| Report Documents
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- Ingenika River Prescribed Burn, 2000
The objective of the burn at the Ingenika site is to convert approximately 30% to 70% of the proposed area back into an early seral community (grass and shrub), thus improving the habitat suitability of the site for early seral-dependent wildlife species.
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If you have any questions on the information presented, or require additional report data or attachments, please contact the
Ministry.
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The objective of the burn at the Ingenika site is to convert approximately 30% to 70% of the proposed area back into an early seral community (grass and shrub), thus improving the habitat suitability of the site for early seral-dependent wildlife species.
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Author: Corbould, F. B.
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Old Reference Number: PWFWCP Report No. 234
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Old Reference System: FWCP Fish Wildlife Compensation Program Peace
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Date Published: Dec 2000
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Report ID: 40287
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Audience: Government and Public
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Since the 1970s, fire suppression of wildfires has been an active management tool used by the Ministry of Forests [MoF] in order to conserve merchantable timber within managed forests of the Williston Reservoir watershed. Thus, most areas that were historically maintained in a grass and shrub community by wildfires are now advancing into more mature structural stages (e.g., pole sapling), making them less suitable for early seral-dependent wildlife species. This is of particular concern for areas that provide ungulate winter range in conifer-dominated landscapes. Consequently, to enhance habitats for grazing and browsing ungulates such as elk (Cervus elaphus nelsonnii) and moose (Alces alces), the Peace/Williston Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program [PWFWCP] has performed prescribed burning in the Finlay River
drainage since 1989. Burns have been conducted in tributary drainages to the Finlay River proper and adjacent to the Finlay Reach of the Williston Reservoir: Bevel (1989 and 1991), Ospika (1990), Akie (1990 and 1991), Pesika (1993), and Pelly (1993) (Zemlak et al. in prep). In 1996, a site along the Ingenika River drainage was proposed.
In the early and mid-part of the past century, wildfires occurred on a fairly regular basis (15-30 year interval) in the lower Ingenika River drainage, thereby maintaining much of the area in an early seral community. Hence, with its accumulated snow depths rarely exceeding 60 cm (Corbould and Martin in prep, PWFWCP unpublished data), the lower Ingenika River drainage has the capability of providing some of the best low-elevation ungulate winter range in the Finlay River drainage; the area proposed for burning has a high habitat capability rating for elk and moose (Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks unpublished data).
The objective of the burn at the Ingenika site is to convert approximately 30% to 70% of the proposed area back into an early seral community (grass and shrub), thus improving the habitat suitability of the site for early seral-dependent wildlife species. In particular, burning is intended to enhance the area for a small resident population of Rocky Mountain elk residing in the lower Ingenika and Finlay drainage that was supplemented with an additional 49 animals in February 1996 by the PWFWCP (Hengeveld and Wood 2000). By creating more extensive open habitats along the south-facing slopes, other wildlife that use the area such as blue grouse (Dendragapus obscurus), black bears (Ursus americanus), and woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus) will also benefit. These slopes provide one of the few locations in the Williston Reservoir watershed where blue grouse utilise low-elevation habitats.
In May 2000, a prescribed burn was conducted on a portion of the proposed area. This report documents the prescribed burning activities that occurred in 2000 and activities that have been involved with the Ingenika burn since it was first proposed in 1996.
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Report Type
Subject
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Birds - Blue Grouse: Dendragapus obscurus |
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Biogeoclimatic Zone - BWBS Boreal White and Black Spruce Zone |
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Mammals - Black Bear: Ursus americanus |
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Mammals - Caribou: Rangifer tarandus |
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Mammals - Rocky Mountain Elk - Cervus canadensis nelsoni |
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Region - Omineca |
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Watershed Groups - 230 - Peace River |
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