Fire and Environmental Research Applications Team
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Pacific Northwest Research Station |
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Forest Service Research |
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Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory |
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Threat Characterization and Management Program |
| Fire and Environmental Research
Applications Team (206) 732-7800 |
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Fuel Treatment Effectiveness
Evaluating the effectiveness of various forest and range fuel types is essential to effectively and efficiently managing forests to sustain natural resources and ecosystems over time while simultaneously reducing the fire hazard to human developments. FERA has projects at the local and regional scales to study various aspects of this issue.
WebsitesThe PNW Research Station has a website dedicated to postfire forest
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Publications"Fuel Treatments Reduce the Severity of Wildfire Effects in Dry Mixed Conifer Forest, Washington, USA" documents the effectiveness of thinning and prescribed burning in the 2006 Tripod Complex fires. This study provides strong quantitative evidence that thinning alone does not reduce wildfire severity but that thinning followed by prescribed burning is effective at mitigating wildfire severity in dry western forests "Managing Forests After Fire" discuses
the interaction between fire and its patterns across a forest, forests
after fire, and postfire management of forests. This is a short,
basic review of the state-of-the-science today. 12 pages. "Guide to Fuel Treatments in Dry Forests of the Western
United States: Assessing Forest Structure and Fire Hazard"
analyzes a range of fuel treatments for representative dry forest
stands in the Western United States with overstories dominated by
ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and pinyon pine. This guidebook features
stand visualizations of various treatments, and accompanying fuels
data. "Forest Structure and Fire Hazard in Dry Forests of
the Western United States" synthesizes the relevant
scientific knowledge that can assist fuel-treatment treatment projects
on national forests and public lands.
"A Consumer Guide: Tools to Manage Vegetation and
Fuels " provides a state-of-science summary of tools
currently available for management of vegetation and fuels. Detailed
summaries include a description of each tool, location where it
can be obtained, relevant spatial scale, level of user knowledge
required, data requirements, model outputs, application in fuel
treatments, linkage to other tools, and availability of training and
support. "Managing Forest Structure and Fire Hazard -- A Tool
for Planners" is a journal article describing the
"Guide to Fuel Treatments in Dry Forests of the Western United
States (see above). Morris Johnson, David L. Peterson, and Crystal
Raymond published this in the Journal of Forestry. http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/29739 "Science-Based Strategic Planning for Hazardous Fuel Treatment"
-- A 5-page outline of a process for planning hazardous fuel treatments
which takes into consideration the multiple objectives and responsibilities
of land managers. Dave Peterson and Morris Johnson prepared this
article for Fire
Management Today as a short work complementing the Guide
to Fuel Treatments in Dry Forests of the Western United States.
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Projects |
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 Developing a Post-Processor to Link the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) and the Fuel Characteristic Classification System |
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 Evaluating the Effectiveness of Mitigation Activities in the WUI |
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 Evaluating Alternative Fuel Treatments in the South Shore Wildland Urban Interface Area |
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Butte Falls Blowdown Project
