Prescribed Fire

Prescribed fires are intended to improve ecosystem balance and nutrient turnover. They are important for many species that depended on grasses and shrubs in the understory for grazing. Prescribed fire locations are usually selected based on habitat value, size of area, ease of ignition and control, and the interval since the last local burn.

Many planned prescribed fires in the Sub Region have been selected based on the need to return ecosystems to the natural stage that is high value as winter and spring habitat for sheep and deer. The burns will eliminate conifer ingrowth and open up new nutrients to improve understory shrub and grass growth.

It is important that prescribed fires be planned as surface fires to reduce impact to canopy conifers and the seed bank in the soils. Ideal surface fires will remove ingrowth conifers and sagebrush and re-invigorate local grasses and shrubs.

Issues:

• Lack of prescribed fires in the area, resulting in understory closure in prime ungulate habitats

Goals:

• Initiate prescribed fires every 15 to 20 years in important ungulate areas where conifer ingrowth is occurring