New Sheep and Wildlife Habitat

[cpwrestler]

Setting aside the obvious concerns about health, safety, and loss of property, is anyone else interested/excited about the new habitat this summer’s wildfires are creating?

I’m still relatively new to BC so I’m still figuring out where the fires are in relation to habitat, but it seems to me like the two biggest fires are right in the heart of sheep country with the potential to open up a ton of winter range. While the short term impacts will be hard on wildlife, it seems to me like the burns could be a huge boost to the habitat for our sheep. In the next 5-10 years, could there not be a big boost to the carrying capacity of these ranges?

And obviously the same goes for moose and the ungulates living at lower elevations... seems like some short term pain for major long term gain.

am I crazy?

[monasheemountainman]

Will open up a lot of territory for winter range, easy pickings for wolves too though so kind of a double edged sword IMO

[Weatherby Fan]

No your not crazy.....as I always take note of current burns so I can hunt them in the future, it’s not rocket science and most hunters know the benefits of a year or two old burn.

[325]

Will open up a lot of territory for winter range, easy pickings for wolves too though so kind of a double edged sword IMO

My understanding is that sheep can avoid predators better when country is opened up, as they can capitalize on their fantastic vision.

[one-shot-wonder]

The last 2 fire seasons have been tremendous for countering the ingrowth and rejuvenating the forests in a number of ecosystesm that need to be maintained by fire. Here is a recent article demonstrating numerous benefits from wildfire, when you look at this fire activity it is more lemonade than it is lemons in my opinion.
https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton/234700/fire-good-for-mountain-goats

Thankfully some of the more beneficial fires for wildlife are in parks/protected land or extremely steep terrain and will likely not be subject to salvage logging. The logging that has occurred this past winter/spring of many of the 2017 fires is disturbing to say the least.

[boxhitch]

Tough to make a blanket judgement about fires as they all have different effects,
depending on burn rates, slope, speed, intensity, elevation, fuel type and and.......you get the idea
Some critters need mature growth at critical times for protection from preds and winter weather
Double edged sword for sure

As for sheep specifically, many areas recognized to have population declines have not been burnt at all
and another has had more than one fire burning close enough together to join and become continuous
wonder how that hampers escape from the bbq

[bearvalley]

Tough to make a blanket judgement about fires as they all have different effects,
depending on burn rates, slope, speed, intensity, elevation, fuel type and and.......you get the idea
Some critters need mature growth at critical times for protection from preds and winter weather
Double edged sword for sure

As for sheep specifically, many areas recognized to have population declines have not been burnt at all
and another has had more than one fire burning close enough together to join and become continuous
wonder how that hampers escape from the bbq

It’s good to see someone that knows what they’re talking about explain the pros and cons of a fire.
Listening to the continual drivel of habitat, habitat, habitat gets a bit old while what in some cases is prime wildlife habitat burns to a scorched wasteland.
As you say, the differance between a controlled habitat burn and an out of control wildfire is like night & day.

[Wild one]

Tough to make a blanket judgement about fires as they all have different effects,
depending on burn rates, slope, speed, intensity, elevation, fuel type and and.......you get the idea
Some critters need mature growth at critical times for protection from preds and winter weather
Double edged sword for sure

As for sheep specifically, many areas recognized to have population declines have not been burnt at all
and another has had more than one fire burning close enough together to join and become continuous
wonder how that hampers escape from the bbq

Agree with this

Burns can provide food but in my opinion in some areas loosing big timber is more of a negative then the benefits of the feed

I am no expert but past burns have not increased moose or deer numbers in my area but I don’t think feed was ever the issue.

No doubt fire will benfit some areas but it is not the end all to BCs ungulate population issues

[Pemby_mess]

All good points so far. Especially regarding the differences in the specific characteristics of fire, in different circumstances.

I was just driving through the lower mainland yesterday and was somewhat astonished by all the mature deciduous growth being weakened and killed by drought. That is one observation making me less optimistic about the benefits to wildlife supposedly initiated by changing climactic conditions. I am tempted to consider any individual fire as necessary and positive for creating wildlife habitat, yet this supposed "transition to a new normal" concerns me greatly.

when you consider fires of unprecedented intensity, burning everything down to mineral soil, combined with longer and hotter drought conditions, the benefits to wildlife habitat seem to evaporate somewhat, no?

[Pemby_mess]

I think one positive for habitat to come out of the recent fire seasons, is a renewed commitment to forest management - especially around communities. Rekindled enthusiasm for controlled burning in the shoulder seasons is likely to benefit ungulates immensely.

[bearvalley]

I think one positive for habitat to come out of the recent fire seasons, is a renewed commitment to forest management - especially around communities. Rekindled enthusiasm for controlled burning in the shoulder seasons is likely to benefit ungulates immensely.

There’s also a rekindled desire to move in and log unburnt, mature wintering ranges in areas that saw wildfires last year.
There seem to be as many negatives as positives right now.
Thats what happens when you have no long term plan and no one to see that it’s carried through if in place.

[325]

There’s also a rekindled desire to move in and log unburnt, mature wintering ranges in areas that saw wildfires last year.
There seem to be as many negatives as positives right now.
Thats what happens when you have no long term plan and no one to see that it’s carried through if in place.

BC definitely needs to formulate a long-term plan

[338win mag]

BC definitely needs to formulate a long-term plan
The 1st thing they should do is stop giving an ear to the anti-everythings and identify and carry out habitat burns where required and burn high risk area's to protect lives and property. They have already been told what to do, its a matter of when...I think its becoming increasingly clear that its in the economic interest of almost everyone in BC that we cant keep taking these big hits to our tourism, forest industry etc.

[Pemby_mess]

The 1st thing they should do is stop giving an ear to the anti-everythings and identify and carry out habitat burns where required and burn high risk area's to protect lives and property. They have already been told what to do, its a matter of when...I think its becoming increasingly clear that its in the economic interest of almost everyone in BC that we cant keep taking these big hits to our tourism, forest industry etc.

i agree with you that the greatest human consequences of forest fires can be mitigated by ignoring people irrationally averse to things like burn management. Yet whatever we do in that regard, it won't much change the impacts to things like vast swaths of land coming under a new global fire regime. Events like large plots of harvestable timber going up in flames, and perpetually smoky summer skies are elements that are here for the long run in afraid.

[338win mag]

i agree with you that the greatest human consequences of forest fires can be mitigated by ignoring people irrationally averse to things like burn management. Yet whatever we do in that regard, it won't much change the impacts to things like vast swaths of land coming under a new global fire regime. Events like large plots of harvestable timber going up in flames, and perpetually smoky summer skies are elements that are here for the long run in afraid.
If they had gotten on it years ago we could of dodged a number of bullets, ok mtn fire is an example of that, the forest was a dead from pine beetle for many years before the fire that destroyed almost 300 homes, I was there and so were others.
Some of the others were the...I dont want to look at a burnt hillside from my window people.
What we are seeing today could be small potatoes in regard to what could actually happen in years to come if we dont act now.
We could be looking at entire towns burnt and loss of life if we keep ignoring the inevitable.

[Pemby_mess]

If they had gotten on it years ago we could of dodged a number of bullets, ok mtn fire is an example of that, the forest was a dead from pine beetle for many years before the fire that destroyed almost 300 homes, I was there and so were others.
Some of the others were the...I dont want to look at a burnt hillside from my window people.
What we are seeing today could be small potatoes in regard to what could actually happen in years to come if we dont act now.
We could be looking at entire towns burnt and loss of life if we keep ignoring the inevitable.

Agreed. Much of the position we face now has been created by an unwarranted appeal to esthetics. An idea that looks increasingly silly with the gravity of what we now must confront. However, the challenges of beetle kill, and those from large uncontrollable fires, are not one beget to an other, just derived from a common source; demonstrating in a small scope the complexity of multi-factorial problem solving.

[boxhitch]

Many Forest companies , also known as employers, are struggling with timber supplies now.
Having them as partners in a habitat burn for wildlife isn't going to come about without some serious concessions

Setting more of BC aside as WMA wildlife management areas will take some more serious commitment........ and finances and concessions and...

Hard times

[Pemby_mess]

Many Forest companies , also known as employers, are struggling with timber supplies now.
Having them as partners in a habitat burn for wildlife isn't going to come about without some serious concessions

Setting more of BC aside as WMA wildlife management areas will take some more serious commitment........ and finances and concessions and...

Hard times

well, I guess they're going to be forced to look at the situation more on the order of a 25 year cycle, rather than maximum quarterly profit. And concessions in the interests of other land uses are important for achieving maximum value. Looking at things soley from the perspective of a fickle minority shareholder isn't going to solve their supply problems in the long term.

[338win mag]

well, I guess they're going to be forced to look at the situation more on the order of a 25 year cycle, rather than maximum quarterly profit. And concessions in the interests of other land uses are important for achieving maximum value. Looking at things soley from the perspective of a fickle minority shareholder isn't going to solve their supply problems in the long term.
Yes, but it takes care of the short term supply problem.....and boxhitch is likely correct and thats why nothing will ever get done on any large scale....I do wonder if more of a "balanced approach" couldn't have been taken which would of resulted in less timber being lost to some of these fires.

[boxhitch]

25 year cycle? they should be so lucky. Most areas are dealing with at least a 50 year cycle if not longer.
Planting is also happening in the marginal terrain that is now being logged, regen is even slower and can also have major set backs
due to weather events, upwards to 100% die-off of immature plantings.

I spoke to a forester with Tolko after he made a presentation about their practices, and asked whether they felt they had a 20 year timber supply
He sounded like a politician with his quick distractions
This was just before they announced shutting down the Merritt mill, due to lack of wood