Landscape Treatment Prioritization to Reduce Northern Spotted Owl Habitat Loss from Wildfire: A Test Case Using Fire Regime and Condition Class on the Klamath RDDr. Gregg Riegel, Ecologist, Central Oregon Ecology Program, Deschutes NF

Co-authors: Jane Kertis, Fire Ecologist, USFS

Sarah Malaby, Fremont-Winema NF

John Foster, Fire Ecologist, TNC

Lois Shoemaker, Bio. Tech, Fremont-Winem, NF

District IssuesDistrict Issues

Loss of bald eagle habitatLoss of bald eagle habitat Threats of catastrophic fire Threats of catastrophic fire

to spotted owl habitatto spotted owl habitat Loss of variable stand and Loss of variable stand and

landscape composition and landscape composition and structurestructure

Project GoalsProject Goals

Develop strategic plan to reduce fuels to improve landscape resiliency

Restore landscape to appropriate appropriate composition and structure to support owls and bald eagles

ProcessProcess Conduct FRCC mapping/analysisConduct FRCC mapping/analysis

Develop a current fire risk assessmentDevelop a current fire risk assessment

Identify other issues (WUI, nest site/key Identify other issues (WUI, nest site/key owl and bald eagle habitat, fish habitat)owl and bald eagle habitat, fish habitat)

Create priority areasCreate priority areas

Recommend treatment types and timingRecommend treatment types and timing

FRCC MappingFRCC MappingCondition ClassCondition Class

1. Vegetation-fuel class1. Vegetation-fuel class

2. Fire frequency/severity2. Fire frequency/severity

FRCC Mapping:FRCC Mapping: Vegetation Fuel Classes Vegetation Fuel Classes

1. Determine PNVGs/BPS1. Determine PNVGs/BPS

2. Define appropriate “landscapes”2. Define appropriate “landscapes”

3. Crosswalk current vegetation to seral 3. Crosswalk current vegetation to seral stagestage

4. Field verification of seral stages4. Field verification of seral stages

6. Compare reference to current 6. Compare reference to current

FRCC MappingFRCC MappingDetermine Biophysical SettingsDetermine Biophysical Settings

From: 16 From: 16 Plant Plant AssociationAssociationss

To: 2To: 2BiophysicaBiophysicalSettingslSettings

Red fir-----

Mixed conifer-----

FRCC Mapping:FRCC Mapping: Define Appropriate Define Appropriate

LandscapesLandscapesLandscape size Landscape size considerations:considerations:

•Historical fire Historical fire sizessizes

•Landform and Landform and TopographyTopography

•Watershed Watershed boundariesboundaries

Crosswalk Current Crosswalk Current Vegetation to Seral StageVegetation to Seral Stage

Size ClassSize Class CanopCanopy y CoverCover

SeraSeral l CodeCode

Seral StageSeral Stage

Non-forestNon-forest NANA AA Post-replacementPost-replacement

Sapling/Pole, Sapling/Pole, SmallSmall

> 40%> 40% BB Mid-ClosedMid-Closed

Sapling/Pole, Sapling/Pole, SmallSmall

< 40%< 40% CC Mid-OpenMid-Open

Medium, Large, Medium, Large, Really BigReally Big

< 40%< 40% DD Late-OpenLate-Open

Medium, Large, Medium, Large, Really BigReally Big

> 40%> 40% EE Late-ClosedLate-Closed

FRCC MappingFRCC Mapping Field Verification of Seral Field Verification of Seral

StagesStages

Field verification of:Field verification of:

Plant Association to Plant Association to PNVGPNVG

Current vegetation Current vegetation attributes (size attributes (size class, canopy cover)class, canopy cover)

Current seral stagesCurrent seral stages

Mixed Conifer Seral Mixed Conifer Seral StagesStages

B. Mid Seral Closed

E. Late Seral Closed

E. Late Seral Closed

C. Mid Seral Open

Red Fir Seral StagesRed Fir Seral Stages

B. Mid Seral Closed E. Late Seral Closed

E. Late Seral Closed

FRCC CurrentFRCC Current Seral Stage Distribution Seral Stage Distribution

FRCC Veg-Fuel AnalysisFRCC Veg-Fuel AnalysisMixed ConiferMixed Conifer

North Middle South

Seral Stage

Reference

Current

SIM Current SIM Current SIM

A 5 14 5 6 5 15 5

B 15 25 15 44 15 26 15

C 35 21 21 19 19 34 34

D 40 6 6 4 4 3 3

E 5 34 5 27 5 22 5

SUM 52 48 62

DEP 48 52 38

VF-CC 2 2 2

FRCC Veg-Fuel AnalysisFRCC Veg-Fuel AnalysisRed FirRed Fir

North Middle

South

Seral Stage

Reference

Current

SIM Current

SIM Current

SIM

A 10 9 9 3 3 9 9

B 10 24 10 18 10 8 8

C 5 16 5 8 5 13 5

D 40 7 7 5 5 5 5

E 35 44 35 66 35 65 35

SUM 66 58 62

DEP 34 42 38

VF-CC 2 2 2

Condition ClassCondition Class

A categorical measure of departure:A categorical measure of departure:

Condition Class I =Condition Class I =within natural or historical range of within natural or historical range of variability (NRV or HRV)variability (NRV or HRV)

Condition Class II =Condition Class II =moderate departure from HRVmoderate departure from HRV

Condition Class III =Condition Class III =extreme departureextreme departure

0% 25% 75%-25%-75%% diff

Similar Over-represented

AbundantUnder-represented

Trace

Relative amount

Using FRCC Veg-Fuel Class Using FRCC Veg-Fuel Class Abundance as Treatment Abundance as Treatment

GuidanceGuidanceNorth Middle South

Seral MCON RFIR MCON RFIR MCON RFIR

A Over Similar Similar Trace

Abundant

Similar

B Over Over Over Over Over Similar

C Under Abundant

Under Over Similar Over

D Trace Trace Trace Trace

Trace Trace

E Abundant

Similar Abundant

Over Abundant

Over

FRCC Mapping:FRCC Mapping: Fire Frequency Fire Frequency and and

Severity Condition ClassSeverity Condition Class

Used local fire history information to Used local fire history information to determine reference frequency and determine reference frequency and severity for each PNVGseverity for each PNVG

Calculated MFI—(# of fires-1/100) to Calculated MFI—(# of fires-1/100) to determine current fire frequency..determine current fire frequency..

Used expert knowledge to determine Used expert knowledge to determine current fire severity. Current fire current fire severity. Current fire severities estimated at 75% compared severities estimated at 75% compared to reference mixed conifer 5%, red fir to reference mixed conifer 5%, red fir 10%10%

Current Fire Risk Current Fire Risk AssessmentAssessment

3 Components:3 Components:

1.1. Probability of ignitionProbability of ignition

2.2. Fire behavior potentialFire behavior potential

3.3. Composite fire riskComposite fire risk

Probability of IgnitionProbability of Ignition

Fire atlas records from Fire atlas records from 1960-20011960-2001

Used sections as cell sizeUsed sections as cell size

Counted all human Counted all human caused (excluding caused (excluding equipment) and lightning equipment) and lightning ignitionsignitions

Rated low (0-4 Rated low (0-4 fires/section/40 yrs); fires/section/40 yrs); moderate (5-10 fires); moderate (5-10 fires); high (> 10 fires)high (> 10 fires)

Fire Behavior PotentialFire Behavior Potential Used extreme (95tUsed extreme (95thh

percentile) weather percentile) weather conditionsconditions

Created fuel model and Created fuel model and slope class layersslope class layers

Ran BEHAVE and populated Ran BEHAVE and populated coveragecoverage

Used flame length to rate Used flame length to rate low (0-4 ft), moderate (5-8 low (0-4 ft), moderate (5-8 ft) or high (> 8 ft) fire ft) or high (> 8 ft) fire behavior riskbehavior risk

Calculated crown fire Calculated crown fire potential using flame length potential using flame length and seral stage/PNVG and seral stage/PNVG designationsdesignations

Surface fire------Crown Surface fire------Crown firefire

Other IssuesOther Issues

Wildland urban interfaceWildland urban interface Bald eagle land management unitBald eagle land management unit Spotted owl nestsSpotted owl nests Late successional reservesLate successional reserves Spotted owl core sites outside of Spotted owl core sites outside of

LSRsLSRs Fish (sucker and bull trout) habitatFish (sucker and bull trout) habitat

Create Priority AreasCreate Priority AreasWildlife Fuels/fire

Multi-Resource

Treat Priority AreasTreat Priority Areas

FRCC identifies amount seral FRCC identifies amount seral stages area deviating from stages area deviating from reference conditons (reference conditons (WHAT)WHAT)

Current fire risk identifies key Current fire risk identifies key “hot spots” from ignition and “hot spots” from ignition and fire behavior risk (fire behavior risk (WHEREWHERE))

Other issues help determine Other issues help determine WHEREWHERE and and HOWHOW to treat to treat landscapelandscape

Next StepsNext Steps1. 1. Determine schedule for treating high Determine schedule for treating high

priority blockspriority blocks

2. Begin NEPA process2. Begin NEPA process

Use information from FRCC to guide Use information from FRCC to guide how much and what kinds of stands how much and what kinds of stands to treat to treat

Run FARSITE/FLANMAP to determine Run FARSITE/FLANMAP to determine best placement of multi-resource best placement of multi-resource treatmentstreatments