Fire Ecology Annual Report: Calendar Year 2008; Report for VOYA, SACN, GRPO, ISRO, APIS

Weyenberg, Scott

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). During the spring of 2008 area fire staff conducted 3 prescribed burns a SACN and one at VOYA. The burns at SACN come three years after the first burn was conducted there in 2005. We were able to conduct one burn jointly on private property to maintain continuity in restoring the ecosystem. The burns took place in oak savanna, prairie and white pine forest. During 2008, I served as chairman on the Prescribed Fire and Fuels working team. The working team is part of the Minnesota Interagency Command System (MNICS) and works on prescribed fire and fuels related issues. In 2008, we finalized a revision to the Minnesota Smoke Management Plan and the Community Wide Protection Plan. Implementation plans were created for all the recent VOYA burn units. Plans were developed in December for several INDU burn units and are being reviewed by resource staff. Plans for the SACN burn units are in progress. These plans will help organize and focus treatment efforts as well as help me to track progress and treatments at parks that I service remotely. At INDU, where more than one program may conduct treatments at a site, it is hoped that these plans will help coordinate their efforts. Grand Portage almost burned their site this year but the weather was not cooperative. The main accomplishment was to get all the players together. The BIA will be conducting the burn on NPS land. This will be the case for all burns that take place in that park. The VOYA FEMP was completed in 2008. It includes sections on climate change, ecosystem restoration with prescribed fire, and desired future conditions. It is intended to be useful to fire and resource managers as well as the monitoring program. 2 A poster was presented at the Western Great Lakes Regional Conference describing the results of fire treatments at Mnoké Prairie (INDU) and the influence of precipitation on changes in cover. Voyageurs welcomed another new FMO, Scott Bressler. Scott comes to us from Ozark National Scenic River.