Wildfire is a common disturbance in North Central Washington. There is very little of the four counties within the NCWAS area that has not burned at one time or another. The recent fires inspired concerns for birds and wildlife within the area. The National Audubon Society provides some insight into the possible effects of wildfire on birds.
The Pearl Hill and Cold Springs Fires, below, burned over 410,000 acres in 2020. Much of the area burned was in shrub-steppe plant communities.
Lynda Mapes, an environmental reporter for the Seattle Times, summarized the burns in a recent article. She points to impacts to Sharp-tailed and Sage Grouse, as well as, pygmy rabbits. Managers in the area predict a Sage Grouse population decline of 30%-70%. We will continue to learn about the character of these fires and their effects on bird and wildlife habitat and populations.
Kim Marie Thornburn, M.D. and member of the Fish and Wildlife Commission of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, presented a sober assessment of the conditions in the fire at a recent meeting of the Washington Ornithological Society. Sharp-tailed and Sage Grouse habitat and leks were consumed. A pygmy rabbit enclosure and a release area were lost.
Wildfires are, in themselves, subject to controversy. Land managers are faced with critical decisions about how to minimize future fires while confronting the reality of a blaze raging through the area they manage. Protection of structures, saving lives of people who refuse to evacuate, looking ahead to the next day – these are not easy, fun, or without consequence. It is well known that forests in the west are in need of treatments to minimize future risk of wildfire, loss of life, and property. Decisions about how to manage a forest stand are never easy. Add in the uncertainty about the degree of climate change effects, and the decision space shrinks.
Climate change, wildfires, and forest management are frequent topics in the western United States, especially during periods when wildfires are raging across the land and through towns. The finger-pointing about responsibility after a major fire often lands on forest management. Simplification of the complex physical, socio-economic, and climatic conditions is rarely sufficient for understanding or recovery. Climate change has increased the frequency and severity of wildfires in the west. Population sprawl into the urban interface areas of forested areas is guilty of placing people and property at high risk of loss due to fires. It’s a complicated and diverse situation across the western United States. A recent article in Adventure Journal addresses climate change and forest management.
Moses Coulee and Jameson Lake are known for exceptional birding opportunities. The Pearl Hill fire burned north of Highway 2, sparing all the shrub-steppe to the south and down through Palisades. The fire in Moses Coulee north of Highway 2 resulted in a mosaic of burn patterns. An aerial view shows how the fire, driven by hurricane-strength winds, swept down the coulee floor.
On-the-ground photos provide a different perspective. The following images were taken on September 20, 2020. In general, the coulee floor appears to have burned with less intensity than the upper elevations of the BLM Jameson Lake area. However, plants that look to have survived thanks to fast-moving flames or by being in a lower elevation channel on the coulee floor, have been severely desiccated.
After a fire, the discussion turns to long-term recovery. Sage is notoriously slow to recover. A recent article published by the U.S. Geological Survey helps clarify the recovery of Big Sage after a fire. Numerous post-fire attempts to seed areas with sage seed have not been entirely successful. There is a well-founded concern that weeds will be quick to establish throughout the area, cheatgrass being a primary invader. Only time will tell.
The Two Steppe Natural Area Preserve is very close to Moses Coulee. As pointed out by the Washington Department of Natural Resources, the Two Steppe area “…contains the largest remaining area of high-quality shrub-grassland ecosystems in the northwest portion of the Columbia Basin.” Much of the area burned in 2015 which gives the benefit of being able to see how natural recovery has proceeded in the last 5 years. This could be the same path that recovery in Mose Coulee will follow. Photo monitoring within Moses Coulee, when coupled with an assessment of the recovery within the Two Steppe area, would benefit our understanding of the reality of recovery of shrub-steppe areas after a fire.
The loss of habitat in Moses Coulee is a significant setback for birds and wildlife. Luckily, the edges of Jameson Lake did not burn. Coots, Pied-bill Grebes, Mallards, Great Blue Heron, and Black-billed Magpies were using the area on September 20, 2020. A Sage Thrasher was seen on a burned sage plant in the moonscape area above Jameson Lake. Horned Larks were in the area as well. It will be very interesting to see how the vegetation responds and how birds and wildlife adapt.