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ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATIONHABITAT ENHANCEMENT AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PROJECTS

Project Completion Report

(If you would like an electronic copy of this document, please call or email Kelli McCain(406) 523-0264, kmccain@rmef.org.)

Project Title: Babcock Creek Ecosystem Maintenance Burn RMEF ID #: MT080305

Location: Lolo National Forest/Missoula Ranger District/Babcock Creek, Granite County,

T11N, R16W, Sections 21,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35

(National Forest/BLM District, Ranger District/BLM Resource Area, County, Township, Range, Section)

Report written by: Michael Gue

Project Coordinator: John Waverek Agency:USDA, Forest Service

Address: Building 24A Fort Missoula Road Phone: 406-329-3852___

Missoula, MT 59802 Email:jwaverek@fs.fed.us

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Field Completion Date (MM/DD/YY) 05/22/2009__________________

Size ofProject Treatment Total RMEF Matching SourceType Area Cost Funds Funds of FundsEMB 1560 Acres Aircraft = $13,027 $10,853.21(XN) $2,173.68 (HF)

Personnel = $ 9,035 $9,035.00 (HF)

These cost do not inclu de cost of preplanning, the NEPA process and fuel augmentation that occurred

pr ior to burning.

USE OF RMEF FUNDS:

Babcock EMB was burned over two days utilizing aerial ignition. Of the $11,000 Grant from

the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (Funding code WFXN19) $10,853.21 was used to fund aircraft

cost and torch fuel utilized during the aerial ignition. The remaining $147.00 was used to purchase

native grass seed. Approximately $27,000 of matching funds was used from the Missoula Ranger

Districts fuels program. The matching funds covered an additional $2,173.68 of aircraft and torch

fuel. The remaining $25,000 went to fund the cost for firefighting personnel the days of the burn, cost

associated with the NEPA planning process, the fuel augmentation, and post burn monitoring.

Figure 1: Helicopter and helitorch reintroducing fire on the Babcock EMB

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PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

In May of 2009 the Missoula Ranger District conducted a prescribed burn in Babcock Creek.

The objective of the burn was to reintroduce low intensity fire into the landscape, reduce the risk of

catastrophic fire, and improve the big game winter range. During the burning operation the Missoula

Ranger District accomplished these objectives by reducing encroaching conifers on critical big game

winter ranges in the Babcock area. Later evaluation showed that the prescribed burn also helped

maintain ecosystem structure, composition, and function by increasing the vigor of native grasses,

forbes, and shrubs. The Missoula Ranger District conducted a weed inventory prior to burning to

avoid any area that would contribute to the spread of invasive weeds onto crucial big game winter

range such as Cheatgrass. Fuel augmentation conducted prior to ignition was beneficial in carrying

fire through areas of sparse grass as well as reduce crown density in the over story trees. The

increased sunlight to the forest floor resulted in stimulating bluebunch wheatgrass and shrub forage

production in the understory.

Figure 2: Fire burning through a patch of understory Douglas fir Figure 3: Fire burning through seasonally cured Ceanothus

COOPERATING AGENCIES AND/OR CONSERVATION GROUPS, LANDOWNERS, ETC.:

All burning was conducted on Forest Service lands however, prior to burning notifications were

made to private landowners in the Rock Creek area to explain the project and build support.

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PROJECT MEDIA COVERAGE:(Please send to RMEF news releases, in-house publications, newspaper and magazine articles, etc.)

RMEF PUBLICATIONS INFORMATION:(Please send to RMEF color photo slides and/or photo prints, black and white photographs, graphics, etc.)

PROJECT RESULT ACTIONS:(List practices implemented as a result of project, i.e. area rested from grazing for 2 yrs., season

recommendations revised based on new distributions data received from project, etc.)

MONITORING IN PLACE:(Please list updates, reports, photopoint follow-up etc. RMEF can expect in the future)

Photo Plot B Pre-Burn Photo Plot B Post-Burn

Photo plots were taken shortly after fuel augmentation was completed in the Babcock area. As

you can tell from the post-burn photos, augmentation was helpful in carrying fire through sparse areas

of forest litter and natural grasses. By cutting out some smaller diameter Douglas fir trees it also

created dry ladder fuels which allowed fire to burn through thick regeneration areas seen in photos

below. The end result of reintroducing fire into Babcock area improved forage production of native

grasses (predominately the bluebunch wheatgrass/Idaho fescue habitat types) and killed trees that

were encroaching on the historic critical elk winter range. A few portions of the burn experienced

higher severity than others. The areas that burned hotter we noticed scorch heights ten to twenty fee

high reducing ladder fuels and creating more open canopy which allowed more light to encourage

forage production. Other areas of the burn we witnessed less fire intensity in which fire burned

through some of the grasses, shrubs, and forage but left some wildlife screens in patches of thicker

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trees. Reviewing the burn on a large scale we observe a mosaic landscape which maintains diversity

in the stand restoring its historic forest structure.

Photo Plot C Pre-Burn

Photo Plot C Post-Burn

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Photo Plot D Pre-Burn

Photo Plot D Post-Burn

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Photo Plot E Pre-Burn

Photo Plot E Post-Burn