Tree Farmer - November/December 2009 - (Page 39)

A Wildfire Dilemma Tree Farmers Can Help Resolve Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer recently warned people living in the Wildland-Urban Interface that if they want their home to survive a wildfire, they need to take personal responsibility and create a “firewise” homesite. “Don’t look for the government to bail you out,” he said. The Wildland-Urban Interface, known as the WUI, or Wooo-eee to people who deal with wildland fire, is at the crux of America’s excruciating wildfire headache. The Wooo-eee is the ever-expanding zone of residences and related developments located in forests and brushlands beyond traditional suburbs. All across the United States millions of new homes have been built in fire-prone forests by people who ignore measures that can make houses and their surroundings fire resistant. These residents assume that firefighters will save them and their property regardless of their failure to help protect themselves. Despite advanced firefighting technology, the U.S. Forest Service alone now spends an average of $1 billion a year attempting to control wildfires, as well as a comparable amount for the rehabilitation of burned areas. Fires that threaten homes and developments in the Wooo-eee cause the greatest concern and run up the bill. These costs now siphon off nearly half of the agency’s budget; but the wildfire problem keeps getting worse, producing more environmental damage and consuming hundreds of homes in any given year. Moreover, suppression costs represent only the tip of the iceberg in proportion to total loss and damage. For instance, the 2002 Hayman Fire that threatened the mountain suburbs of Denver, Colorado, ran up suppression costs of $42 million, but total costs, including property and utility losses, were estimated at more than $207 million ( ). Wildland firefighters are often compelled to use their limited resources to save houses instead of controlling the fire’s spread, truly a lose-lose situation. Some agencies are now considering an Australian program that trains homeowners to evacuate early or to prepare fully so they can stay and defend their place. Delayed evacuation, which is very common, causes many accidents and fatalities and impedes suppression efforts because access roads are blocked by flames, thick smoke, downed trees, powerlines, and car crashes. The sad fact is that most residents of the Wooo-eee are woefully unprepared to care for their own tract of fire-prone forest; but this is where Tree Farmers can help. During many years I observed that Tree Farmers and other homeowners who do effectively manage their forest and fuels can help neighbors to appreciate and carry out firewise practices through demonstration and advice. I encourage Tree Farmers to take up this important outreach mission and I’ll offer some suggestions for this purpose. Tree Farmers can help promote firewise homesites through the examples they set by their own forest homes. A well-tended forest surrounding a firewise home makes an immediate impression on most visitors. It clearly illustrates good forest stewardship to visitors and contrasts with the untended forest and hazardous fuels associated with many homesites. During the past 35 years a large number of visitors have commented about the beauty of the thinned, open forest surrounding our house. No doubt enhancing this image, firewood, lumber, and other combustibles are stacked away from buildings, and pine needles and other surface fuels are cleaned up all around. Unlike many woodland homes, our access road is not crowded or overhung with trees, but leads through a thinned forest with minimal roadside fuel. The road and the turnaround at the house are wide enough to accommodate large trucks, such as a fire engine, and our road has wide spots where vehicles entering and leaving can pass by each other. When visitors to a Tree Farm homesite mention the attractive forest setting, this provides the owner an opportunity to mention how the thinning and fuel-reduction treatments reduce wildfire hazard, a topic that seems to be of widespread interest. A brief explanation of the firewise treatments in view may inspire a visitor to ask questions that help clarify his or her understanding of how forests and homes embedded in them can be made relatively safe from fire damage. Many people are vaguely aware of firewise concepts, but need to see them demonstrated to appreciate the practical, common-sense approach they bring to living in the woods. Discussing firewise treatments onsite with visitors also provides an opportunity to point out associated benefits, such as how thinning is done to enhance tree vigor and resistance to damage by insects and disease. These discussions often allow the Tree Farmer to enlighten visitors about the importance of well-managed forests for achieving a more environmentally sustainable society. —S.A. Tree Farmer NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 The Wooo-eee: http://www.wflccenter.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tree Farmer - November/December 2009

Tree Farmer - November/December 2009
Contents
Safety 101: Using Small Woodlot Equipment
Buyer’s Guide & Resource Directory
Consulting Foresters & Managers
Associations
Fertilizers, Herbicides & Repellents
Forest Appraisal, Analysis & Management
Forest Measuring Instruments & Software
Insurance
Resources
Land Sales
Seeds & Seedlings
Real Estate Brokers
Timber Buyers & Loggers
Supplies, Gifts & Apparel
Timber Pricing Services
Tax Advice & Timber Taxes
Tools & Equipment
Tree Paint & Markers
Tree Protectors & Shelters
Wood Manufacturers
Agencies
Associations & Organizations
Tree Farm State Contacts
Grant, Loan & Cost-Share Programs
Cooperative, State Research, Education & Extension Services
State Foresters
Make Your Home and Forest Fire Resistant
Taxing Issues
Ties to the Land
A Safe Harbor for Two Threatened Species
Tools & Techniques
Timberland Liability - Are You at Risk?

Tree Farmer - November/December 2009