From introduction: 'In the mosaic of stand types and stand ages in boreal forest, conifer food webs are often characterized by invertebrates and their avian predators, whereas young deciduous or broadleaf forest is more generally the forage base for mammalian food webs (Pastor et al. 1996). Wildlife managers in boreal forest recognize that species diversity, and the abundance and productivity of wildlife, are often positively correlated to recent disturbance that creates early successional habitats (Haggstrom and Kelleyhouse 1996). Maintaining or improving opportunities for hunting and wildlife viewing in interior Alaska requires active habitat management, particularly near populated, road accessible areas (Haggstrom and Kelleyhouse 1996). Habitat enhancement must be effective, affordable, and acceptable to optimize use of limited financial resources and to address often conflicting public concerns over wildlife and associated land management practices. Conducting prescribed burns puts an onus on managers to objectively evaluate whether results of the treatment met the stated goals, thus justifying the expense and risk of the treatment.The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Division of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) has encouraged landowners and managers to allow wildland fires for habitat enhancement wherever possible. Since the mid-1990s, DWC has also received dedicated funds from the Alaska Legislature for enhancement and restoration of wildlife habitat by means of prescribed fire and mechanical treatments. Whereas stand-scale burns (<12 ha) have been relatively expensive because of firefighter labor and other fixed costs ($790/ha), three landscape-scale burns of 2700-18,500 ha conducted by aerial ignition from helicopters in 1998 and 1999 were relatively inexpensive ($0.85/ha).'