Saw this article this morning about the human use of fire in the BWCA.

Human Use of Fire in BWCA

Very interesting! Thanks for posting.

Really interesting! Thanks. I remember admiring the big red pines and more open conditions along the Dahlgren portage, but the role of human-caused fire didn't enter my thoughts, then. And I wasn't aware that scars I would have just interpreted as blazes might have other reasons (resin collection). Very neat article.

Interesting. I’m going to have to watch for those red pine pitch collection scares. That aerial photo would be fun to explore. I think that’s Warrier hill in upper right and Tiger bay in the foreground left.

Interesting article, I wonder if it will go anywhere? So many studies and so little action. It sounds good on paper but when you get to the cost of pulling this off, things start to unravel. We are dealing with similar situations out here. When it comes down to the actual work, the USFS can't afford it. They say most of there budget is used up managing fires throughout the summer.

Thanks for posting this, great info. I hope they do start doing prescribed burns up there. Native Americans sure knew how to manage the lands. We have a lot to learn from them.

Michwall2: "Saw this article this morning about the human use of fire in the BWCA.

Human Use of Fire in BWCA "

Excellent article! Fire, when allowed naturally or used wisely is a very important thing for strong and healthy forests! What fools we have been for too long! No wonder there are such hot and destructive fires in our Western States and elsewhere. Will we ever learn?

Thanks for posting the link. Good article which got me thinking.

Jaywalker: "Interesting. I’m going to have to watch for those red pine pitch collection scares. "

I saw alot of them in the Southeastern US while I was prescribed burning or doing wildfires in what is left of the Longleaf Pine species. Mostly were post European human settlement, many had old steel and remanents grown into the tree or at the base of them. I can't remember what they used the pitch for back then?
They were 1920-30th ish, if I remember the locals telling me correctly.

We were prescribed burning for RCW (Red Cockaded Woodpecker ) habitat.

minnmike: " Thanks for posting this, great info. I hope they do start doing prescribed burns up there. Native Americans sure knew how to manage the lands. We have a lot to learn from them. "

You kind of wonder, what type of forest was there when the Native Americans first started to manage it. Was it pretty much already clear or like we are starting with present time?

MHS67: "

minnmike: " Thanks for posting this, great info. I hope they do start doing prescribed burns up there. Native Americans sure knew how to manage the lands. We have a lot to learn from them. "

You kind of wonder, what type of forest was there when the Native Americans first started to manage it. Was it pretty much already clear or like we are starting with present time?"

Interesting question. I believe the answer is that it was tundra...people arrived here right as the glaciers retreated.

The article had me won over, until I got to the line... "and as an important step toward social justice".

What ever happened to leave no trace?

Stumpy: "The article had me won over, until I got to the line... "and as an important step toward social justice"."

From the article:
"The scientists say the findings should be a “call to action” for advocates and wilderness managers to acknowledge this traditional knowledge and once again return frequent fire to the landscape, for the health and resiliency of the wilderness woods, and as an important step toward social justice."

It is a very awkward sentence, and I'm not even sure what social justice has to do with this topic? Maybe I am still asleep.

Reading Sig Olson, he talks often of how careless the indigenous people were with fires, so it makes sense that lots of smaller fires were started along canoe routes.

Jaywalker: "Interesting. I’m going to have to watch for those red pine pitch collection scares. That aerial photo would be fun to explore. I think that’s Warrier hill in upper right and Tiger bay in the foreground left. "

You're right about the location. My brother and I spent an afternoon holed up just under the B in Border on the ariel map. We were trying to cross to Warrior Hill, but the wind had other ideas.

Super cool article.

LindenTree: "

Jaywalker: "Interesting. I’m going to have to watch for those red pine pitch collection scares. "

I saw alot of them in the Southeastern US while I was prescribed burning or doing wildfires in what is left of the Longleaf Pine species. Mostly were post European human settlement, many had old steel and remanents grown into the tree or at the base of them. I can't remember what they used the pitch for back then?
They were 1920-30th ish, if I remember the locals telling me correctly.

We were prescribed burning for RCW (Red Cockaded Woodpecker ) habitat."

Maybe for turpentine and rosin. If earlier on, I might have guessed marine stores (guess those old wood ships got leaky)

rtallent:

Maybe for turpentine and rosin. If earlier on, I might have guessed marine stores (guess those old wood ships got leaky)"

Good call, I googled it, two of many uses of the pitch/resin.

Pine tree resins.

LindenTree: "

rtallent:
Maybe for turpentine and rosin. If earlier on, I might have guessed marine stores (guess those old wood ships got leaky)"

Good call, I googled it, two of many uses of the pitch/resin.


Pine tree resins. "

"

rtallent:
Maybe for turpentine and rosin. If earlier on, I might have guessed marine stores (guess those old wood ships got leaky)"

Good call, I googled it, two of many uses of the pitch/resin.



Pine tree resins. ""

Why didn't they check the Canadian fur trade journals about wildland fires? -At one time 90% of the fires on Forest Service land was caused by lightning. This past year, 44% of the wildland fires were started by lightning. It is a long shot declaring that fires 300 to 400 years ago were part of a managed forest system without more information to back it up.

gymcoachdon: "

Stumpy: "The article had me won over, until I got to the line... "and as an important step toward social justice"."

From the article:
"The scientists say the findings should be a “call to action” for advocates and wilderness managers to acknowledge this traditional knowledge and once again return frequent fire to the landscape, for the health and resiliency of the wilderness woods, and as an important step toward social justice."


It is a very awkward sentence, and I'm not even sure what social justice has to do with this topic? Maybe I am still asleep.


Reading Sig Olson, he talks often of how careless the indigenous people were with fires, so it makes sense that lots of smaller fires were started along canoe routes."

Thank you.... many like you, have more patience, than I.

Great article. Thanks for sharing it.

Always said best book on the history of ecology and fires is by Miron ‘Bud’ Heinselman-His Book The Boundary Waters Wilderness. I would think anyone interested in the BWCA would own a copy.
One thing every so many decades you would have massive burns caused by lightning etc. and with no suppression many were huge.

Pinetree: "Always said best book on the history of ecology and fires is by Miron ‘Bud’ Heinselman-His Book The Boundary Waters Wilderness. I would think anyone interested in the BWCA would own a copy.
One thing every so many decades you would have massive burns caused by lightning etc. and with no suppression many were huge.
"

I will second this...I bought this book, and skimmed through it looking for particular things of interest. Then I read it cover to cover.
It is not a book of stories, but man it is loaded with information!

third;
heinselman