Case studies
Defining Objectives
This step sets out the objectives for the decision process. The objectives can be understood as what matters in the context of deciding on the preferred location for a prescribed burn. The following refined management objectives for the Prescribed Zone guided the decision:
- Maintain or increase the quantity and quality of caribou winter range;
- Maintain at least 60% OF in the ungulate summer range;
- Maintain the present combination of structural stages and deciduous/coniferous forests in the BCA;
- Allow wildfires and utilize prescribed fires under specified fire weather conditions;
- Monitor progress toward biodiversity objectives;
- Contain MPB outbreaks; and
- Decrease landscape-level hazard.
Criteria were developed to evaluate and prioritize the potential prescribed burn locations. They include:
- Financial cost: An expected cost for each site was developed taking into
consideration the fixed and variable costs for the prescription area, as
well as the additional variable costs that might occur should the fire
enter into the contingency area or become an escape fire.
- MPB management: An MPB hazard reduction potential
criterion was calculated to identify the potential improvement in using
fire to return areas of extreme and high MPB hazard ratings to low
ratings. The total area of extreme and high MPB rating in each area was
calculated and reported as a percentage of the total reduction potential
across all sites and contingency areas.
- Fire hazard management: A fire hazard reduction potential criterion was
calculated to identify the potential improvement in using fire to return
areas of high and moderate fire hazard ratings to low ratings. The total
area of high and moderate fire rating in each area was calculated and
reported as a percentage of the total reduction potential across all
sites and contingency areas.
- Biodiversity: An age class distribution criterion was calculated to
identify the potential improvement in landscape-level age class
distribution by setting mature seral stage areas back to early seral
stage areas, particularly in the SBS BEC zone. For each site, a weighted
area index score was calculated both pre and post fire, and the final
rating was reported as a percentage of the total improvement potential
across all sites and contingency areas.
- Social: A social impact rating scale (0–10) was developed in the
workshop to judge the relative differences across sites in terms of
smoke management, visual quality impact, public safety risk, and other
social considerations.
- Major escape risk: A major fire escape risk rating scale (0–10) was
developed in the workshop judge the relative risk across sites.