❓ A parliamentary question addresses the environmental impacts of a recent regeneration burn in Butler forest, focusing on monitoring, burn intensity, and the survival of habitat trees. The response details the burn's objectives, monitoring methods, and deviations from the prescription due to dry conditions, while also explaining the standard practices regarding habitat tree monitoring and future burn management.
AnsweredQoN 256Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
With regard to CALM’s recent very hot regeneration burn in Butler forest near Nannup -
(1) Has any post-burn monitoring occurred as to the impacts of that burn?
(2) If yes, -
(a) how was the monitoring conducted; and
(b) what were the results?
(3) In particular, has any post-burn monitoring been conducted into the survival or otherwise of retained habitat trees?
(4) If yes, -
(a) what were the results of the monitoring; and
(b) how many habitat trees were killed?
(5) Was the burn intended to be so hot?
(6) If not, what action will be taken in the future to ensure there is no repeat of this type of burn?
(1) Has any post-burn monitoring occurred as to the impacts of that burn?
(2) If yes, -
(a) how was the monitoring conducted; and
(b) what were the results?
(3) In particular, has any post-burn monitoring been conducted into the survival or otherwise of retained habitat trees?
(4) If yes, -
(a) what were the results of the monitoring; and
(b) how many habitat trees were killed?
(5) Was the burn intended to be so hot?
(6) If not, what action will be taken in the future to ensure there is no repeat of this type of burn?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
5 December 2002
Responded by
Minister for Housing and Works representing the Minister for the Environment and Heritage
Response time
28 days
(b) what were the results?
(b) how many habitat trees were killed?
2. (a) Monitoring comprised aerial and ground inspection. (b) In the case of this burn, four of the five objectives have been met to a 'good' standard with the fifth being assessed as 'fair'. The results indicated a 90-95 percent burn coverage and an average scorch height of 6-9 metres in forested areas and partial to a total scorch in non-forested areas. The prescription specified a burn coverage of 90 percent and a scorch height of 6 metres in forested areas. The burn was outside of these parameters due to drier than expected fuel conditions for the time of year that the burn was conducted, but is still considered to have achieved the objectives of the burn. 3. It is not usual to conduct post burn monitoring of retained habitat trees and therefore it was not done for the Butler burn. There are usually more than the required four trees per hectare that meet the requirements for habitat trees remaining after timber harvest operations, thus providing a buffer against the loss of some trees. A proportion of younger more fire tolerant trees are also selected as future habitat trees and these are very likely to survive a moderate intensity burn. The greatest threat to habitat trees is intense wildfire. I am advised that the more common low intensity prescribed burns provide the best safeguard for habitat trees. 4. Answered by 3. 5. The burn was intended to be a moderate intensity burn for the purpose of seed and lignotuber regeneration of the dominant tree species following a timber harvest operation. The burn intensity was at the upper end of the prescribed limits. Substantial heat is required to create ashbed for seed, stimulate lignotubers, and reduce some of the wood debris that might damage regrowth in a subsequent fire. 6. Great care is taken to formulate comprehensive prescriptions for burns for a range of environmental, resource management and community protection purposes. Similar effort goes into implementing the prescriptions properly. As there are a substantial number of factors that must be taken into account, the prescription results in a permissible range of burn parameters, indexed against a standard. The burn outcome can be sensitive to relatively small changes in some of the variables, particularly wind and fuel moisture. The recent succession of dry seasons has reduced the window of opportunity when conditions are ideal and has increased the risk of operating at the margins of the specifications. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is working on improved methods of monitoring burn results, particularly using remote sensing platforms. An adaptive management approach is being applied to the development of burn prescriptions for specific environmental outcomes within the south-west ecosystems. Effective monitoring is a key requirement of this approach.
(b) In the case of this burn, four of the five objectives have been met to a 'good' standard with the fifth being assessed as 'fair'. The results indicated a 90-95 percent burn coverage and an average scorch height of 6-9 metres in forested areas and partial to a total scorch in non-forested areas. The prescription specified a burn coverage of 90 percent and a scorch height of 6 metres in forested areas. The burn was outside of these parameters due to drier than expected fuel conditions for the time of year that the burn was conducted, but is still considered to have achieved the objectives of the burn. 3. It is not usual to conduct post burn monitoring of retained habitat trees and therefore it was not done for the Butler burn. There are usually more than the required four trees per hectare that meet the requirements for habitat trees remaining after timber harvest operations, thus providing a buffer against the loss of some trees. A proportion of younger more fire tolerant trees are also selected as future habitat trees and these are very likely to survive a moderate intensity burn. The greatest threat to habitat trees is intense wildfire. I am advised that the more common low intensity prescribed burns provide the best safeguard for habitat trees. 4. Answered by 3. 5. The burn was intended to be a moderate intensity burn for the purpose of seed and lignotuber regeneration of the dominant tree species following a timber harvest operation. The burn intensity was at the upper end of the prescribed limits. Substantial heat is required to create ashbed for seed, stimulate lignotubers, and reduce some of the wood debris that might damage regrowth in a subsequent fire. 6. Great care is taken to formulate comprehensive prescriptions for burns for a range of environmental, resource management and community protection purposes. Similar effort goes into implementing the prescriptions properly. As there are a substantial number of factors that must be taken into account, the prescription results in a permissible range of burn parameters, indexed against a standard. The burn outcome can be sensitive to relatively small changes in some of the variables, particularly wind and fuel moisture. The recent succession of dry seasons has reduced the window of opportunity when conditions are ideal and has increased the risk of operating at the margins of the specifications. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is working on improved methods of monitoring burn results, particularly using remote sensing platforms. An adaptive management approach is being applied to the development of burn prescriptions for specific environmental outcomes within the south-west ecosystems. Effective monitoring is a key requirement of this approach.
3. It is not usual to conduct post burn monitoring of retained habitat trees and therefore it was not done for the Butler burn. There are usually more than the required four trees per hectare that meet the requirements for habitat trees remaining after timber harvest operations, thus providing a buffer against the loss of some trees. A proportion of younger more fire tolerant trees are also selected as future habitat trees and these are very likely to survive a moderate intensity burn. The greatest threat to habitat trees is intense wildfire. I am advised that the more common low intensity prescribed burns provide the best safeguard for habitat trees. 4. Answered by 3. 5. The burn was intended to be a moderate intensity burn for the purpose of seed and lignotuber regeneration of the dominant tree species following a timber harvest operation. The burn intensity was at the upper end of the prescribed limits. Substantial heat is required to create ashbed for seed, stimulate lignotubers, and reduce some of the wood debris that might damage regrowth in a subsequent fire. 6. Great care is taken to formulate comprehensive prescriptions for burns for a range of environmental, resource management and community protection purposes. Similar effort goes into implementing the prescriptions properly. As there are a substantial number of factors that must be taken into account, the prescription results in a permissible range of burn parameters, indexed against a standard. The burn outcome can be sensitive to relatively small changes in some of the variables, particularly wind and fuel moisture. The recent succession of dry seasons has reduced the window of opportunity when conditions are ideal and has increased the risk of operating at the margins of the specifications. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is working on improved methods of monitoring burn results, particularly using remote sensing platforms. An adaptive management approach is being applied to the development of burn prescriptions for specific environmental outcomes within the south-west ecosystems. Effective monitoring is a key requirement of this approach.
4. Answered by 3. 5. The burn was intended to be a moderate intensity burn for the purpose of seed and lignotuber regeneration of the dominant tree species following a timber harvest operation. The burn intensity was at the upper end of the prescribed limits. Substantial heat is required to create ashbed for seed, stimulate lignotubers, and reduce some of the wood debris that might damage regrowth in a subsequent fire. 6. Great care is taken to formulate comprehensive prescriptions for burns for a range of environmental, resource management and community protection purposes. Similar effort goes into implementing the prescriptions properly. As there are a substantial number of factors that must be taken into account, the prescription results in a permissible range of burn parameters, indexed against a standard. The burn outcome can be sensitive to relatively small changes in some of the variables, particularly wind and fuel moisture. The recent succession of dry seasons has reduced the window of opportunity when conditions are ideal and has increased the risk of operating at the margins of the specifications. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is working on improved methods of monitoring burn results, particularly using remote sensing platforms. An adaptive management approach is being applied to the development of burn prescriptions for specific environmental outcomes within the south-west ecosystems. Effective monitoring is a key requirement of this approach.
5. The burn was intended to be a moderate intensity burn for the purpose of seed and lignotuber regeneration of the dominant tree species following a timber harvest operation. The burn intensity was at the upper end of the prescribed limits. Substantial heat is required to create ashbed for seed, stimulate lignotubers, and reduce some of the wood debris that might damage regrowth in a subsequent fire. 6. Great care is taken to formulate comprehensive prescriptions for burns for a range of environmental, resource management and community protection purposes. Similar effort goes into implementing the prescriptions properly. As there are a substantial number of factors that must be taken into account, the prescription results in a permissible range of burn parameters, indexed against a standard. The burn outcome can be sensitive to relatively small changes in some of the variables, particularly wind and fuel moisture. The recent succession of dry seasons has reduced the window of opportunity when conditions are ideal and has increased the risk of operating at the margins of the specifications. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is working on improved methods of monitoring burn results, particularly using remote sensing platforms. An adaptive management approach is being applied to the development of burn prescriptions for specific environmental outcomes within the south-west ecosystems. Effective monitoring is a key requirement of this approach.
6. Great care is taken to formulate comprehensive prescriptions for burns for a range of environmental, resource management and community protection purposes. Similar effort goes into implementing the prescriptions properly. As there are a substantial number of factors that must be taken into account, the prescription results in a permissible range of burn parameters, indexed against a standard. The burn outcome can be sensitive to relatively small changes in some of the variables, particularly wind and fuel moisture. The recent succession of dry seasons has reduced the window of opportunity when conditions are ideal and has increased the risk of operating at the margins of the specifications. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is working on improved methods of monitoring burn results, particularly using remote sensing platforms. An adaptive management approach is being applied to the development of burn prescriptions for specific environmental outcomes within the south-west ecosystems. Effective monitoring is a key requirement of this approach.
The Department of Conservation and Land Management is working on improved methods of monitoring burn results, particularly using remote sensing platforms. An adaptive management approach is being applied to the development of burn prescriptions for specific environmental outcomes within the south-west ecosystems. Effective monitoring is a key requirement of this approach.
(b) how many habitat trees were killed?
2. (a) Monitoring comprised aerial and ground inspection. (b) In the case of this burn, four of the five objectives have been met to a 'good' standard with the fifth being assessed as 'fair'. The results indicated a 90-95 percent burn coverage and an average scorch height of 6-9 metres in forested areas and partial to a total scorch in non-forested areas. The prescription specified a burn coverage of 90 percent and a scorch height of 6 metres in forested areas. The burn was outside of these parameters due to drier than expected fuel conditions for the time of year that the burn was conducted, but is still considered to have achieved the objectives of the burn. 3. It is not usual to conduct post burn monitoring of retained habitat trees and therefore it was not done for the Butler burn. There are usually more than the required four trees per hectare that meet the requirements for habitat trees remaining after timber harvest operations, thus providing a buffer against the loss of some trees. A proportion of younger more fire tolerant trees are also selected as future habitat trees and these are very likely to survive a moderate intensity burn. The greatest threat to habitat trees is intense wildfire. I am advised that the more common low intensity prescribed burns provide the best safeguard for habitat trees. 4. Answered by 3. 5. The burn was intended to be a moderate intensity burn for the purpose of seed and lignotuber regeneration of the dominant tree species following a timber harvest operation. The burn intensity was at the upper end of the prescribed limits. Substantial heat is required to create ashbed for seed, stimulate lignotubers, and reduce some of the wood debris that might damage regrowth in a subsequent fire. 6. Great care is taken to formulate comprehensive prescriptions for burns for a range of environmental, resource management and community protection purposes. Similar effort goes into implementing the prescriptions properly. As there are a substantial number of factors that must be taken into account, the prescription results in a permissible range of burn parameters, indexed against a standard. The burn outcome can be sensitive to relatively small changes in some of the variables, particularly wind and fuel moisture. The recent succession of dry seasons has reduced the window of opportunity when conditions are ideal and has increased the risk of operating at the margins of the specifications. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is working on improved methods of monitoring burn results, particularly using remote sensing platforms. An adaptive management approach is being applied to the development of burn prescriptions for specific environmental outcomes within the south-west ecosystems. Effective monitoring is a key requirement of this approach.
(b) In the case of this burn, four of the five objectives have been met to a 'good' standard with the fifth being assessed as 'fair'. The results indicated a 90-95 percent burn coverage and an average scorch height of 6-9 metres in forested areas and partial to a total scorch in non-forested areas. The prescription specified a burn coverage of 90 percent and a scorch height of 6 metres in forested areas. The burn was outside of these parameters due to drier than expected fuel conditions for the time of year that the burn was conducted, but is still considered to have achieved the objectives of the burn. 3. It is not usual to conduct post burn monitoring of retained habitat trees and therefore it was not done for the Butler burn. There are usually more than the required four trees per hectare that meet the requirements for habitat trees remaining after timber harvest operations, thus providing a buffer against the loss of some trees. A proportion of younger more fire tolerant trees are also selected as future habitat trees and these are very likely to survive a moderate intensity burn. The greatest threat to habitat trees is intense wildfire. I am advised that the more common low intensity prescribed burns provide the best safeguard for habitat trees. 4. Answered by 3. 5. The burn was intended to be a moderate intensity burn for the purpose of seed and lignotuber regeneration of the dominant tree species following a timber harvest operation. The burn intensity was at the upper end of the prescribed limits. Substantial heat is required to create ashbed for seed, stimulate lignotubers, and reduce some of the wood debris that might damage regrowth in a subsequent fire. 6. Great care is taken to formulate comprehensive prescriptions for burns for a range of environmental, resource management and community protection purposes. Similar effort goes into implementing the prescriptions properly. As there are a substantial number of factors that must be taken into account, the prescription results in a permissible range of burn parameters, indexed against a standard. The burn outcome can be sensitive to relatively small changes in some of the variables, particularly wind and fuel moisture. The recent succession of dry seasons has reduced the window of opportunity when conditions are ideal and has increased the risk of operating at the margins of the specifications. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is working on improved methods of monitoring burn results, particularly using remote sensing platforms. An adaptive management approach is being applied to the development of burn prescriptions for specific environmental outcomes within the south-west ecosystems. Effective monitoring is a key requirement of this approach.
3. It is not usual to conduct post burn monitoring of retained habitat trees and therefore it was not done for the Butler burn. There are usually more than the required four trees per hectare that meet the requirements for habitat trees remaining after timber harvest operations, thus providing a buffer against the loss of some trees. A proportion of younger more fire tolerant trees are also selected as future habitat trees and these are very likely to survive a moderate intensity burn. The greatest threat to habitat trees is intense wildfire. I am advised that the more common low intensity prescribed burns provide the best safeguard for habitat trees. 4. Answered by 3. 5. The burn was intended to be a moderate intensity burn for the purpose of seed and lignotuber regeneration of the dominant tree species following a timber harvest operation. The burn intensity was at the upper end of the prescribed limits. Substantial heat is required to create ashbed for seed, stimulate lignotubers, and reduce some of the wood debris that might damage regrowth in a subsequent fire. 6. Great care is taken to formulate comprehensive prescriptions for burns for a range of environmental, resource management and community protection purposes. Similar effort goes into implementing the prescriptions properly. As there are a substantial number of factors that must be taken into account, the prescription results in a permissible range of burn parameters, indexed against a standard. The burn outcome can be sensitive to relatively small changes in some of the variables, particularly wind and fuel moisture. The recent succession of dry seasons has reduced the window of opportunity when conditions are ideal and has increased the risk of operating at the margins of the specifications. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is working on improved methods of monitoring burn results, particularly using remote sensing platforms. An adaptive management approach is being applied to the development of burn prescriptions for specific environmental outcomes within the south-west ecosystems. Effective monitoring is a key requirement of this approach.
4. Answered by 3. 5. The burn was intended to be a moderate intensity burn for the purpose of seed and lignotuber regeneration of the dominant tree species following a timber harvest operation. The burn intensity was at the upper end of the prescribed limits. Substantial heat is required to create ashbed for seed, stimulate lignotubers, and reduce some of the wood debris that might damage regrowth in a subsequent fire. 6. Great care is taken to formulate comprehensive prescriptions for burns for a range of environmental, resource management and community protection purposes. Similar effort goes into implementing the prescriptions properly. As there are a substantial number of factors that must be taken into account, the prescription results in a permissible range of burn parameters, indexed against a standard. The burn outcome can be sensitive to relatively small changes in some of the variables, particularly wind and fuel moisture. The recent succession of dry seasons has reduced the window of opportunity when conditions are ideal and has increased the risk of operating at the margins of the specifications. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is working on improved methods of monitoring burn results, particularly using remote sensing platforms. An adaptive management approach is being applied to the development of burn prescriptions for specific environmental outcomes within the south-west ecosystems. Effective monitoring is a key requirement of this approach.
5. The burn was intended to be a moderate intensity burn for the purpose of seed and lignotuber regeneration of the dominant tree species following a timber harvest operation. The burn intensity was at the upper end of the prescribed limits. Substantial heat is required to create ashbed for seed, stimulate lignotubers, and reduce some of the wood debris that might damage regrowth in a subsequent fire. 6. Great care is taken to formulate comprehensive prescriptions for burns for a range of environmental, resource management and community protection purposes. Similar effort goes into implementing the prescriptions properly. As there are a substantial number of factors that must be taken into account, the prescription results in a permissible range of burn parameters, indexed against a standard. The burn outcome can be sensitive to relatively small changes in some of the variables, particularly wind and fuel moisture. The recent succession of dry seasons has reduced the window of opportunity when conditions are ideal and has increased the risk of operating at the margins of the specifications. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is working on improved methods of monitoring burn results, particularly using remote sensing platforms. An adaptive management approach is being applied to the development of burn prescriptions for specific environmental outcomes within the south-west ecosystems. Effective monitoring is a key requirement of this approach.
6. Great care is taken to formulate comprehensive prescriptions for burns for a range of environmental, resource management and community protection purposes. Similar effort goes into implementing the prescriptions properly. As there are a substantial number of factors that must be taken into account, the prescription results in a permissible range of burn parameters, indexed against a standard. The burn outcome can be sensitive to relatively small changes in some of the variables, particularly wind and fuel moisture. The recent succession of dry seasons has reduced the window of opportunity when conditions are ideal and has increased the risk of operating at the margins of the specifications. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is working on improved methods of monitoring burn results, particularly using remote sensing platforms. An adaptive management approach is being applied to the development of burn prescriptions for specific environmental outcomes within the south-west ecosystems. Effective monitoring is a key requirement of this approach.
The Department of Conservation and Land Management is working on improved methods of monitoring burn results, particularly using remote sensing platforms. An adaptive management approach is being applied to the development of burn prescriptions for specific environmental outcomes within the south-west ecosystems. Effective monitoring is a key requirement of this approach.
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