Officials to map wildfire danger

Officials to map wildfire danger

June 26, 2001

By Jim Mimiaga
Journal Staff Writer

A lingering drought over the last few years has contributed to massive wildfires in the Rocky Mountain West — a situation already sparking a repeat performance this summer.

But more effective forest management that focuses on wildfire risk will minimize future dangers to the public, protect vital ecosystems and promote timber industries, fire officials said during a meeting with the Montezuma County commissioners on Monday.

"We’re blazing the trail for the country on these efforts because this is where the fires are happening," said Mike Znerold, district ranger for the San Juan Forest Service.

A coalition of federal and state land managers discussed a new strategy for mapping out the areas in the county most prone to catastrophic fires based on individual watershed areas.

The well," Zneroln said.

"You know where those areas are that are most prone to a fire outbreak, so that is why we need to build a community plan using watershed areas," said Dan Ochocki, district forester for the Colorado State Forest Service.

"It’s either wait for fire, or manage (in order) to leave a residual stand that will eventually rejuvenate itself."

Laying the groundwork ahead of time on a specific fire plan will put the county in a good position to obtain a slice of the $1.2 billion in federal funds earmarked for forest-restoration projects aimed at reducing fire hazards nationwide, said federal-lands coordinator Mike Preston.

A group of independent scientists studying the issue has recommended that a more quantitative approach be implemented to improve forest health, said Phil Kemp, district forester for the Mancos-Dolores District.

"Instead of doing these restoration efforts project by project, we need a larger-scale analysis that considers wildlife habitats, type of treatment and the erosion and fire risks associated within each watershed," Kemp said.

The final report of the independent research group’s findings will be released in September.

Prospects for more economic development in the foundering timber industry were touted as an advantage of the upcoming studies.

"A key thing identified is the relationship between dealing with hazardous fuels and timber sales. They both fit together well," Znerold said.

But attention needs to be given to the use of controlled burns on piñon-juniper forests, said Commissioner Gene Story. The slow-growing trees take up to 100 years to fully rejuvenate after a fire, so burning them too much could be an economic risk.

"That is a critical stand of timber that may be disappearing, so that is a dilemma," Story said. "We need to keep in mind short-term needs."

A lack of available timber contractors is a problem right now, Ochocki said. But the problem should solve itself once a plan is in place that attracts federal funding slated for more timber jobs.

It was noted that creating clearings within thick stands of piñon and pine is often preferable to controlled burns. Creating meadows without fire helps create forage and refuge for wildlife, and preserves tree seeds otherwise destroyed by controlled burns.

Reducing the potential of erosion caused by wildfire into watersheds is also critical, the group said. The upper Dolores watershed, which drains into McPhee Reservoir, was cited as a major concern for erosion danger.

Private lands with thick, fire-prone forests are out of the jurisdiction of federal and state land managers. Therefore, a public education campaign will also be part of the planning process to encourage fire breaks and forest-thinning around private structures, and to raise fire-danger awareness in general.

A small wildfire that originated from a Dolores mill in the spring of 2000 was cited as an example of the need for increased education efforts. Had that fire occurred in August, it would have tripled in size, officials speculated, and had established prevention measures been in place, it might have been squelched early on.

A series of meetings will be scheduled this summer to gather information on high-risk areas and to take public comment. After that a comprehensive fire-risk plan will be drawn up by local-government representatives to be presented in the fall.