Company Creek Burn Pre-Burn (1997) Year 1 (1998) Year 2 (1999) Click dates above (Pre-Burn shown).

Forest Fuel Reduction Plan Summary

Even though areas west of the Cascade Crest may soak up over 80 inches of rain per year, east side forests receive much less precipitation. Species of trees such as ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and larch survive on the dry slopes of North Cascades. These landscapes typically have forests interspersed with meadows. These meadows are home to special plants and only exist because of wildfire.

Since wildfires have been suppressed (put out by firefighters) for many years, the forest communities are changing: meadows are disappearing, Douglas-firs are replacing ponderosa pines, and fuel (fallen trees, limbs and other woody debris) is accumulating under constricting canopies. Park managers have the difficult job of protecting Stehekin Valley residents from wildland fire, while at the same time reviving the landscape to its native state—a mix of Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine and meadows.

To help protect residents from wildland fire some trees are removed and woody debris is cleared away from buildings and from beneath nearby forests.

Since homes, lives and forest health are at risk, scientists at North Cascades use the scientific method to observe, predict, test and apply solutions to the problem of historic fire suppression in the Stehekin Valley.

Forest Science and Methods at North Cascades

The scientific method has been outlined below, and a description follows each step as it applies to North Cascades Fuel Reduction Plan:

1) State the Problem

Fire suppression in recent years has created a fire hazard for Stehekin Valley residents and has changed the ecology of Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine forests that depend on fire. What type of remedy should the park prescribe to solve both of these problems?

2) Gather Background Information and Make Observations

Forest ecologists have studied wildland fire in forests for years. North Cascades scientists worked with specialists to understand the detailed history of science as it relates to fire, fuel reduction methods, human impacts, and the ecology of Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine forests.

3) Create a Hypothesis

Scientists hypothesize that a combination of controlled burns and thinning trees will help solve the twofold problem: reducing fire hazards for residents and restoring the ecology. Through lengthy research, planning and observation, scientists have determined a number of objectives that will help restore Stehekin Valley forests.

4) Test the Hypothesis

Thirteen study plots have been created in the Stehekin Valley for testing their hypothesis. Some plots have been burned, others thinned and still others have been burned and thinned. Fuel has been reduced and trees have been removed near buildings.

5) Make and Record Your Observations

Researchers hike into the plots each year and record data. They monitor a number of important variables.

6) Analyze the Data

Scientists have graphed the data to visualize what has occurred. Most predictions were verified, but in a few instances the observed data did not match what researchers expected to find. For those cases, they can be expected to make modifications to their methods.

7) Make Conclusion and Apply Solution

The results of the data collected indicate that the Fuel Reduction Plan is mostly working as hypothesized. Researchers in the field have also recommended some modifications to the program.

Each year as more data is collected, scientists will better understand whether or not fire hazards are being reduced and forest ecology is being restored to the Stehekin Valley.

Practical Use of the Scientific Method

The process of the scientific method is widely used by scientists to help repair damaged ecosystems throughout the world. But the scientific method is also used every day by people around their own homes. The scientific method is essentially efficient problem solving. Use your inherent problem solving ability in Shady Characters by applying the scientific method in your own backyard.

Back to Forest Rebirth

(Data for summary supplied by Karen Kopper as MS PP Presentation, 2003.)