Northeast Region, Fire Ecology Annual Report: Calendar Year 2007

Author unknown

A summary of fire ecology activities and program information for the Park/network including fire effects plot workload, staffing, management objectives and monitoring results, and planning, fire monitoring, communications, and research. Also included are staff accomplishments/areas of focus, future program direction and other optional information (e.g. data analysis graphics or presentations, annual highlights, publications, program challenges, unique solutions to problems, collaboration, photographs of monitoring/fire activities, and suggestions on FFI). In 2007, the Northeast Region Fire Effects Monitoring Crew, based at Shenandoah National Park, collected data at four parks and participated in several prescribed burns across the NPS Northeast Region. Data were collected at Fredericksburg, Richmond, Saratoga, and Shenandoah. The crew also assisted with pre- and post-burn data collection and burn-day monitoring at Cape Cod National Seashore, which has its own research/monitoring program. Antietam was dropped from the program; Appomattox is expected to take Antietam’s place next year. The Fire Ecologist completed compliance on George Washington Birthplace’s and Thomas Stone’s FMP EAs and wrote and finalized the FONSIs, attended DO-12 and Section 106 training, participated in LANDFIRE modeling, and continues to represent Shenandoah in the Central Appalachian Fire Learning Network. Monitoring Plans for Richmond and Saratoga are mostly complete and are beginning the final review process. The Lead Monitor continued to work with programmers developing and testing the FFI software, attended READ training at Yosemite, and completed the USDA Graduate School’s Aspiring Leader Program. We were both very busy on initial attack fires in the park during the summer season.