UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship would like to congratulate Kea Rutherford on receiving the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Best Master’s Thesis Award for 2023.
Kea Rutherford’s MSc thesis is entitled “Fuel Treatment Efficacy in Fire-Prone Forests of Interior British Columbia, Canada”
Extreme wildfire seasons in western North America pose a significant forest management challenge, prompting proactive implementation of fuel treatments. This thesis assesses the efficacy of alternative fuel treatments in mitigating fire behavior and effects in southeastern British Columbia’s dry forests, revealing that while removal of small trees reduces passive crown fire risk, concurrent removal of larger trees is necessary to mitigate active crown fire, with residue fuel management showing potential but raising concerns about residual tree mortality.