Restructuring Wildland Fire Management for an Army Training and Testing Center in Cheatgrass-Dominated Landscapes
Location
USU Eccles Conference Center
Event Website
http://www.restoringthewest.org/
Abstract
Maintaining flexibility for military training, while protecting life, facilities, and natural resources can present labyrinthine tradeoffs for managers facing wildfire threats. This is especially true at Dugway Proving Ground, where wildfire can convert sagebrush into cheatgrass-dominated landscapes. To maintain flexibility for military training while limiting ignitions, we developed a new fire danger announcement system using the Energy Release Component (ERC) from three on-installation RAWS, and wind speed using 25 Dugway meteorological stations. Fire danger categories were created using local meteorological records, fire history, and fuel models. These categories are Dugway-specific as they categorize fire danger according to firefighting resources, and provide precautions for training activities. This system provides flexibility for military trainers; areas exhibiting lower fire danger can remain open to a wider range of training activities. To prioritize pre-suppression actions, we employed a values-at-risk approach using vulnerability assessments. Stakeholder interviews identified resources and assessed their value to produce a ranking thereof. Stakeholders included military trainers, the fire department, natural resources, and others. Each resource was assigned a sensitivity ranking, which was then combined with an exposure ranking based on fire frequency, cheatgrass, and ignition sources. This composite produced a vulnerability map, allowing for the design and prioritization of fuelbreaks. We also include various strategies both for fuelbreak installation using of native species, as well as strategies for postfire restoration.
Restructuring Wildland Fire Management for an Army Training and Testing Center in Cheatgrass-Dominated Landscapes
USU Eccles Conference Center
Maintaining flexibility for military training, while protecting life, facilities, and natural resources can present labyrinthine tradeoffs for managers facing wildfire threats. This is especially true at Dugway Proving Ground, where wildfire can convert sagebrush into cheatgrass-dominated landscapes. To maintain flexibility for military training while limiting ignitions, we developed a new fire danger announcement system using the Energy Release Component (ERC) from three on-installation RAWS, and wind speed using 25 Dugway meteorological stations. Fire danger categories were created using local meteorological records, fire history, and fuel models. These categories are Dugway-specific as they categorize fire danger according to firefighting resources, and provide precautions for training activities. This system provides flexibility for military trainers; areas exhibiting lower fire danger can remain open to a wider range of training activities. To prioritize pre-suppression actions, we employed a values-at-risk approach using vulnerability assessments. Stakeholder interviews identified resources and assessed their value to produce a ranking thereof. Stakeholders included military trainers, the fire department, natural resources, and others. Each resource was assigned a sensitivity ranking, which was then combined with an exposure ranking based on fire frequency, cheatgrass, and ignition sources. This composite produced a vulnerability map, allowing for the design and prioritization of fuelbreaks. We also include various strategies both for fuelbreak installation using of native species, as well as strategies for postfire restoration.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/rtw/2015/Posters/11
Comments
Elizabeth Kellogg is President, Tierra Data, Inc.