Forest Service to use lightning as tool
BOISE — The Boise National Forest will carefully use lightning-caused fires in remote areas next year to clear out trees and restore the environment.
The forest has earned the praise of elk hunters, Idaho tribes and other conservationists for using that approach in this year’s Porter fire burning in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.
Traditionally, some fires in designated wilderness are left to run while being monitored.
Now, the Forest Service plans a Wildland Fire Use program on lightning fires on forest near — but outside — wilderness.
“We are hopeful this will allow fire to play its natural role in the ecosystem,” forest spokesman Dave Olson said Wednesday. “We want to demonstrate we’ll use a logical, analytical process to evaluate each new lightning fire.”
On about 75 percent of the Boise forest, normal fire suppression will continue, Olson said.
On the 25 percent left, the Forest Service will evaluate the lightning strike’s possible effect and use computer models to decide whether to battle it or let it clear out certain areas.
“This type of area is fairly remote. The historic fire regime is stand-replacing fires in subalpine fir and lodgepole pines. Some of the forest is recycled back to grass and brush,” he said.
“It’s a nice fit. It’s in an area where the potential impacts to the urban-wildland interface are minimized.”
The Forest Service is currently watching and guiding the Porter fire, which had burned 2,900 acres on the Frank Church by Wednesday.
Fire crews are on hand in the area 25 miles northwest of Stanley.
They can protect structures such as the Elk Creek Guard Station, and will “cold trail” or finally extinguish the coals from the fire.
The agency earned praise Wednesday for letting the Porter and other wilderness blazes clear dead and decadent trees in the backcountry.
“The massive fire suppression efforts of the last 50 years have prevented fires from playing their regenerative role in the management of roadless and wilderness areas of the state,” said Keith Lawrence, Nez Perce wildlife director.
The fires burn out some tree stands to create open parks. Brush and other vegetation takes over, which benefits elk.
“Allowing fires to burn in remote and wilderness areas makes sense from every standpoint,” said Jonathan Oppenheimer, Idaho Conservation League fire analyst.
“We can reduce the cost of suppression, eliminate the need for costly prescribed burning or thinning, prevent the needless endangerment of firefighters and improve wildlife.”