Laserfiche WebLink
Landsca pe Treatment Prioritization <br />Priorit'aing for forest health &. to reduce f[re exposure of homes <br />Landscape treatment priority integrates three metrics of forest <br />health - forest fire risk (Fig. 2), drought vulnerability (Fig. 3), and <br />presence of overabundant forest structure types (Fig. 4) - with <br />wildfire transmission to homes (Fig. 8). To ensure that habitat for <br />closed canopy dependent wildlife is incorporated into the prioriti- <br />zation, we recommend overlaying the large dense forest sustain- <br />ability layer (Fig. 7) when selecting treatment locations. Wildfire <br />transmission is high across most of the planning area, indicating <br />that wildfires starting in these locations are expected to expose <br />homes in Roslyn, Cle Elum, and along Teanaway Road (Fig. 2). <br />Treatment priorities <br />Landscape treatment priority is highest in the eastern portion on <br />the Teanaway Community Forest and USFS land (Fig. 9). The <br />southern edge along the north side of Cle Elum Ridge is also high <br />priority. Medium and high priority areas on roadless USFS lands in <br />the northeastern portion indicate that managed wildfire will be <br />needed to restore this landscape. Some low priority areas may <br />need treatment to address species composition, insect and dis- <br />ease risk, or other issues. ln addition, fuel reduction treatments, <br />defensible space, and home hardening are needed on private par- <br />cels to protect homes along Highway 970 and Teanaway Road. <br />Figure 9. Landscape treatment priority is based on three metrics of forest <br />health - forest fire risk (Fig. 1), drought vulnerability (Fig. 3), overabundant <br />forest structure (Fig. 4) - as well as wildfire transmission to homes (Fig. 8). <br />Figure 8. Fire transmission to homes shows where fires <br />that expose structures are most likely to originate. lt is <br />based on simulated fire perimeters given contempo- <br />rary patterns of fuels, topography, and wind. <br />Definitions <br />Vegetation Types <br />Cold forest: Upper elevation mixed-conifer for- <br />ests with high-severity fires every 80-200+ years. <br />Dry forest: Ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir domi- <br />nated forests that historically had surface fires <br />every 5-25 years. <br />Moist forest: Forests that historically had mixed- <br />severity fires every 30-100 years and were com- <br />posed of fire-resistant (western larch, Douglas-fir) <br />and fire-intolerarlt (grand fir) trees. <br />Woodland/Steppe; Grass and shrub lands that <br />may have oak woodlands or s 1070 conifer cover. <br />Fotest strudure <br />Large tree: Overstory diameter > 20 inches. <br />Medium tree: Overstory diameter 10-20 inches. <br />Small tree: Overstory diameter < 10 inches. <br />Dense canopy: Greaterthan 4Q%tree canopy. <br />Open canopy: Less than 40% tree canopy. <br />F.uels:Shrubs, grasses, small trees, litter, duff, and <br />wood <br />some combination of mechani- <br />cal density reduction {commercial or non-commer- <br />cial) and surface and ladder fuel reduction <br />(prescribed fire, piling & burning, etc). <br />Manoged wildfue: fires that are allowed to burn <br />safe conditions to achieve management <br />goals but can be suppressed if conditions change. <br />Fire transmission <br />Hight; <br />Low <br />Landscape treatment priority <br />HighGn <br />Low <br />o-L.on,t'n" <br />Teanaway Landscope Evaluation Summary (2020) | Page 5