Fire Ecology Annual Report: Calendar Year 2009; Saguaro National Park

Grissom, Perry

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). Fire activity at Saguaro NP was slow, with one lightning-caused fire managed for resource benefit burning 62 acres. It burned into the Chimenea WFU fire of 2008. A 54-acre, human-caused fire burned 23 acres on Tumacacori NHP. The fire torched out patches of salt cedar on private land, but salt cedar removal on the park probably helped reduce fire behavior and fire size. Lightning started a 0.1-acre fire at Coronado NM, which was promptly extinguished by Forest Service firefighters. Two hazard reduction prescribed burns were conducted at Coronado NM. The first (11 acres) was conducted just south and east of the visitor center. The second was 37 acres and conducted near two homes on inholdings. That burn was in Lehmann lovegrass and was treated post-burn with herbicide in an effort to reduce that non-native species and restore native grasses. Pile burning was conducted Tuzigoot NM and Tumacacori NHP (both mainly salt cedar piles). Mexican spotted owl monitoring was conducted by park staff and USFS Santa Catalina Ranger District biologist Josh Taiz. Four trips were made, and owls were found in each of the four PAC’s checked. A nestling was observed in one PAC (Figure 3). Participating from Resources were Natasha Kline and Mike Ward, and from Fire were Perry Grissom, James Leckie, and Kevin Parrish.

Fire Ecology Annual Report: Calendar Year 2009; Saguaro National Park

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