Fire Ecology Annual Report: Calendar Year 2012; Southern Great Lakes Area (INDU, LIBO, SLBE, & CUVA)
Fisher-Dunham M and Weyenberg S. Fire Ecology Annual Report: Calendar Year 2012; Southern Great Lakes Area (INDU, LIBO, SLBE, & CUVA)
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). This was the 15th year of the fire effects program at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (INDU). This year’s staff included one permanent and three seasonal positions. The crew is responsible for the monitoring at INDU and three other parks: Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CUVA), Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial (LIBO) and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE). In addition, the INDU Fire Effects crew has for the last two years assisted with monitoring at Voyageurs (VOYA) and St. Croix (SACN). At INDU, 13 prescribed burns were completed this calendar year; eight in the spring and five in the fall. Five additional units were burned during an active spring 2012 wildfire season.At CUVA, their first prescribed burn was completed and monitoring was initiated in four units.At LIBO, three prescribed burns were scheduled but were not completed. Piles were burned at SLBE in the spring as part of a fuel treatment project. As the project is continuing, pending funding. It is expected that more piles will be burned at SLBE next year. In December, the Lead received notice that her application for an Albright Wirth grant was awarded. The grant money will fund specialized botany training for Fire Effects and Wetland Restoration crews. See Training section below for details. As with many of the FE programs across the country, the monitoring program at INDU will be cut by approximately 50% for the 2013 FY. This will increase the lead’s furlough and decrease the seasonal staff from three persons to two as well as reduce their payperiods.