Re: Hodgdon Interagency Prescribed Fire

Nature has provided the opportunity to begin the first prescribed fire for 2011. The 500 acre Hodgdon (PW-04) project includes Segments A, B and C. The area is now drying out from a winter of record snow falls. Fuel moistures and other fire factors, within the burn unit, are now reaching optimal levels to successfully complete the project. Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher has signed the burn plan and given fire managers the final OK to begin the project on or after July 6, 2011.

Segment C includes 111 acres on the Stanislaus National Forest and will be managed as an interagency prescribed fire project. Extensive collaboration and cooperation in all phases of the project planning process was conducted between the park and forest. The project will allow mutual accomplishment of objectives at reduced costs.

The Hodgdon area has no recorded park fire history between 1930 and 1990, although natural fire history is evident with fire scars on several mature trees. Since 1990, a hazardous fuel reduction program has been implemented to protect private and public structures around the Hodgdon Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). A mixture of fuel reduction techniques have been used including mechanical thinning, pile and prescribed burning. These WUI treatments have created defensible space for the Hodgdon residential area. This project will not only extend the defensible space, but also facilitate the reintroduction of fire into the ecosystem and restore the forest area. Combined with other burns near Crane Flat, and Rockefeller Grove areas, and with the fuel reduction projects conducted by the Stanislaus National Forest along Evergreen Road, this project will further reduce the likelihood of catastrophic fire originating at lower elevations, either inside or outside of the park affecting communities in mixed confer pine forest.

In accordance with the Wilderness Act of 1964, all phases including; unit preparation, ignition, holding, mop-up and rehabilitation will be implemented with the intention to preserve wildness integrity. Minimum Impact Management Techniques will be employed to preserve the wilderness integrity. By joining with the Stanislaus National Forest no fire line is needed due to roads surrounding the project area. A Resource Advisor will be assigned to the project to advise on cultural and natural resources. Smoke, affecting health, is always a factor in the decision making process. A smoke management plan has been submitted to the Tuolumne County Air Pollution Control District, and a burn permit has been issued. Smoke monitors will be deployed in smoke sensitive areas determined by Yosemite’s air quality manager, and Tuolumne County APCD. It is anticipated active ignition will take three days. The fire area will then be mopped–up and monitored.

For additional information please contact Fire Information Officer Gary Wuchner at: gary_wuchner@nps.gov (209) 372-0480 or 375-9574. Yosemite National Park Web page: http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/current_fire.htm.

Honestly, it always gives me the heebie-jeebies when the Park Service or Forest Service decides to do a prescribed burn in the middle of summer, right in the middle of the fire season. How do they know how the weather will be like on July 6th? Even if the weather is optimal for July 6th, it could easily take a turn for the worse by July 8th. They're literally playing with fire!

And since the Big Meadow prescribed burn disaster a couple of years ago, I have very little confidence in the people who carry out the prescribed burns in Yosemite. It seems that they're always in a rush to get as many prescribed burns in as possible each season. Prescribed burns around Yosemite ought to be done only when the temps and conditions have only a very little chance of getting bad (like between late Oct to the end of May). July isn't a month when to ignite a prescribed burn.

I echo the sentiment about doing a prescribed burn, it seems like just yesterday the last fire raged out of control after not able to contain it.

I completely understand the reasoning and necessity behind the burns, but it does kinda seem that every time I plan a Yosemite trip there is some major burn going on with ash raining down and smelling like an old campfire everywhere I go. I guess it's just my luck... Maybe I should just go in January.

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Ryno98
I completely understand the reasoning and necessity behind the burns, but it does kinda seem that every time I plan a Yosemite trip there is some major burn going on with ash raining down and smelling like an old campfire everywhere I go. I guess it's just my luck... Maybe I should just go in January.

My worst Yosemite Smoke Experience was by Many Island Lake, in late July a few years ago, where the afternoon sky was like dusk. The fire was started by some idiot near Mariposa (!) target shooting, sparks from a ricocheting bullet did the rest.

I'll live with prescribed burns over that idiocy any day.

In fact, here's a 6:26 PM picture of the Idiot's Gift:

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ttilley

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Ryno98
I completely understand the reasoning and necessity behind the burns, but it does kinda seem that every time I plan a Yosemite trip there is some major burn going on with ash raining down and smelling like an old campfire everywhere I go. I guess it's just my luck... Maybe I should just go in January.

My worst Yosemite Smoke Experience was by Many Island Lake, in late July a few years ago, where the afternoon sky was like dusk. The fire was started by some idiot near Mariposa (!) target shooting, sparks from a ricocheting bullet did the rest.

I'll live with prescribed burns over that idiocy any day.

It was the Telegraph Fire (July/August, 2008):
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?1,5203

This part of the fallout was far from adequate:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?1,5732,5732#msg-5732



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2011 08:04PM by szalkowski.

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szalkowski
It was the Telegraph Fire (July/August, 2008)

This part of the fallout was far from adequate:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?1,5732,5732#msg-5732

Yeah, that was it.

So, if this jackass had the Second Amendment Right to light the forest on fire (due to his being an idiot with a gun), shouldn't I have the First Amendment Right (petition for redress of grievances) to sue him for my inconvenience? Aside from the fact that he didn't seem to own anything.