Presented by: Captain Frank Bigelow, CAL FIRE January 09, 2016

Transcription

1 Presented by: Captain Frank Bigelow, CAL FIRE January 09, 2016

2 CAL FIRE Video 2015 Review & History Current Drought Update Beetle Infestation Findings Summary Telegraph Fire Mariposa ,091 Acres

3

4 Triangle Fire 60 Acres Mariposa County Sky Fire 320 Acres Madera County Corrine Fire 980 Acres Madera County Willow Fire 5620 Acres Madera County McCabe Fire 1730 Acres Merced County

5 Madera - Merced - Mariposa ECC 2015 Stats Agency Total Calls Battalion Total Calls Fire Type Percentage Atwater City 3, Veg Fire 1.30% Dos Palos City ,145 Structure Fire 1.00% Gustine City ,305 Other Fires 12.40% Livingston City ,242 Medical Aids 74.60% Madera City 2, ,837 Haz-Mat/FMS 2.70% 13 2,292 Pub/SVC Other 8.00% Madera County 4, ,509 Merced County 8, ,839 Mariposa County 1, ,055 MPUD 1, , ,320 25,847 Total Incidents for 2015 last year we ended at 23,280 increase of 2,147 incidents Percentage Veg Fire Structure Fire Other Fires Medical Aids Haz-Mat/FMS Pub/SVC Other

6 In 1891, due to timber supply and watershed concerns, the U.S. government began setting aside national forest reservations In 1905, the U.S. Forest Service was established and given managerial control over these lands to be named National Forests Lassen National Forest, California, 1927 Just five years later the Big Blowup occurred. Burning 3 million acres in Montana, Idaho and Washington in just TWO days, this had a profound effect on national fire policy

7 The U.S. Forest Service convinced members of Congress, and the public, that only total fire suppression could prevent such an event from occurring again... and that the Forest Service was the only outfit capable of carrying out that mission This policy had two goals: 1) preventing fires, and 2) suppression of a fire as quickly as possible once it started Forest Service came out in opposition to the practice of light burning, even though many ranchers, farmers, and timbermen favored this method because it improved land conditions for a resilient forest

8 Following several severe fire seasons in the early 1930s, fire suppression took on even greater urgency In the decades following the Big Blowup, the Forest Service began building networks of roads, communications systems, lookout towers, and ranger stations to aid in fire suppression, many of which are still in use today In 1933, the federal government created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which put thousands of men to work building fire breaks and fighting fires

9 In the early 1970 s, there was a radical change in Forest Service policy to let fires burn when and where appropriate 1973 is when the Forest Practice Act was revised added Timber Harvest Plans Since around 1990, fire suppression efforts and policy began to focus on the wildland-urban interface and intermix

10 Trees per acre vs Trees per acre Forest in Montana Drought conditions are more severe since stands are denser than historically occurred.

11 The California Drought 2015 was a 4 th Year of Historic Drought New Malones New Melones Reservoir Photo by Keith Schneider / Circle of Blue Photo by MMU DSIs Bass Lake Bass Lake with historically low lake levels and high tree mortality

12 2015 turned out to be as bad as everyone predicted AND continues in March 16, % of California is in Exceptional Drought

13

14

15

16 During drought, declines in surface water flows can be detrimental to hydropower production, navigation, recreation, habitat for aquatic and riparian species and drinking water Groundwater levels in wells may not reflect a shortage of rainfall for a year or more after a drought begins Wells can pump at a faster rate than an aquifer recharges, resulting in possible decreased water availability and deterioration of groundwater quality

17 Land subsidence is a gradual settling or sudden sinking of the Earth's surface, due to excessive groundwater pumping and aquifer depletion Water allocations for river, wetland, wildlife, and fish restoration projects can be reduced or stopped altogether during severe drought Historically high Tree Mortality in the Central Sierras of California Extreme fire potential

18

19

20 Western Pine Beetle Dendroctonus brevicomis Ips Five Spinned Calligraphus Red Turpentine Dendroctonus Valens

21 Generic Bark Beetle Life Cycle Emerge and attack Eggs hatch into larva Larva pupate into adult beetle and emerge Larva feed under the bark

22 Population Dynamics Can Be Explosive One mating pair can generate more than 12,000,000 beetles in four generations. In California, two generations may be produced in 1 year in low-elevation pines

23 October 12 th Taken from March 3 rd to MMU Tree Mortality 2015

24 Taken from Miami Lookout looking north March 3, 2015

25 Taken from Miami Lookout looking north July 12, 2015

26 Taken from Miami Lookout looking north October 11, 2015

27 March 3, 2015 July 12, 2015 October 11, 2015

28 Taken looking at the north side of Miami Mountain March 16, 2015

29 Taken looking at the north side of Miami Mountain. July 14, 2015

30 Taken looking at the north side of Miami Mountain. October 12, 2015

31 March 16, 2015 July 14, 2015 October 12, 2015

32 Taken from Deadwood Lookout looking east March 22, 2015

33 Taken from Deadwood Lookout looking east July 11, 2015

34 Taken from Deadwood Lookout looking east October 11, 2015

35 March 22, 2015 July 11, 2015 October 11, 2015

36 Taken from Miami Lookout looking northeast March 21, 2015

37 Taken from Miami Lookout looking northeast July 12, 2015

38 Taken from Miami Lookout looking northeast October 11, 2015

39 March 21, 2015 July 12, 2015 October 11, 2015

40 Ponderosa Basin October 20, 2015

41 Ponderosa Basin October 20, 2015

42

43 Reduce fire hazard by removing dead and dying trees Currently 29 million dead trees in the Sierras (USFS Aerial Detection) Where are we going to put it? During drought: Manage slash trimming / lop and scatter Cover it with plastic tarps For high value trees, might consider Deep watering Mulching

44 Thinning to Reduce Competition Avoid injuring trees during logging, construction, etc. Plant trees adapted to the area use an appropriate seed source Avoid thinning during drought (if possible) Choose leave trees well-suited to the site Remove high risk trees

45 Mortality resulting from drought becomes a fire hazard, offering extensive fuel to burn. Mariposa County 2015 Rim Fire 2013 Since the beginning of the year, firefighters from CAL FIRE and the US Forest Service have responded to over 7,524 wildfires across the state, burning 814,485 acres. Fire activity across California remains high with nearly 159 combined wildfires in just the past week.

46

47

48 Plan for reduced future snowpack Winter snowpack accounts for 60 80% of the annual water supply 70 million people living in the western U.S. are facing water shortages Photo: Yosemite Conservancy - March

49 Drought affects rangeland by decreasing feed for livestock, increasing impacts on vegetative cover, possibly creating environmental degradation

50 Water runoff from fire affected areas & heavy die-off areas could have catastrophic affects on drinking water and infrastructure California Hwy 58 October 2015 Photo: AFP

51 Succession To achieve our climax forest we must manage it for the healthy forest we desire.

52 Forest Resiliency Drought tolerant Watershed health Fire adaptive Insect and disease resistant

53 Even if the drought ended today we would be faced with tree mortality for the next five to seven years, 29 million trees are already DEAD CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service now face fires capable of growing to greater size and ferocity than in the past 25 years. With the exponential rising costs for suppression of catastrophic fires it provides a great opportunity to enhance Pre-Fire activities to reduce or possibly prevent large damaging fires Every one needs to continue to be drought conscious and water aware

54 mergencyviewer/ Frank Bigelow CAL FIRE fire.ca.gov Pre-Fire Engineer Madera, Mariposa, Merced Unit

55 sion.aspx

56 Bark Beetles and Vegetation Management in CA: Forest Insect and Disease Leaflets: Tree Notes: California Forest Pest Conditions: