Creating an Aesthetically Appealing,Safe, and Ecologically
FunctionalEnvironment
Harry Statter Firewise Landscapes Inc. Firewise is a Jackson,
WY based Forestry and Landscape Ecology Company In addition, we
operate a landscape design and installation company in the Jackson
area. Firewise Landscapes combines landscape architecture with
ecology and forestry to create aesthetically appealing and
functional landscapes Firewise manages approximately 50,000 private
acres across the West, and we consult with subdivisions,
landowners, and local governments I want to thank Jessica Brown,
who is a Landscape Architect with the National Park Service for her
assistance in putting this presentation together
We live in the forest or in other environmentally appealing
areas because we want to be in a special environment. Whats the
best way to do this? The objective is to modify an environment that
we can intimately relate to on the basest of levels while providing
for a beautiful, safe, and functional experience
Survivable In the event of a wildfire, the property does not
need defense You dont have to depend on the local fire department
to exhaust their resources and try to protect your property
Beautiful Innovative Design you DO NOT have to sacrifice beautiful
landscape design for a safe functional property Ecological
Diversity Understand the role that your property plays in the
larger landscape Understand the current condition of your property.
Be a naturalist.
Acknowledge that there will be a fire. Its not a question of
if, it is a question of when. From prairie to wetland to sagebrush
steppe to forest, all cover types burn. The NJ Meadowlands burn.
Identify the cover type surrounding your home. Know your fire
regime. When was the last burn? If you are in a prairie there are
different requirements for survivability than those in a mixed
conifer forest.
Allows you to analyze spaces in relationship to other landscape
elements Organize the structure. Its a base map. Examples:
Direction of sun Existing vegetation Wind direction Topography
Typical site movement Microclimates Natural areas of fire
protection
HOUSE LOCATION
What would you like to see in your landscape and what do you
need? WANTS: Outdoor sitting area Water feature Place for gardening
Place for kids play area/ some traditional turfgrass BBQ location
NEEDS: Truck access to septic tank Survivable space for fire
adaptation
Zone 1 clean and green. You can have trees, but no conifer.
Zone 2 include some more vertical and horizontal veg structure. No
ladder fuels. Crown separation 20 Zone 3 larger vegetation
component. No ladders. Crown separation 15 Zone Distances are
extended on higher slope angles
You have a base map developed Your landscape components have
been incorporated You have identified your zone requirements for
survivable space Now its time for your design
Allows for Organic Shapes on Contours Within the Design By
Simply Varying the Extents. Maybe you follow a contour. Maybe you
follow a stand of trees. You can let what is naturally existing
design for you. Incorporating perennials, annuals, pots, landscape
ornamentation is accommodated Texture Bloom Cycles Irrigation
There are three sides to the fire triangle Remove any one of
these components and you extinguish the fire. Modify any one of
these components and you modify fires behavior. Our focus is to
modify the fuel component Fuel Heat Oxygen
Fuel
Fuel Type Fuel Moisture Size and Shape Fuel Loading Horizontal
Continuity Vertical Arrangement
HOUSE LOCATION
Wilson, WY
Identify the area of the property where you are treating. Your
priorities and objectives are very different in the survivable
space area than in the forest. Play the role of a fire with a
chainsaw Prioritize the species you want to promote MARK YOUR TREES
FIRST BEFORE CUTTING Embrace the concept of fire, understand how it
works so that you can be the fire Its not just what you take, but
its what you leave that is the most important
If the understory is completely removed from the forest, there
is no next forest. Removal of significant neo-tropical bird
habitat, and other fauna using the understory Selecting species to
promote in the understory is key, as is assuring that the residual
immature canopy that is left has the chance to survive. Remove the
over-story as well. Removal of over-story trees?.... Its better to
encourage a young vigorous tree than an old declining tree
Much of our tastes and aesthetics are driven by what we feel is
a natural look. But what is natural? Often people believe that
doing nothing is natural, but that is NOT true. Fire adapted
ecosystems like we have in the west need fire. If we remove the
role of fire, these systems need some other form of disturbance. By
doing nothing, we are negatively impacting these ecosystems.
The critical component here is human nature. It is the
relationship of the person to the landscape. Are you a steward of
the landscape? Diagrams, fuel moisture percentages, cross-sections
of slope topography, can be analyzed and discussed. Plenty of
scientific evidence that survivable space works, but it matters not
without a educated, willing participant. How does that landowner
see themselves, and their property, as a component in the
ecosystem. Where does your property fit into the larger landscape?
This is the definition of landscape ecology. What is your
responsibility if the intent is to keep fire out? Without this very
simple question being discussed up front, the rest is jargon. A
homeowner needs to an understanding of natural.
Fire Adapted Ecosystems that have had fire removed have a very
different appearance from those fire adapted ecosystems that have
maintained a naturally occurring fire regime. Know your
environments current condition For example, the forest in which you
live may not be a healthy forest. Structure of the forest The pines
in a late successional pine forest look sickly in comparison to the
pines in an early successional phase More plants, more competition,
less vigour, more stress, more pests and diseases Know your plants,
know your diseases, know your pests
The land is dynamic and ever changing. There will be growth and
change. Stay on top of the maintenance. A little on a regular basis
saves money. Also, many variables are at play during a fire event.
In fact, most losses in structures are from embers that blow in
from the fire.
ISA Certified Arborist Landscape Architects Professional
Foresters Firewise Landscapes Inc. www.firewise.net Harry Statter
ISA Cert Arborist RM-2336 307-732-3986
A conservationist is one who is humbly aware that witheach
stroke [of the axe] he is writing his signature on theface of the
land. Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac