❓ A parliamentary question regarding the impact of a prescribed burn on tingle trees in Giants block, near Walpole, focusing on tree loss and canopy scorch. The Minister provides details on tree assessment, scorch levels, and future mitigation strategies.
AnsweredQoN 329Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Prescribed burning—Giants block
329. Hon Jess Beckerling to the Minister for the
Environment:
I refer to the
recent prescribed burn in Giants block (Burn ID: FRK_111) near Walpole.
(1) Does the Department of Biodiversity,
Conservation and Attractions record the number of trees felled by fire during
prescribed burns?
(2) If yes to (1), how many trees has DBCA
recorded as having been felled during this burn?
(3) If no to (l), why not?
(4) What percentage of the canopy does DBCA
recognise was scorched in the burn?
(5) Did the canopy scorch exceed the target
percentage?
(6) Will the minister please table the burn
closure and evaluation summary that was reportedly completed on 30 May?
(7) What mechanisms will DBCA employ in future
tingle burns to prevent the loss of trees and degree of canopy scorch that has
occurred in this burn?
329. Hon Jess Beckerling to the Minister for the
Environment:
I refer to the
recent prescribed burn in Giants block (Burn ID: FRK_111) near Walpole.
(1) Does the Department of Biodiversity,
Conservation and Attractions record the number of trees felled by fire during
prescribed burns?
(2) If yes to (1), how many trees has DBCA
recorded as having been felled during this burn?
(3) If no to (l), why not?
(4) What percentage of the canopy does DBCA
recognise was scorched in the burn?
(5) Did the canopy scorch exceed the target
percentage?
(6) Will the minister please table the burn
closure and evaluation summary that was reportedly completed on 30 May?
(7) What mechanisms will DBCA employ in future
tingle burns to prevent the loss of trees and degree of canopy scorch that has
occurred in this burn?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1) The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation
and Attractions does not routinely record the number of trees impacted by fire
during prescribed burns. However, DBCA did undertake a tree assessment of the Giants
East burn (FRK_111).
(2) DBCA's assessment identified 114 trees in a
91-hectare area as having fallen. These included 48 dominant tingle trees, 33 subdominant
tingle trees, 14 dead tingle trees, 17 karri trees and two jarrah trees. Of
these, 10% were collateral after having been hit by other trees.
(3) Not applicable.
(4) Approximately 50% crown scorch in dominant and
co-dominant trees within the tingle/karri forest was recorded.
(5) The crown scorch in dominant and co-dominant
trees exceeded the target of 40%.
(6) I table the attached paper, Tree Assessment Report , prepared by DBCA.
(See paper 312 .)
(7) DBCA employed a range of
strategies to reduce the impact on tingle trees in FRK_111. DBCA will continue
to implement these strategies in any future tingle burns. These strategies
include small burn cells, infrequent burn rotation, use of small machinery to
lay down scrub around mature tingle trees within 100 metres of the burn
boundary, the application of fire retardant to the trunks and bole of mature
tingle trees within 100 metres of the burn boundary to a height of 30 metres,
the use of hand ignition, lighting strategies to facilitate backburning only,
deployment of fire appliances overnight and in the days following to mop up
tingle trees, and the careful setting of surface moisture and profile moisture
parameters for tingle burns in alignment with current research.
honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1) The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation
and Attractions does not routinely record the number of trees impacted by fire
during prescribed burns. However, DBCA did undertake a tree assessment of the Giants
East burn (FRK_111).
(2) DBCA's assessment identified 114 trees in a
91-hectare area as having fallen. These included 48 dominant tingle trees, 33 subdominant
tingle trees, 14 dead tingle trees, 17 karri trees and two jarrah trees. Of
these, 10% were collateral after having been hit by other trees.
(3) Not applicable.
(4) Approximately 50% crown scorch in dominant and
co-dominant trees within the tingle/karri forest was recorded.
(5) The crown scorch in dominant and co-dominant
trees exceeded the target of 40%.
(6) I table the attached paper, Tree Assessment Report , prepared by DBCA.
(See paper 312 .)
(7) DBCA employed a range of
strategies to reduce the impact on tingle trees in FRK_111. DBCA will continue
to implement these strategies in any future tingle burns. These strategies
include small burn cells, infrequent burn rotation, use of small machinery to
lay down scrub around mature tingle trees within 100 metres of the burn
boundary, the application of fire retardant to the trunks and bole of mature
tingle trees within 100 metres of the burn boundary to a height of 30 metres,
the use of hand ignition, lighting strategies to facilitate backburning only,
deployment of fire appliances overnight and in the days following to mop up
tingle trees, and the careful setting of surface moisture and profile moisture
parameters for tingle burns in alignment with current research.
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