Fuels Management & Fire Ecology

An important part of the Preserve's overall management includes wildfire risk reduction and control of the amount of vegetation, or "fuels", present. This is called fuels management.

Periodic fire has been a natural part of the foothill chaparral ecology in the Pine Hill area for thousands of years. These relatively frequent fires cleared out accumulated vegetation without threatening the health of the natural plant community. Native Americans living in the foothills were known to have set fires purposely, mimicking the natural fire patterns.

The rare plants of the Pine Hill Preserve have evolved with such a fire regime and they have adapted to periodic fires. The types of plants that live in the Preserve respond to fire by sprouting and by germination of seeds stimulated by the fire. Soon after burning, new sprouts grow from the root, dormant bulbs and root crowns of many plants. Then, fall and winter rains trigger prolific germination of non-woody plants, often resulting in a colorful array of wildflowers in the Spring.

Many of the rare plants in the Preserve require for their survival clearings in the vegetation to allow sufficient light to penetrate to their often low-lying leaves. Periodic fire also tends to reduce competition from larger shrubs for scarce water and nutrients in the soil.

Due to wide-spread fire suppression efforts, however, the natural occurrence of fire has been largely absent for over 100 years, resulting in a dangerous buildup of fuels. If a wildfire were to occur today, it could pose a serious threat to nearby property as well as to the plants and animals living there.

This is why the agencies managing the Preserve are developing a Fuels Management Plan. This Plan will determine the safest, most effective ways of protecting the area from catastrophic fire while also considering the biological needs of the rare plants. Prior to completion of a Fuels Management Plan, all the issues will be analyzed and reviewed by specialists within the member agencies. Neighboring landowners will be contacted and consulted before actions are taken on adjacent Preserve lands.