The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations advises that a series of prescribed burns is planned in several areas west and south of Williams Lake until Nov. 15, 2014, weather conditions permitting.

These controlled burns are managed under the Range Branch’s Ecosystem Restoration Program and will be conducted with the assistance of the Wildfire Management Branch and Cariboo Fire Centre personnel.

The following areas will be treated to help restore native grassland ecosystems:

• Bald Mountain (south of Riske Creek): about 120 hectares
• Deer Creek (Alexis Creek area): about 100 hectares
• Crow’s Bar (Fraser River area, south of Dog Creek): about 1,750 hectares

Historically, grasslands in the Cariboo-Chilcotin were renewed through frequent, low-intensity ground fires. Such fires prevented tree encroachment, rejuvenated understory plants and helped maintained more open grasslands and forests with large trees. The reintroduction of managed, low-intensity ground fires to these grasslands is intended to restore and maintain the traditional grassland plant communities that are native to these areas.

These fires are part of an ongoing ecosystem restoration program administered by the provincial government in consultation with First Nations, local ranchers, the B.C. Wildlife Federation and the Cariboo-Chilcotin Conservation Society.

A factsheet follows.

Media Contacts:

Allen Neal
Ecosystem Restoration
Range Branch
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 342-4227
Al.Neal@gov.bc.ca

FACTSHEET

Prescribed burning as an ecosystem management tool

• Fire is a normal, natural process in many of British Columbia’s ecosystems. Many species of birds, insects, plants and animals depend on fire for its regenerative properties.
• Fire helps control insects and the spread of disease in forests. It also contributes to forest succession, as younger trees replace older trees. Having trees of various ages in a forest helps create biodiversity.
• Prescribed burning is one of the tools used by forest professionals to achieve land management objectives. For example, the use of fire is appropriate for habitat enhancement, to improve forage for cattle, deer, bighorn sheep and moose, and to reduce fuel loads to lower the risk of interface fires.
• Prescribed burns are carefully planned so that their intensity and size meets the prescribed management objectives for fire-maintained ecosystems.
• Prescribed burns are only ignited if weather conditions are suitable, to ensure that the fire does not get out of control and does not create excessive smoke. Important factors that determine whether a burn will go ahead include the venting index, temperature, humidity and forecast wind activity.
• All prescribed burns must comply with the Environmental Management Act’s open burning smoke control regulation, which is in place to minimize the amount of smoke created. For example, burns may only be ignited on days when the venting index indicates that smoke will not be trapped close to the ground.
• A prescribed burn is ignited and continuously monitored by trained firefighting crews to ensure that the fire does not get out of control. The fire crew supervisor (the “burn boss”) is responsible for ensuring that the initial burn conditions are favourable and that the fire is extinguished once the prescribed burn is completed.

Media Contacts:

Allen Neal
Ecosystem Restoration
Range Branch
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 342-4227
Al.Neal@gov.bc.ca