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Starvation Depression Rx burn along Refuge boundary Habitat Management Prescribed Burns Much of our effort for the next 15 years will be concentrated on returning a more natural fire regime to the ponderosa pine and dry Douglas fir forests of the Refuge through the use of prescribed burning. Many areas are overstocked with lodgepole and small ponderosa pine trees, sometimes as many as 15,000 trees per acre. A natural stocking rate would be 50-100 trees per acre. Before we can safely reintroduce fire, these high fuel areas require some form of mechanical thinning. Mechanical thinning and prescribed fire are also being used to maintain meadows and other selected open spaces. These areas provide important diversity within the Refuge landscape, but require continued maintenance to forestall encroachment by the surrounding forest. Since 1998, we have thinned 3,700 acres and 4,900 acres have been treated with prescribed burns. A combination of pre-commerical thinning, slash pile burning and prescribed burns have treated 15 miles of Refuge boundary, reducing the threat of catastrophic fires and improving wildlife habitat. Prescribed burns planned for 2008. These are proposed projects and are subject to change dependant upon weather, budget and Refuge management priorities Riparian Restoration Several riparian camp sites remain closed as part of our management plan. These areas are extremely important habitat for a variety of wildlife, and their value as habitat was compromised by the impacts associated with camping. With time, the vegetation in these sensitive sites will recover and will again provide critical wildlife habitat. Exotic Plants Exotic plants are one of the greatest threats to native wildlife habitats. Controlling the spread of noxious weeds is necessary to maintain Refuge habitat integrity. Tools used to reduce the extent and spread of weeds include mechanical, chemical, and biological treatments. |
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Photo by Dan Brauner
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