Prescribed Fire on South Portion of Manti-Lasal National Forest at Devil’s Canyon Campground
Location: The Devil’s Canyon Campground Rx is located in San Juan County, Utah. The project area is located at the Forest Service Devil’s Canyon Campground.
2. Size (treatment area): 130 acres
3. Topography: Low elevation 7000 High elevation 7150
4. Project area: 154 acres
5. Ignition units: 3
The project’s intent is to transition 154 acres of the project area from a Fire Regime Condition Class 3 to Condition Class 1 in order to create conditions that provide for less severe fires and lower risks to the public that use the campground.
Thin stands to densities similar to historic conditions for this area (40 – 90 square feet basal area) to reduce risk of stand-replacing fire and improve stand health. With the exception of some small, dense wildlife habitat areas, stand densities should generally be less than 80 square feet basal area; the largest and healthiest trees should be left, this outweighs spacing considerations.
The project provides for firefighter safety and reduces the risk of stand replacing wildfire to life and property. Ecosystems are restored and maintained, consistent with land uses and historic fire regimes, through prescribed fire.
Prescribed fire objectives:
Implement a program of prescribed burning within ponderosa pine stands surrounding the area on a 2-5 year return interval. This will mimic historic disturbance regimes and reduce risk of stand-replacing fire in the future. Initially burns may need to be 2 to 3 years apart to minimize tree mortality (<5%) and canopy scorch heights (< 5’).
Consume a minimum 30-50% of the duff layer while creating a mosaic burn pattern spanning 40-80 % of the treatment area.
