CAUTION 



Effects of prescribed burning in Neal Canyon were exceptionally favorable. Timber man- 

 agement objectives were achieved, wildlife habitat was markedly improved, and watershed 

 protection was not compromised. However, it is important to recognize that fire would produce 

 vastly different results in other ecological situations. 



As an example, figure 12 contrasts vegetal ground cover that has developed in Neal 

 Canyon with cover that has become established following the Sleeping Child wildfire (1961) in 

 western Montana. After 4 full years of recovery, the Sleeping Child burn had only 36 -percent 

 ground cover- -about 60 percent of the cover existing before the fire. Moreover, much of this 

 vegetation is domestic grasses that were seeded to prevent erosion. Shrub recovery has been 

 equally slow, and the present wildbife habitat values of the area are insignificant when com- 

 pared to the losses from timber destruction and watershed damage. Fire can be useful as a 

 management tool for improving wildlife habitat only when we can predict and fully understand 

 the results it will produce in specific locations . 



70 r 



&s — 



SY-0 



FIRE 



SY-1 



SY-2 



SY-3 



SY-4 



YEARS AFTER FIRE 



Figure 12. - -Development of vegetal cover after the Neal Canyon burn and the 



Sleeping Child wildfire. 



14 



