I really hope Edmonton/central Alberta gets the forecasted rain it's saying for the weekend. As much as I've loved this weather the past week, it's too early and we still need rain season first here. Praying for a non-smokey summer and that everybody in these affected areas is ok
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Horrible mismanagement of our forest and a no touch attitude has left the forest floors covered in dry timber and fuel loads extremely high. Burn or log, two choices, you get to pick one.
Horrible mismanagement of our forest and a no touch attitude has left the forest floors covered in dry timber and fuel loads extremely high. Burn or log, two choices, you get to pick one.
Well, burning is the obvious choice here. The science and evidence from fires over the past decade has shown pretty clearly that clear cut and recently logged areas burn hotter and are less controllable than more natural areas. Prescribed burns can help, but we know now that logging makes wildfires worse.
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Well, burning is the obvious choice here. The science and evidence from fires over the past decade has shown pretty clearly that clear cut and recently logged areas burn hotter and are less controllable than more natural areas. Prescribed burns can help, but we know now that logging makes wildfires worse.
It seems to be the cause du jour for the climate change isn't real folks (not saying that's the case in that particular tweet). It helps to suggest environmentalists are making it worse. In fact, diversifying forests by not spraying to create better logging areas slows fires down by allowing slower burning species (eg Aspen) that don't have commercial value to mix with commercial species. That's a specific logging practice in BC and Northern Alberta that's making things worse that environmentalists have been advocating against
I really hope Edmonton/central Alberta gets the forecasted rain it's saying for the weekend. As much as I've loved this weather the past week, it's too early and we still need rain season first here. Praying for a non-smokey summer and that everybody in these affected areas is ok
I just want this week to be a teaser for great weather this summer. Let it rain lots from now until late June.
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Well, burning is the obvious choice here. The science and evidence from fires over the past decade has shown pretty clearly that clear cut and recently logged areas burn hotter and are less controllable than more natural areas. Prescribed burns can help, but we know now that logging makes wildfires worse.
Logging, thinning, delimbing and, prescribed burning programs, specifically around rural areas have been slow to implement. Forest floors are littered with deadfall, pine needles and next to nothing of green as the canopies shade out the forest floors.
You want to slow wildfire across these environments? A diverse forest is exactly how, A diverse forest is not possible with aggressive fire management as the area needs to burn to be thinned, then it regenerates first with the much quicker growing aspen, followed slowly and sparsely by pine. Grasses thrive in the nutrient rich soil post fire. bringing wildlife in droves to the areas.
I can tell by some of the comments here come directly from some of the more current and popular sensationalist articles written over the past few years.
I work closely with forestry departments all across the US, who are far, far more active in forest management. Partly because their wild areas are much less vast as Alberta's North.
Fire is mandatory in a healthy natural environment.
EDIT: I should also mention, logging for forest management and commercial logging is not apples to apples. Our current environmental policy for logging is to allow the refuse of a logging operation to remain on the forest floor to allow it to break down and return nutrients to the floor. This takes decades, and in the mean time is just more fuel in the waiting.
Last edited by shotinthebacklund; 05-05-2023 at 01:24 PM.
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Logging, thinning, delimbing and, prescribed burning programs, specifically around rural areas have been slow to implement. Forest floors are littered with deadfall, pine needles and next to nothing of green as the canopies shade out the forest floors.
You want to slow wildfire across these environments? A diverse forest is exactly how, A diverse forest is not possible with aggressive fire management as the area needs to burn to be thinned, then it regenerates first with the much quicker growing aspen, followed slowly and sparsely by pine. Grasses thrive in the nutrient rich soil post fire. bringing wildlife in droves to the areas.
I can tell by some of the comments here come directly from some of the more current and popular sensationalist articles written over the past few years.
I work closely with forestry departments all across the US, who are far, far more active in forest management. Partly because their wild areas are much less vast as Alberta's North.
Fire is mandatory in a healthy natural environment.
EDIT: I should also mention, logging for forest management and commercial logging is not apples to apples. Our current environmental policy for logging is to allow the refuse of a logging operation to remain on the forest floor to allow it to break down and return nutrients to the floor. This takes decades, and in the mean time is just more fuel in the waiting.
This is a much better and well-informed response than "burn or log, choose."
I do think we need to be aware that raking the forest clean is not an option. Maybe small scale in places like Banff near the town and facilities, but this is not something you can do at scale. So burning at the right time of year is really the only option.
I do think we need to be aware that raking the forest clean is not an option. Maybe small scale in places like Banff near the town and facilities, but this is not something you can do at scale. So burning at the right time of year is really the only option.
It does not need to be raked clean, but there currently is decades of fuels sitting in wait.
Forests are cyclical, keep that in mind when looking at fires across our country. Fires also used to burn for years before being suppressed naturally
Also, the fire in Banff this week was a RX burn that got out of control. Sadly, most of their burns go this way. Terrain and intense fuel loads.
Logging, thinning, delimbing and, prescribed burning programs, specifically around rural areas have been slow to implement. Forest floors are littered with deadfall, pine needles and next to nothing of green as the canopies shade out the forest floors.
You want to slow wildfire across these environments? A diverse forest is exactly how, A diverse forest is not possible with aggressive fire management as the area needs to burn to be thinned, then it regenerates first with the much quicker growing aspen, followed slowly and sparsely by pine. Grasses thrive in the nutrient rich soil post fire. bringing wildlife in droves to the areas.
I can tell by some of the comments here come directly from some of the more current and popular sensationalist articles written over the past few years.
I work closely with forestry departments all across the US, who are far, far more active in forest management. Partly because their wild areas are much less vast as Alberta's North.
Fire is mandatory in a healthy natural environment.
EDIT: I should also mention, logging for forest management and commercial logging is not apples to apples. Our current environmental policy for logging is to allow the refuse of a logging operation to remain on the forest floor to allow it to break down and return nutrients to the floor. This takes decades, and in the mean time is just more fuel in the waiting.
Never expected "the science" is actually very complex and can't be distilled into a simple opinion and then distilled further to blame. Weird. Notley?
It does not need to be raked clean, but there currently is decades of fuels sitting in wait.
Forests are cyclical, keep that in mind when looking at fires across our country. Fires also used to burn for years before being suppressed naturally
Also, the fire in Banff this week was a RX burn that got out of control. Sadly, most of their burns go this way. Terrain and intense fuel loads.
Are you sure about that? I've seen many go just fine. I know the guy who started their burning program, and he had a hell of a fight to get it going.
Are you sure about that? I've seen many go just fine. I know the guy who started their burning program, and he had a hell of a fight to get it going.
Yes, I am sure, And yes he likely did have a hell of a time getting approval for it. Parks had several RX fires back in the 90's that went pretty poorly and it was paused for many years. Was he responsible back in 1983 for getting it back on the plans or more recently?
It was not meant as a insult to them, more that in those high degree slopes, with giant heat sink mountain with very unpredictably wind speeds and direction it can be very challenging.
Yes, I am sure, And yes he likely did have a hell of a time getting approval for it. Parks had several RX fires back in the 90's that went pretty poorly and it was paused for many years. Was he responsible back in 1983 for getting it back on the plans or more recently?
It was not meant as a insult to them, more that in those high degree slopes, with giant heat sink mountain with very unpredictably wind speeds and direction it can be very challenging.
I believe it was in the mid-90's, if you are involved with this stuff I'm sure you've read his papers. Cliff White.
EDIT:
Ah, he was involved in the 80's.
