When we talk about “historical reference conditions” the date era is defined as the period of time before intensive European settlement altered the natural environment. Whether or not restoration to these conditions is desirable from the owner’s perspective is a different question.
Correct. But much of the drier western forests were naturally maintained/regulated by low severity lighting strike fires on a periodic basis. In fact dendrochronolgy studies have shown that ponderosa pine forests in the interior west experienced these lightning fires on average once every decade.
One of my biggest concerns is a careless smoker tossing a butt in the dry grass along the highway near our forest during a drought. It's a beautifully healthy forest with about 20,000 trees of mixed hardwoods and pines. 9-10 species of oaks, hickory, butternut, walnut, tulip poplar, black locust by the thousands, cherry, sassafras, white pines... tons of shrubs, crab apple, etc around the edge. Been working on it since 1989. I try and keep the grass mowed along the highway as best I can.
Wife and I looked at a cottage on a nice looking lake last year in the spring. Took a look at it on google earth in a late summer view. Completely covered in algae. Investigation revealed about 15 miles upstream from where the feeder creek enters the lake, an industrial plant of some sort had been sued for contamination of the creek, a couple lakes downstream, and a bunch of other stuff. The fish in the lake had a do not consume warning from the state. Houses on the lake were selling for cheap, and that's how we found out why. Sad.On the land is always valuable topic;
California farms fail as land values plunge amid groundwater crisis
With aquifers nationwide in dangerous decline, an estimated 500,000 acres of farmland may be taken out of cultivation by 2040www.mercurynews.com
Basically as the aquifer dries up land values are plummeting to perhaps 25% of just a few years ago.
A property that our family once owned has had its value plummet as an upstream plating company dumped PFAS in to a tributary, contaminating the rivers and lakes downstream, and making the fish not safe for human consumption.
Look at what Maine is dealing with sludge that was used to fertilize fields.
Lots of ways for things to go sideways, outside of the owner's control.
All the best,
Peter
Mowed grass doesn’t carry fire very well even if it’s dry.
Eventually.... May..... Decades..... Centuries.... all undeterminable time periods. But some day, it'll go back to what its supposed to be, probably centuries after people are gone.
I know. If I don't mow it, the state MAY mow it once a summer. It'll get 5' high sometimes. Dry as a bone. There have been a few fires along that highway over the years within a mile of the place. Fortunately, we have very responsive fire departments. Several were undermined (probably smokers) and a few were car fires.
Hopefully. We don’t have examples of large seedless areas of conifers regenerating over the past century following high severity fire. Everywhere we see regeneration, there are live seed trees.
Keep mowing it. On every running grass fire I’ve seen, the fire moves around mowed areas and doesn’t carry through those areas.
Aren't lodgepole pines like the ones that burned in 1988 Yellowstone fire conifers? When we were there in the early 80s, the place was full of regrowth. They said the fires opened the pinecones.
