Management
Fire & Fuels Management
Fire Management
Fire Management for the forest consists of Fire Staff located in Anchorage with the Fire Management for the districts being located at the Kenai Lake Work Center near Seward on the Kenai Peninsula. Fire Management for the districts consist of a Fire Management Officer, Assistant Fire Management Officer, one Type 6 engine, a Fuels Module (with engine as needed), a prevention person, and multiple red carded individuals from other departments from the various districts on the forest that assist on fires when needed. In addition to Initial Attack on the local forest, personnel from the districts and from the Tongass National Forest are joined together to form the R10 Type 2IA crew that assists with fires as needed across Alaska and in the lower 48. Local area fire season generally begins around the first portion of May and goes into July/August dependent upon weather.
The Chugach FAM program revolves around a recreation driven forest which has a high severity, low frequency fire return interval. These aspects heavily impact the FAM organization because of responsibilities involving in the Forest Aviation Program and the Forest Dispatch Program. The frequency of unplanned wildfire continues to challenge the associated risks as it fosters complacently amongst forest users despite an increase in larger fire events such as Swan Lake, which threatened communities within jurisdictional and protection boundaries. That boundary includes a single highway system that provides ingress and egress on and off the Kenai Peninsula which sustains communities along that footprint. This Highway, road system and infrastructure also provide and extensive amount of recreational opportunities which is only exasperated during the summer tourist, fishing and hunting seasons. These elements are what represents the risk associated with unplanned wildfire and all risk incidents on the Chugach National Forest.
Fire Management occurs under a Statewide Master Cooperative Agreement and corresponding Annual Operating Plan which both incorporate the Alaska Statewide Fire Management Plan. Critical, Full, Modified and Limited protection areas have a pre-identified management response which corresponds to the identified value at risk. Relationships with Alaska Division of Forestry, Kenai/Kodiak Area and the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge are excellent and are connected through an “All Lands All Hands” group which focuses on wildfire hazard mitigation and includes several local partners.
The FAM organization is currently organized and supervised at two different levels on the Chugach. Fire Staff, which is supervised by the Forest Supervisor and Zone Staff which is supervised by a single Line Officer. This small organization provides services to the zone which includes the Cordova, Glacier and Seward Ranger Districts which also happen to represent the entire Forest.
The Chugach averages about 10 unplanned wildfires a year. Numerous prevention actions limit what could be quantified as escaped campfires. While the average size of wildfires is less than an acre in size, the resistance to control can vary by fuel type and depth of fuel bed. This factor can extend the duration of unplanned events in fuels which continue to change and challenge first responders. The Chugach has experienced an uptick of unplanned wildfire events in Prince William Sound which directly correlates to increased recreational use. The seasonality of wildfire events on the Chugach continues to increase in duration due to temperature warming. More variabilities in seasonal weather patterns continue to foster fuel and weather conditions which quickly change. Most unplanned wildfire events occur within full and critical protection levels. These fire management options highlight critical values at risk which tie to the protection of human life and property.
FFMO
Erick Stahlin
Anchorage, Alaska
907-240-1208
DFMO
Unfilled
Moose Pass, AK
907-288-7732
AFMO
Timothy Spencer
Moose Pass, AK
907-288-7734
Fuels Management
Chugach forests consists of a wide variety of tree species. Much of the forest consists of Lutz/Sitka spruce, most of which don’t contribute to large devastating fires.
However, around communities and recreation areas of the Kenai, black/white spruce which contribute to large fire growth. The forest maintains a consistent fuels crew and brings in additional help when needed.
Recently the spruce bark beetle pandemic has contributed to large clusters of spruce mortality. This in turn has increased the potential for wildland fires.
Current fuels treatment is being implemented in and around the Russian River Campground area starting in 2020.
News Releases
Change is Happening at the Russian River Campground
​ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – April 8, 2021
- Visitors to the popular Chugach National Forest Russian River Campground will see fewer trees and more open areas when they arrive at the campground this year. More...
Contact Information:
AFMO-Fuels
Timothy Spencer
Moose Pass, AK
907-288-7734
Fuels Lead
Phillip Ingersol
Moose Pass, AK
907-288-7735