Prescribed burn being set in Malibu Creek State Park Tuesday morning July 8, 1997, to eliminate ... [+]
The State of California is currently grappling with multiple wildfires, including the Getty Fire which ignited earlier today. To avoid the flames, nearly 180,000 Californians (which is roughly equivalent to 25 percent of San Francisco’s population) have been orderd to evacuate.
In an effort to reduce their role in wildfire occurrences, PG&E has periodically denied power to residents in dry areas where high winds are expected. This is because PG&E was found to be responsible for last year’s Camp Fire in Paradise, California that burned over 150,000 acres and killed 85 people. The current blackout – which, full disclosure, I am affected by – may be the largest deliberate blackout in California’s history, with nearly 2.8 million people without power. And, with high winds expected tomorrow, another round of blackouts is anticipated.
The wildfires in California are likely a convergence of climate change (California has 78 more “fire days” than it did 50 years ago), dilapidated power infrastructure (PG&E has been accused of neglecting upgrading power lines), outdated building codes (California passed several new bills earlier this month to make communities more resilient to wildfires), and the U.S. Forest Service’s century-long fire suppression efforts (which stem from an effort to preserve timber supplies and not necessarily community safety). As contemporary communities struggle with our state’s wildfire crisis, it is worth revisiting the fire management practices of Native communities in present-day California.
For 13,000 years, many Indigenous tribes, including the Hupa, Karuk, Miwok, and Yurok lit controlled fires across northern and central California. This created a mosaic of habitats with a high diversity of species that California is known for today. Through multiple progressions of these practices, many species, such as acorns and huckleberries became associated with these deliberate, low-intensity fires. Despite their fire resistance, they are ill-equipped to tolerate the high-intensity nature of modern wildfires in California.
Prescribed burns implemented by the Yurok and Karuk in tanoak groves has myriad benefits for their communities. In addition to burning fuels on the forest floor that could lead to higher-intensity ignitions, it also removes weeds and other plants that disrupt salmon habitat. The cleared area also makes way for elk, berries and acorns, which are important dietary staples, and allows for the cultivation of medicinal herbs and hazel grasses used in basket-weaving.
KLAMATH, CA - NOVEMBER 20, 2014: Yurok tribe forestry technicians Vance Peyron checks the height of ... [+]
In a new policy established earlier this year, the U.S. Forest Service signed an agreement that incorporates the Karuk into its fire management operations. It could ultimately incorporate the Karuk’s entire 5,700-square kilometer ancestral territory. The Six Rivers National Forest recently integrated the Karuk’s approach with Western technologies including LIDAR and GIS.
#News | https://sciencespies.com/news/what-california-stands-to-learn-from-indigenous-fire-management-practices/
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