The stars aligned Tuesday, April 30th to begin implementation of a carefully planned prescribed burn of the grasses and brush on the State of Alaska’s Delta Junction Bison Range. The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DOF) and Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) are working together to achieve the prescribed burn goals of improving bison habitat, training firefighters, providing for prevention of wildfire, and possible intrusion of bison into the community and agriculture lands.
The Delta Junction bison herd is managed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game on a 90,000-acre range located east of Delta Junction, south of the Alaska Highway. Even though the range is managed for bison; moose, grouse and other local wildlife additionally benefit from this project. “The burn provides benefit for bison in that it creates high quality forage,” said Ryan Adam, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Wildlife Biologist. “It promotes maintaining these fields as a grassland as opposed to growing back up into shrubs and trees, prolongs their seasonal migration from their calving grounds, and makes them linger in the designated range so they won’t end up in the ag fields in the fall, which negatively impacts local agriculture.”
Prescribed fire has many benefits beyond habitat management, primarily in safely eliminating highly ignitable fuels like dried grass in a controlled environment, which prevents opportunities for wildland fires to spread later in the season when it is hotter and drier. A prescribed burn begins with a carefully written plan; in this case, prepared, reviewed, and approved by staff and leadership from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and Alaska Department of Natural Resources. Preparing for the prescribed burn included accessing the needed resources, clearing a 20’ wide strip along the forest edge to keep the fire from moving into the trees, and determining when favorable weather conditions would allow for the burn to safely take place.
Part of the DOF contingent assisting in the prescribed burn this year is the Pioneer Peak Interagency Hot Shot Crew, who concurrently utilizes the burn as part of their spring training regimen. “We’re here to get our first chance at live fire training for the year,” said Kris Baumgartner, Superintendent of the Pioneer Peak Hotshots. “What we get from this is the ability to communicate, coordinate with each other, iron out the wrinkles, just see where our strengths and our weaknesses are and what we need to address moving forward. It’s just a great opportunity for all of us.” He added, “You just can’t beat this kind of training. Putting fire on the ground, it changes things, when it’s a little bit windy like this and your fire shifts around; it makes people think on their feet.”
In addition to providing training opportunities for Alaskan firefighters, this event also hosted a Canadian wildland firefighter from the Yukon Territory as part of the Northwest Compact. This compact promotes the sharing of resources and firefighting strategies between Canada and western United States. The Northwest Compact includes Yukon and Northwest Territories, Provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan and states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Hawaii and Alaska. Doug Cote, Canadian Wildland Fire Specialist, accompanied by DOF Fire Management Officer Mike Goyette, participated in the prescribed burn and experienced first-hand strategies that he can take back to Canada. “I’m working with a lot of different departments in the Yukon and First Nations, trying to get a prescribed fire program going,” Cote said, “That’s why I’m here today, to learn from the Alaskans.”
Cote added, “The bison range prescribed burning is really of keen interest to us for fire prevention, as well as to Fish and Wildlife folks, and the Department of Environment. We have two different bison herds and they both present their own different challenges and opportunities. We heard about the program you have here and wanted to learn from you and take back some of the same strategies that you are using. After the summer we had last year in Canada, agencies from coast to coast have decided we need to step up our game in proactively mitigating fire where and when we can. We have a really good window right now with public support and funding opportunities; the timing couldn’t better and I think it will blossom into something good for us back home.”
As of May 6, 1100 acres had been treated and the grass phase is complete. Resources assisting in the prescribed burn included a Fire Specialist from Yukon, Canada; Fish and Game resources from Fairbanks, Glenallen and Tok; Division of Forestry & Fire Protection firefighters from Delta, Copper River, Fairbanks, and the Pioneer Peak Hot Shot Crew from Palmer. A specialty resource included an unmanned aircraft, piloted by Dub Evans from DOF’s Copper River area office.
The prescribed burning will continue through May as weather presents optimal and safe conditions.
Categories: Alaska DNR - Division of Forestry (DOF), Prescribed Fire, Training
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 