Rockies to Cascades connections
14 Fall 2014 conservationnw.org
Wildfires and Wildlife Habitat
FIre SeaSoN TakeS ITS Toll
Jasmine Minbashian Communications director,
jasmine@conservationnw.org
This summer's wildfires —including the largest in state
history—burned hundreds of thousands of acres and hun-
dreds of homes. Of the 250,000 acres that burned in the Carl-
ton Complex Fire, the majority (about 75%) was in a non-
forested landscape: grass and shrub land. Looking at maps
of the burn area, you might be wondering about that "donut
hole" in the middle that stayed green. How is that possible in
such a large, fast-moving wildfire? e answer is probably not
what you'd expect: fire. Prescribed fire to be exact.
Prescribed fire, or controlled burning, is the deliberate
application of fire by a team of fire experts under specified
weather conditions that helps restore health to fire-adapted
environments. By safely reducing excessive amounts of brush,
shrubs, and trees; encouraging the new growth of native veg-
etation; and maintaining the many plant and animal species
whose habitats depend on periodic fire, prescribed burning
helps reduce the catastrophic damage of wildfire on our lands
and surrounding communities.
In this case previous burning by the Okanogan-Wenatchee
National Forest seemed to be the most effective tool in the
toolbox in preventing catastrophic fires, and we should en-
courage more of it.
is year's fires also have affected thousands of acres of
wildlife habitat, including public lands managed by the Forest
Service, Washington Department of Natural Resources, and
the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
e area affected by the Carlton Complex provides habitat
for the largest mule deer herd in Washington. It includes both
a year-round population as well as a migratory herd that lives
there in the winter. Altogether, about 10,000 mule deer use
the affected area for winter habitat. Some of the areas may still
provide winter habitat depending on weather throughout this
summer and fall.
However, even if conditions are ideal, there will be too
many deer for the area to support this winter and possibly for
several years to come, said Scott Fitkin, WDFW district wild-
life biologist in Okanogan County.
"We've dealt with winter range burns before, but we've
never had to do it on this scale," Fitkin said in a recent NPR
interview. at means many fawns and some adult deer could
starve this winter. e agency plans to draw deer and other
wildlife away from agricultural lands with feed this summer
and fall. e agency is considering a feeding program for deer
this winter.
"Winter feeding is not a long-term solution," Fitkin said.
"At best, it's a stop-gap measure until the deer population and
habitat are back in balance."
Sustained supplemental feeding is neither efficient nor ben-
Rockies to Cascades connections
