2007 Alice Creek Vegetation Management
Project: Alice Creek Vegetation Management Project
Agency/Forest or Park/District: Lincoln RD, Helena National Forest, USFS, Montana
Project coordinator: Jarel Kurtz
Contact: Jarel Kurtz- AFMO Helena N.F., Lincoln Ranger District. 1569 Highway 200, Lincoln MT 59639 406-362-4265 jkurtz@fs.fed.us
Cooperators: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Source of funding /amount
FHP: $20,000
Supplemental funding: Helena N.F. will provide $24,000 as matching funds tie to work force, labor and expertise for all aspects of slashing, burning and monitoring.
Dates of restoration efforts
Slashing implantation was done during the summer of 2007. Hanpile burning was completed in the spring of 2008. The prescribed burning portion was completed in October of 2008.
Objectives
To reduce competing vegetation in historic Whitebark pine, enhancing stand vigor and resiliency to Mountain pine beetle; to reduce fuels loading to reduce the risk of uncharacteristic fire behavior, reducing the risk of high severity fire in WBP; to encourage natural regeneration by creating seed beds; and to monitor for WBP health and regeneration.
Acres/ha treated
420 acres
Methods
Unit 2 (300 acres) and Unit 5 (120 acres): Slashing and handpileing of competing species (Lodgepole pine, Spruce and Douglas fir). Handpiles will be burned in late fall or early spring.
Unit 1 (1500 acres): unit already treated with slashing and prescribed burning with funding from Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation ($8,000). Monitoring is planned for spring. Monitoring will consist of pre and post treatment seedling recruitment, fire effects and fuels reduction (i.e. Browns intersect). Two other units in the project are have already been treated with very low intensity fire. The objectives of these burns were geared more towards fuels reduction and not WBP, yet WBP is present in both units along the ridges. The prescribed fire had no effect at reducing competition or creating a seed bed for WBP. There is the possibility of reentering these units at later date to slash and handpile to remove competition.
Planting? If so, source of seedlings? Resistance?
No
Outcome
The slashing in Alice unit #5 and unit #2 was completed by 1/10/07 . Depending on how fast the slash cures, the burning might be complete as early as the spring of 2008. If needed the burning will be pushed back to the fall of 2008. Pre slashing and post slashing monitoring is completed.
Monitoring is set up to be able to document results. As of right now the project has been successful in reducing competition from Whitebark with the use of hand treatment.
