Management
Our forests are changing. Where we once had open stands of ponderosa pine with grass growing underneath, we now have dense, overstocked stands of spindly little trees.
In the Southwest and across the country, fire's biological effects profoundly affect forests and grasslands. Prescribed fire is used as an important natural process in a variety of forest, brush, and prairie ecosystems.
Without periodic, low-intensity fires, these ecosystems undergo rapid changes in species composition and structure that, in turn, can lead to catastrophic wildfire, or insect and disease outbreak.
Unwanted, catastrophic wildfires must be fought. Aggressive fire suppression must remain an essential cornerstone of the Forest Service mission. We must maintain and strengthen our firefighting capability because of the increasing value of national forest resources and growing private development in the wildland-urban interface.
Leveraging advanced monitoring, strategic planning, and efficient project execution, our dedicated team of highly trained professionals is committed to protecting the forest's lands, resources, and surrounding communities. Our fire management program is focused on ensuring a healthy forest for generations to come.
Prescribed Fire
Fire Management Specialists may prescribe fire to treat the forest in much the same way a doctor prescribes medicine to treat a person. When a doctor prescribes medicine, it is under very specific conditions that the medicine is taken. When a prescribed burn is implemented it is under some very specific parameters which are identified in a detailed burn plan. A burn plan provides guidelines for when and where to burn, under what conditions to burn, what objectives will be met, any benefits that may be gained, acceptable level of negative impacts, acceptable fire behavior, contingency plans for fire control, public concerns and smoke management. Also identified are the people who will be involved in the implementation of the burn and each person's role on the burn. Daily weather conditions play a key role in whether a burn can be accomplished or not. This is one reason why prescribed burns get cancelled and why it is sometimes hard to predict the exact day a burn will be implemented.
Our forests are changing. Where we once had open stands of ponderosa pine with grass growing underneath, we now have dense, overstocked stands of spindly little trees. Too many trees, not enough food and water to go around, insect and disease infestations. Our wildfires are behaving with greater fire intensity and becoming larger than they should. The more material there is to burn, the larger and more intense the wildfires will be. Fire management personnel on the Santa Fe recognize that something must be done to clean up the vegetation that has been building up for so long. Prescribed fire is a tool that fire managers can use to reduce the amount of vegetation available for catastrophic wildfires to burn and to improve the health and vitality of the forest. The consequence of not bringing prescribed fire into the system is that we can have stand replacement fires which we will not be able to control.
- Reduces fuel build-up.
- Dead wood, overcrowded, unhealthy trees, and thick layers of pine needles can all contribute to catastrophic wildfires including crown fires.
- Prepares the land for new growth.
- When excess vegetation or needle layers are burned off, nitrogen and other nutrients are released into the soil and become available for new plants to grow.
- Helps certain plants/trees germinate.
- Many native plant and forest communities have adapted to fire for their germination and growth. Seed contact with soil (such as that exposed by a fire) is necessary for some species to naturally regenerate.
- Naturally thins overcrowded forests.
- Historically, natural fire thinned the forests. Thinned forests can recover faster and are more resistant to insect and disease attacks. Currently, many of the mature forests are overcrowded, resulting in a lack of vigor and health.
- Creates diversity needed by wildlife.
- Fire provides diverse habitat for plants and animals. Grazing wildlife such as Elk and Deer benefit from new growth as shrubs produce edible leaves when re-sprouting after a fire.
- Shrub regeneration creates nesting areas for small birds and provides food from flowers and fruit for insects and small mammals.
Fire is one of the most powerful forces of nature. While fire can be devastating and frightening, it is also essential for a healthy ecosystem. Is fire our friend or our foe? The answer is not simple because it all depends... Fire is linked to many other natural resources-plants, animals, water soil and trees. Fire is also linked to you. We use fire to keep warm, to cook, to build and to create ambiance. But how do we decide when fire is beneficial and when it is devastating? Much of how we feel about fire depends on our past experiences with it. When fires destroy homes and lives, denude forests and plunder watersheds, fire is catastrophic. But fire can bring renewal to a landscape. It can create grassy meadows, grow new plants, provide food for deer and elk, thin out the trees so that the forest can become resilient and healthy.
Whether you think that fire is friend or foe, it is part of your life while living in the southwest.
The NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire provides an extensive listing of approved terms and definitions used by the NWCG community.
Regional Fire Management
Visit the Regional Fire Management website for more information about the National Prescribed Fire Program Review and new approaches to prescribed fire.