their fire and smoke.” Hessburg and Agee (2003)

Smoke plume, High Park firePhoto by Ben Wudtke

Colorado Prescribed Fire

Council

IntentPromote, educate and increase the appropriate use of prescribed fire in Colorado• Reduce barriers to Rx fire• Improve cooperation and coordination among burners• Disseminate technical information to practitioners• Monitor and communicate accomplishments annually

Prescribed fire initiatives in Colorado

Pikes Peak Fire Learning Network

Prescribed fire initiatives in Colorado

Acknowledgements• Thanks to Vernon Champlin and the Pikes Peak

Wildfire Prevention Partnership for hosting this workshop

• And to Peter Brown and Laurie Huckaby for providing slides for this presentation

Thank you!

Questions?