SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 3 ⎯ Affected EnvironmentThe DECAM performance goal with regard to wildland fire management is to facilitate military personnelwith planned training opportunities while reducing the possibility of uncontrolled wildland fireescaping the boundaries of FTC and the PCMS (DECAM 2001a). Components of wildfire managementinclude prescribed fire operations conducted on live fire ranges at FTC to create buffer zones,PCMS prescribed fires conducted for noxious weed control, Mountain plover habitat improvement onTraining Area 54, and protection of Mexican spotted owl habitat.Prescribed fires are used to reduce fuel loading on perimeters of main firing ranges on FTC in supportof training/readiness. These ranges include the MPRC and the small and large impact areas. Prescribedfires also protect the high value resources on the installation, as well as adjoining private land.Prescribed fires are used in an integrated management approach to control noxious weeds. Fires reducethe amount of vegetative matter present on a noxious weed site, improving the efficacy of herbicidesused to control the weeds. Fire may also be used to reduce some weed species while stimulatingnative grasses and forbs. Prescribed burning can be used to enhance or create Mountain plover habitat.These birds are attracted to burned areas.3.3.3.2 Special Fire Management AreasThe areas listed below possess qualities that affect fire planning or fire suppression activities. Sitespecificguidelines and identification and location of special fire management areas are developed annuallyas directed by the Fire Management Plan.• Watersheds. Negative erosion impacts usually occur if slopes are steep, soils are shallow and/orcoarse, and burn intensities are high. In these instances, suppression is the desired method of control,if practical and cost-effective.• Riparian Areas and Wetlands. On perennial streams or other waterways, chemical fire retardantsshould not be used. On all riparian habitat, surface-disturbing equipment should be totallyrestricted or areas should be flagged where equipment has to be used, such as at a new streamcrossing.• Other Land Ownerships. Fires on FTC or the PCMS that have the potential to burn onto otherownerships will be suppressed. As a general “rule of thumb,” fires should be initially attackedimmediately if they are within 0.5 mile of ownerships with housing developments or within0.25 mile of undeveloped ownerships. Unless otherwise indicated in the plans, military lands adjoininghousing subdivisions will be classified as critical protection, and all other adjoining landswill have a moderate protection classification.• Cultural Sites. Wildfires will be attacked if they are within 0.25 mile of identified cultural sites.The responsible fire manager and/or archaeologists will be contacted before any fire line constructionis initiated.• Forested Sites. In general, all forested sites on FTC and the PCMS have a very high resourcevalue due to use for military training activities, mitigation of accelerated erosion, and wildlifehabitat. Also, the pinyon-juniper vegetation type is very slow growing and practically impossibleto re-establish. Fires should be initially attacked within 0.25 mile of any forested site, and any fireoccurring within a forested site will be classified as critical protection, unless previously identifiedas a let-burn area for management purposes.February 2008 3–147 2/25th SBCT Final EIS