Wildland Fire Management Policy

1. Wildland Fire Management Policy Procedures, Perspectives, and Implications

2. The Problem • Past policy has contributed to buildup of hazardous fuels. • Hazardous conditions are contributing to loss of life, as well as increased suppression costs. • The situation is getting worse.

3. The problem: • Our current estimate is that approximately 39 million acres of National Forest System lands are in a condition of high fire hazard that makes them vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire. • These hazardous areas have contributed to an increase in firefighter fatalities and the costs of suppressing large fires.

4. Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy • Evolving process • fire control • fire management • Policy reviews • 1989 • 1995 • 2001 • Other reviews

5. These increases in fatalities and costs, particularly during the 1994 fire season, led the federal wildland fire agencies to review the federal fire management policy and program in 1995. The result was a new federal fire management policy, enacted in 1995.

6. The new Federal Fire Policy: (1995) • The first priority in wildland fire management is the protection of human life. • The second priority is the protection of natural resources, cultural resources, and property. • Wildland fire, as a critical natural process, must be reintroduced into the ecosystem.

7. Guiding Principles • Firefighter and public safety is the first priority in every fire management activity • the role of wildland fire as an essential ecological process and natural agent of change will be incorporated into the planning process • fire management plans, programs, and activities support land and resource management plans

8. Guiding Principles, continued • sound risk management is a foundation for all fire management activities • fire management programs and activities are economically viable • fire management plans are based on the best available science

9. Guiding Principles, continued • fire management plans incorporate public health and environmental quality considerations • interagency coordination and cooperation are essential • standardization of policies and procedures among federal agencies is an ongoing objective

10. Successful PNF Implementation Plan Response Prescribed Natural Fire FMP approved Prescriptive criteria appropriate Wildfire Unsuccessful Successful Successful Escaped Fire Situation Analysis Selected Alternative Suppression Response Wildfire Unsuccessful Unsuccessful Wildfire Unsuccessful Prescribed Fire Prescribed fire plan approved Prescribed fire plan implemented Objectives accomplished

11. Successful FMP not approved or human caused Initial Attack Unsuccessful Wildland Fire Successful Successful Wildland Fire Situation Analysis Selected Alternative Appropriate Management Response FMP approved Prescriptive criteria appropriate Unsuccessful Unsuccessful Unsuccessful Prescribed Fire Prescribed fire plan approved Prescribed fire plan implemented Objectives accomplished

12. Understanding the PolicyWhat the new policy is: • Amore cohesive way of approaching wildland fire management, • a foundation to facilitate more efficient operations, • a program of action that promotes concurrent use of all viable management strategies,

13. Understanding the PolicyWhat the new policy is: • a program of action that does not automatically place priority on one strategy over another without analysis of specific information, • a common planning process for all agencies, resulting in one plan, • a process based on uniform budget and fiscal procedures.

14. Successful Appropriate Management Response FMP approved Prescriptive criteria appropriate Unsuccessful Unsuccessful Prescribed Fire Prescribed fire plan approved Prescribed fire plan implemented Objectives accomplished Successful FMP not approved or human caused Initial Attack Unsuccessful Wildland Fire Successful Wildland Fire Situation Analysis Selected Alternative Unsuccessful

15. Successful FMP not approved or human caused Initial Attack Unsuccessful Wildland Fire Successful Successful Wildland Fire Situation Analysis Selected Alternative Appropriate Management Response FMP approved Prescriptive criteria appropriate Unsuccessful Unsuccessful Unsuccessful Prescribed Fire Prescribed fire plan approved Prescribed fire plan implemented Objectives accomplished

16. Appropriate Management Response • Specific actions taken in response to a wildland fire to implement protection and/or fire use objectives. • Includes full spectrum of responses • Not just one way of responding to circumstances • Provides greatest flexibility and program balance

18. Appropriate Management Response Objectives Protection Use Partial Monitoring + Holding Actions High Suppression Management Boundary Defensibility Relative Risk Monitoring + Contingency Actions Monitoring Total Low High Low External influences 10/3/97

19. Appropriate Management Response Objectives Protection Use Partial Monitoring + Holding Actions High Suppression Management Boundary Defensibility Relative Risk Monitoring + Contingency Actions Monitoring Total Low High Low External influences 10/3/97

20. Appropriate Management Response Considerations: • Safety • Cost effectiveness objectives • Ability to accomplish objectives • Environmental and fuel conditions • Constraints

21. Decision Criteria Checklist