Fire Ecology Annual Report, Southern Utah Group Fire Effects Monitoring Program: Calendar Year 2007

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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). The summer of 2007 turned out to be yet another busy season for the fire staff at Zion National Park. The Fire Effects Monitors began the season with brush plot installations followed by the Utah Prairie Dog RX at Bryce Canyon National Park. This was the only spring prescribed fire in the network and proceeded to be the extent of our time spent at Bryce this summer. The remainder of the work was in Zion where plot reads were segmented by fire suppression actions within the park. The Fire Effects crew added firefighters and fire monitors to the effort, working on both taskbooks and GIS skills. A wildfire in the Three Finger Mesa burn unit brought with it the possibility that monitoring plots would burn “in season,’ but with such a dry year and the park boundary so close, suppression actions were taken. One FMH plot, however, was burned in the West Finger Fire with positive post-burn results. CBI data was collected using appropriate methodology on the East Mesa RX of 2006. This was a learning experience as well working from start to finish on this project. The Pine Valley Peak RX at Zion in the fall was completed in two segments. The Northgate Peaks section had previously been burned in the fall of 1999 while the Lee Valley section had burned in the spring of 2000. The Pine Valley Peak RX was, therefore, a second entry maintenance burn. All 2007 plot data was entered into FEAT for the first and last time. Although the learning curve seemed a bit steep at times, it was accomplished without casualties. After weeks of working with FEAT, we are all very excited to see what FFI will bring us next season!

Fire Ecology Annual Report, Southern Utah Group Fire Effects Monitoring Program: Calendar Year 2007

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