Sayre Report - Hazard Mitigation Web Portal - State of California

Wildlife Biology
Habitats within the fire perimeter burned at predominantly low to moderate severity.
Although areas of high severity were observed in most drainages, the broadest expanse
of habitat that consistently burned with moderate severity occurred in the Elsmere
Canyon area.
Fires affect wildlife primarily through changes in habitat. Although individuals may have
perished during the fire event, most wildlife populations should re-colonize the area as
habitat recovers.
Habitats impacted by frequent fires are at risk of type-conversion, which may reduce the
possibility of full recovery to pre-fire habitat condition. Post fire sedimentation in riparian
systems also poses a significant risk to sensitive wildlife species. Several species may
be at risk from long-term displacement or extirpation.
Treatments to Mitigate the Emergency
o Implement appropriate BMPs upstream of sensitive riparian habitats to
minimize sediment load.
o Conduct post-fire surveys in riparian zones to detect and immediately
eradicate non-native species (e.g. arundo).
o Conduct post-fire surveys to assess wildlife populations and habitat
recovery.
o Conduct long-term monitoring of key species to document population
trends.
o Avoid livestock grazing in burned areas until at least the 2009-2010
growing season.
o Coordinate with local agency representatives prior to and during
maintenance activities to avoid, minimize, and mitigate additional impacts
to species, particularly along riparian zones.
Treatment objectives are to protect rare plants and rare natural communities from
human-caused disturbance, to promote native plant re-colonization of burned areas and
dozer lines, to curtail invasive weed infestations in their incipient stages, and to avoid
spreading invasive weeds into currently unoccupied areas.
Botany
Botanical values including rare plant species and natural communities were identified as
being at-risk within the fire area. Rare plants and natural communities should recover
from the fires naturally. Human activities post-fire present the greatest potential threat
due to the potential for to damaging rare plants, inhibiting native plant regeneration,
introducing invasive weeds, and type conversion of shrublands and oak woodlands to
non-native annual grassland dominant systems due to increased fire frequency.