The province has ordered two controlled burns in the Maple Bay and Metchosin areas to help restore Garry oak ecosystems.
The burns are planned for the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve off Maple Bay Road and Rocky Point in Metchosin.
According to the B.C. government, the two controlled burns will be lit by the BC Wildfire Service sometime in September or October when the site and weather conditions are favourable.
The BC Wildfire Service, with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, will burn 1.5 hectares in the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve, roughly six kilometres northeast of Duncan. The site is home to Canada’s largest recorded Garry Oak tree. The burn will be completed in three stages, burning half a hectare at a time.
The 20-hectare burn at Rocky Point will be done with the assistance of the nearby Department of National Defence’s fire department. The burn site is about three kilometres southeast of Pedder Bay Marina. The Metchosin burn will also be completed in three stages.
The B.C. government said the burns will reduce wildfire risks and manage flammable vegetation on the landscape. Borth sites are within the coastal Douglas fir biogeoclimatic zone. They contain notable populations of rare plants and animals that are studied by researchers from throughout North America.
The province said First Nation communities used to maintain the grassy plains at the sites by burning off dry grasses, shrubs and young trees that are less tolerant of fire than Garry oaks.
The ecosystems relied on regular, low-intensity ground fires to limit the spread of competing tree species, remove accumulations of dead wood and other vegetation, and promote new growth.
The province said the fire-resistant Garry oak and mature Douglas fir trees would have survived such fires and herbaceous plants would have vigorously re-sprouted after the fire had passed through.
“Reintroducing fire into these areas is an effective way to promote natural regenerative processes, control invasive species and slow the encroachment of conifer trees into these specialized ecosystems. Prescribed burns also help reduce wildfire risks by reducing the amount of fuels available to burn,” a statement from the BC Wildfire Service said.
“These two prescribed burn projects will provide valuable data that will assist with the expansion of the prescribed burning program into other pockets of Garry oak ecosystems, ensuring they are maintained as part of the region’s natural history.”
Reintroducing fire into these areas is an effective way to promote natural regenerative processes, control invasive species and slow the encroachment of conifer trees into these specialized ecosystems. Prescribed burns also help reduce wildfire risks by reducing the amount of fuels available to burn.
These two prescribed burn projects will provide valuable data that will assist with the expansion of the prescribed burning program into other pockets of Garry oak ecosystems, ensuring they are maintained as part of the region’s natural history.
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