On a clear, summer day, downtown Seattle appears etched into the skyline (left), but Central Washington wildfires muddle the view today (right). Credits: Cierra Hunziker, Patricia Tillmann.

Wenatchee wildfires have near- and far-reaching effects

As reported on KUOW’s Weekday this morning, grassland and timber wildfires near Wenatchee have raised the Haze Index to a 6 in the area (listen to 1:00 to 11:33). The reduced air quality is a problem for sensitive populations such as those with respiratory conditions, as well as firefighters who are getting “kettle cough” from the smoke. Even in Seattle, Janet Pierce, Spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), suggested sensitive populations should be cautious about the air quality and check the news for updates (current air quality is also available from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency).

Air quality is not the only issue facing those in the Wenatchee area. Many are worried about losing their homes and not receiving the proper notice to evacuate. Ms. Pierce assured listeners this morning that the Sherriff’s office is knocking on doors to notify those needing to evacuate. She also educated listeners about the three-level notification system used by DNR. It is a “Ready, Set, Go” system, where Level I means “Get Ready” and Level III means “Go.”

While I am reassured by the availability of warning systems throughout Washington State, I remain worried about the apparent increases in our region’s susceptibility to wildfire due to fire suppression, pests, and climate change.

Fire suppression, pests, and climate change exacerbate wildfire

Fire is a natural and necessary process in Washington’s forests, but forests in the Wenatchee area remain prone to excessively large or hot fires due to a history of fire suppression, pest management decisions, and other activities. Fire suppression allows dry underbrush, dead trees, and branches to build up on the forest floor, providing more than adequate fuel for fires and increasing the probability of fires that are larger and hotter than they were in the past. Climate change projections for Washington, specifically projections of increased summer temperature and decreased summer precipitation (relative to 1916-2006), indicate:

 “Regional area burned is likely to double or even triple by the end of the 2040s, although Washington ecosystems have different sensitivities to climate and thus different responses to climatic change” (University of Washington Climate Impacts Group [CIG], 2009).

Pests such as insects are also a natural part of forests, but the increasing presence of invasive species such as spruce budworm and pine bark beetle can leave a large number of dead trees. As noted in a recently released study by The Nature Conservancy, these trees are quick to ignite in a fire, which can further exacerbate fire severity. With climate change, the vulnerability of Washington’s trees to mountain pine beetle outbreak is projected to increase, especially for pines and trees at higher elevations (see CIG study). In fact, Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark issued Forest Health Hazard Warnings in response to declining forest conditions in several eastern Washington counties.

The risks of wildfire can be addressed with effective and proactive management

I know wildfire is a natural process and I appreciate its vital role in healthy forest and grassland ecosystems. But I also understand it puts homes and people at risk and that climate change, in combination with forest and pest management decisions, is projected to increase that risk. Fortunately, scientists and managers are working hard to come up with effective, proactive management strategies to help forest and grassland ecosystems, as well as the people and wildlife in those systems, adapt to a changing climate. Learn more at the CIG page and the Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange.

And be sure to visit our Facebook page or Twitter account (@nwfpacific) to let us know what you think about the blog!

Burned trees along the mountain ridges, Cache la Poudre River in Colorado

I expected the scenery along the river to be all blackened, but most of the trees were not burned near the river. On to the mountain crests, we could see burned trees. Many trees are very brown because Colorado only got about 10 percent of its normal snow fall this winter, so conditions are extremely dry.

The biggest visual reminder of the fire was the ash in the water. Our guide said it would normally be clear to the bottom, but we could see fine ash turning the water black. Along the edges, the sand was also black.

Check out my video diary from the trip:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Along the highways and in small towns were signs thanking the fire fighters. We send our thanks for protecting the people who live in the area, and for getting the rivers opened!

This is me showing the signal for “I’m okay” if you fall out of your raft.

Judy Kohler from our Rocky Mountain office wrote this fabulous blog about the impacts of the Colorado fire on wildlife – check it out!

National Wildlife Federation’s Storytelling Video Diary Series shares the candid tales of 10 NWF staffers from around the country; armed with their cameras in California, Wisconsin, the Pacific Northwest, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC, these nine staffers will share with you their individual trials, epiphanies and stories as they unfold in their daily adventures.

Rafters on the Cache la Poudre River in July, 2012. (NWF Photo by Judith Kohler)

At first glance, it looks normal. Dozens of life-jacketed people in bright blue and yellow rafts are bouncing along the Cache la Poudre River. A closer look reveals that the water is as dark as some of the rough rocks that make the river a favorite for kayakers. Mud is piled up along the banks and stretches into the river.

The destruction that began June 9 when a lightning-sparked fire raced over more than 87,000 acres west of Fort Collins will be felt for years as storms washing over barren slopes unleash more ash, mud and debris into the Poudre—Colorado’s only federally designated wild and scenic river.

The Poudre is also one of northern Colorado’s best fisheries.Tim Romano, in a Field & Stream blog, calls the Poudre “a beautiful trout stream.”

“It’s devastating, it really is,” says Ken Kehmeier, senior aquatic biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

He fears the majority of the adult fish could die off.

Compounding Effects of Forest Fires

Roughly 30 miles of the 126-mile river that starts in Rocky Mountain National Park are affected. The full scope of the damage likely won’t be known for a while, but biologists have already found dead fish in the river. The pH of the water has changed in places, becoming more acidic in some spots and more alkaline in others from the ash, pine needles and other debris.

“That’s  a huge stressor” for the fish, Kehmeier says.

Sediment lines the riverbed and banks of the Cache la Poudre River. (NWF Photo by Judith Kohler)

“We lost 70 percent of the adult population of fish on the South Platte after the first couple storm events. I would say it will be at least that bad on the Poudre based on what I’m seeing,” Kehmeier says.

More than $40 million has been spent to dredge a reservoir, divert sediment and revegetate the Hayman fire area.  Kehmeier says it took five or six years to start rebuilding the fish populations in the South Platte and aggressive stocking of rainbow and brown trout.

Denver Water and the city of Aurora released water from Cheesman Reservoir to flush the sediment in the South Platte. The lack of large reservoirs feeding into the Poudre means biologists need more help from nature there.

“What we really need is a big winter. A large snowpack would run a flushing flow through that system and would flush out that sediment,” Kehmeier explains.

This year, dry, warm weather resulted in the lowest-ever snowpack in parts of Colorado.  Sizzling-hot temperatures and parched forests and grasslands have driven wildfires across the Rocky Mountain West this summer. More than 250 homes were destroyed and one person was killed in the High Park fire.

The orange beetle-infested trees among the blackened trees in the Poudre Canyon are further testament to the damage caused by climate change. The winters haven’t been cold enough to kill off the bugs. Drought has weakened the trees’ resistance.

(NWF Photo by Judith Kohler)

Mud fills spaces between the rocks and gravel on the river bed, wiping out the trout’s spawning grounds and suffocating eggs, Kehmeier says. The mud kills the flies the fish eat. A loss of vegetation along the banks eliminates the canopy that helps keep the water cool and is home for grasshoppers and other insects the fish feed on.

Kehmeier has a history with the Poudre River.  He fished it while attending Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Later, he was the regional aquatic biologist for several years.

“It’s pretty painful to see the way that river looks now,” he says.

The debris and sediment will dissipate and the insects and fish will rebound. State and federal agencies will reseed the forest. Kehmeier figures the South Platte fishery is 85 to 90 percent of what it was before the wildfire.

“It will recover. The Poudre will recover,” he says. “It’s just going to take more years than people anticipate.”

After a fire the previous summer, the trees in Santiam Pass Summit stand out as black twigs against the snow. Photo by Vincent Varnas.

Climate change is fueling more extreme wildfires in the West.  You can help us fight the effects of carbon emissions and help wildlife everywhere.

This Photo of the Day was donated by a participant in the annual National Wildlife Photo Contest. See more photos or sign up for the 42nd Annual National Wildlife Photo Contest.

The Big Burn by Timothy Egan

Please use the following questions to guide you through a discussion of the book, which you can join by sharing your thoughts and questions in the comments section below.

• The Forest Service plays a central role in the book with dedicated members of the service giving everything to try to prevent the fire and minimize the damage once it had begun. Today much of the work done by the forest service is focused on fighting wildfires. Have we learned from the Big Burn or are we following a similar path? How should Climate Change factor into this?
• Profiting off of timber from the forests is a central issue in the book. Should the forests be managed for profit from timber or preserved? Is there a middle ground? How should we factor in other benefits such as carbon sequestration, water quality and recreation?
• Teddy Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot and John Muir talked about the inspirational landscapes and forests of the West that lead them to lives dedicated to conservation. Is exposure to the outdoors a necessary element to conservation and if so what are the implications of today’s youth being removed from nature?
• Did we learn from the fire? Are there any parallels between what Teddy Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot were fighting against and what modern conservationists face today?

Thank you for joining in our book club, we look forward to discussing these books with you!

April’s Book

The Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv

Discussion: May 4th

Here are a couple of things to think about while reading the book:

• Do you see that children in your own life are removed from nature?
• What experiences in your childhood impacted how you feel about nature?

The National Wildlife Federation is dedicated to reconnecting kids and families to nature through our Be Out There campaign.

But, when you include Greece, Australia and other places in the world, fires are in the news year-round indicating a global trend.

China view.cn reports:

“Wildfires have struck with increasing force in many parts of the world in recent years and experts suspect climate change has played a key role in the disasters. ‘Scientists can’t link … specific event[s] to global warming, but they forecast a need to adapt to erratic weather. This has implications for fire preparedness the world over,’…  A study led by scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, linked climate change to recent increases in large forest fires. ‘Rising seasonal temperatures and the earlier arrival of spring conditions’ are connected to a dramatic increase in large wildfires in the western United States, the study said”.  See full article: