Case studies
Implementation and Monitoring
The Moose Lake prescribed fire was successfully implemented in August 2004, meeting all stated objectives within the Prescription Zone (Blackwell, 2003) including:
- To enhance natural barriers with a strategic break in both fuel continuity and MPB susceptible stands;
- To increase the area of young seral vegetation to improve landscape biodiversity and available wildlife habitat; and
- To provide a foundation for future fire management operations in the travel corridor.
Interestingly, the objective of providing a landscape level fuel
break was tested immediately by containing a lightening caused wildfire
that flared up and ran into the prescribed burn area a day after
completion. This wildfire was contained from reaching the highway
corridor without any fire suppression action (Harvey, 2004).
Other implementation activities continue in the Park including an
ongoing winter program of falling and burning MPB infested trees. A
pilot tree removal trial was also implemented during the winter of
2004-05.
A comprehensive monitoring program is currently under development aimed
at providing an improved means of assessing long term ecosystem and
vegetation management effects at both the landscape and site level (Beaudry,
2004a&b). The program will define specific landscape-level management
targets for objectives such as seral stage distribution by BEC zone. It
will also specify stand-level targets for both MPB and prescribed fire
treatment sites.