Case studies
Using an SDM Process to Determine Prescribed Burn sites in the Prescription Zone of Mt Robson Provincial Park
This section provides a synopsis of the prescribed fire options
assessment exercise undertaken in a workshop setting by the Mt. Robson
Ecosystem Working Group. The focus of the workshop was the specific
management challenges that exist within the lower elevation valley
extending through the Park (the Prescription Zone). The purpose of the
exercise was to identify, evaluate and prioritize sites that are
suitable for prescribed burning. This section describes how SDM was used
by decision makers in a workshop setting to develop alternatives
(options identification), clarify the consequences of the alternatives
and necessary tradeoffs , and to collectively determine a site for a
burn
Decision Context and Problem Definition
Fire management has always played a central role as the primary
tool for controlling the long-term processes that underlie the Park’s
ecosystem management challenges. The extensive Natural Zone established
to allow fire (and other disturbance) to proceed unencumbered is a key
part of the overall fire management strategy for the park. The process
of preliminary risk assessment and the developing refined management
objectives described in section 1 identified the Prescription Zone where
options for prescribed burns should be actively evaluated. Prescribed
burning has been identified as the primary management tool to address
the legacy of past management in the travel corridor, the current
expanding MPB issues. It also supports the management of long-term
climate change risks as described above.
Prescribed fire is viewed as the primary tool available for addressing
inter-related risks and offering the following benefits (Blackwell,
2003):
- Disruption of even age class forests that dominate the lower elevation landscape, contributing to overall wildfire management;
- Enhancement of natural barriers that reduce the horizontal continuity of fuel loads;
- Reduction in the area of lodgepole pine forests susceptible to mountain pine beetle attack;
- Regeneration of younger forest age classes that contribute
to biodiversity and regional ecosystem health and improved wildlife
habitat.