Mount Grant Preserve Forest Management with Prescribed Fire Project
A consortium of organizations is researching prescribed fire as a tool to reduce wildfire fuels in the San Juan Islands. Studies indicate that fire historically occurred every 6–15 years before Euro-American contact, with the Coast Salish people using controlled burns to maintain ecosystems for food, medicine, and hunting. However, fire suppression and management changes have led to overstocked forests and high fuel loads, which provide increased wildfire risk.
The SJC Conservation Land Bank, Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), San Juan Islands Conservation District, Coast Salish Youth Coalition, Samish Department of Natural Resources, and Western Washington University are partnering on a project to explore how small, controlled burns can reduce excess fuels and support native species ecology.
“We live in a fire-adapted ecosystem,” says Kai Hoffman-Krull, Forest Health Manager with the San Juan Islands Conservation District. “Research shows it is not a question of if fire will return, but when. Prescribed fire lets us manage when and how fire moves through the landscape for maximum benefit.”
With DNR funding, the Islands Conservation Corps (ICC) will conduct small “micro-burns” (1,500 sq. ft.) in grassland area within the remote western portion of San Juan Island’s Mount Grant Preserve in spring 2025. Simultaneously, DNR has been training personnel in the islands how to oversee and lead broadcast burns through the State Certified Burner Program. The certification also places burn liability to the state, serving as legal protection for all entities involved.
“These efforts not only reduce wildfire risk but also support Indigenous partners in revitalizing eco-cultural practices,” says Doug McCutchen of the SJC Conservation Land Bank.
Winter and spring burns, historically practiced by Indigenous communities, will be assessed for their ability to:
- Reduce fuel loads in safe seasonal conditions
- Improve soil carbon and fertility through ash and charcoal production
- Provide open seed beds for establishing native forbs and grasses
- Evaluate fire response during different weather conditions
Members of ICC will also study fire’s role in carbon sequestration and soil health through their coursework at Western Washington University, where they serve as graduate students in the Urban Planning and Environmental Sustainability program.
“An increasingly wide body of research is illustrating what a powerful tool fire can be in storing carbon and increasing nutrient access for plants,” says Steve Hollenhorst, Assistant Professor at Western Washington University. “The soil benefits of charcoal or “biochar” have become a well understood in academia, yet that normally is within models where biochar is produced commercially and brought to a site. We are looking at how to convert our excess fuels to biochar in place, and this provides exciting opportunities for storing increasing amounts of carbon in our landscapes.”
The consortium of agencies is pleased to join the growing number of land management agencies in Washington using fire as a tool for implementing the recommendations of the Washington State Wildland Fire Protection 10-Year Strategic Plan and a 20-Year Forest Health Strategic Plan to restore the natural wildfire resilience.
For more information regarding this project, please contact San Juan Island Preserve Steward, Doug McCutchen at 360-370-7654 or email dougmc@sjclandbank.org.