http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/fuelman

Schmidt et al. 2000. GTR RMRS-87.

Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC)Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC)

• Used by all 5 federal land management agencies – Performance measure– Strategic allocation of scarce resources – Prioritize areas for fuels management

• Required under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act

• Used by all 5 federal land management agencies – Performance measure– Strategic allocation of scarce resources – Prioritize areas for fuels management

• Required under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act

FRCC is an ecological departure indexFRCC is an ecological departure index

• Reflects departure of current from natural (historical) vegetation & disturbance regime

• Improving condition class (3 2 1) associated with:– reducing hazardous fuels

– reducing large fire hazard

– improving habitat conditions

– improving watershed conditions

– improving forest/rangeland health

– more sustainable landscapes

• Reflects departure of current from natural (historical) vegetation & disturbance regime

• Improving condition class (3 2 1) associated with:– reducing hazardous fuels

– reducing large fire hazard

– improving habitat conditions

– improving watershed conditions

– improving forest/rangeland health

– more sustainable landscapes

Fire

Fre

quen

cy (

year

s)

33

66

66Departure (%) - Veg-Fuel Composition/Structure

CC 2

CC 3

Fire Regime Condition ClassFire Regime Condition Class

33

100

1000D

epar

ture

(%) –

Fire

Fre

quen

cy-S

ever

ity

CC 1

Determining FRCCDetermining FRCC

• Stratify a landscape by biophysical setting– Potential natural vegetation group

• Determine reference conditions– Fire frequency and severity (fire probabilities and % severe)– Relative abundance of vegetation-fuel classes (simulation model)

• Characterize current conditions– Fire frequency and severity (fire probabilities and % severe)– Relative abundance of vegetation-fuel classes

• Calculate departure• Online training (produced by University of Idaho FRAMES

project, www.frames.gov and www.frcc.gov) and field training being provided by the Interagency FRCC Working Group made up of federal agencies and The Nature Conservancy

• Stratify a landscape by biophysical setting– Potential natural vegetation group

• Determine reference conditions– Fire frequency and severity (fire probabilities and % severe)– Relative abundance of vegetation-fuel classes (simulation model)

• Characterize current conditions– Fire frequency and severity (fire probabilities and % severe)– Relative abundance of vegetation-fuel classes

• Calculate departure• Online training (produced by University of Idaho FRAMES

project, www.frames.gov and www.frcc.gov) and field training being provided by the Interagency FRCC Working Group made up of federal agencies and The Nature Conservancy

Ponderosa Pine – Douglas-firFire Regime Group I – Frequent Surface and Mixed

Result of 1990s timber harvest, thin, and prescribed fire in CC2 (60%) landscape

FR Condition = 30; FRCC = 1

FR Condition = 25FRCC = 1

Result of wildland fire use in CC2 (60%) fire-excluded landscape

Ponderosa Pine – Douglas-firFire Regime Group I – Frequent Surface and Mixed

FR Condition = 62FRCC = 2

Ponderosa Pine – Douglas-firFire Regime Group I – Frequent Surface and Mixed

Result of Fire Exclusion – 100 years

FR Condition = 50; FRCC = 2

Result of 50 years of fire exclusion & late 1800s-1970s excessive grazing

Sagebrush-grass with tree encroachmentGreat Basin fire regime group II – Frequent stand-replacing

FR Condition = 90FRCC = 3

Ponderosa Pine – Douglas-firFire Regime Group I – Frequent Surface and Mixed

Result of 1960-1980 timber harvests

FR Condition = 90; FRCC = 3

Result of wildfire in drought year in CC2 (60%) fire-excluded landscape

Ponderosa Pine – Douglas-firFire Regime Group I – Frequent Surface and Mixed

Uncharacteristic ConditionsUncharacteristic Conditions– fuel accumulation above natural

– excessive grazing

– invasive plants, insects, or disease

– unchar. insect & disease epidemics

– unchar. fire effects

– soil & hydrologic dysfunction

– fuel accumulation above natural

– excessive grazing

– invasive plants, insects, or disease

– unchar. insect & disease epidemics

– unchar. fire effects

– soil & hydrologic dysfunction

Restore uncharacteristic by emulating natural

Why FRCC?Why FRCC?

• Recent decades with large, severe wildfires with high costs of suppression and threats to people and property

• Policy changes in 1995• GAO called for cohesive strategy in 1999• Cohesive strategy and National Fire Plan in

2000• Coarse-scale FRCC useful for strategic

planning and prioritizing action and funding

• Recent decades with large, severe wildfires with high costs of suppression and threats to people and property

• Policy changes in 1995• GAO called for cohesive strategy in 1999• Cohesive strategy and National Fire Plan in

2000• Coarse-scale FRCC useful for strategic

planning and prioritizing action and funding

Coarse Scale Data Layers – 2000Fire Regime Condition Class

Fire Regime Condition Class 1Fire Regime Condition Class 2Fire Regime Condition Class 3WaterAg & Non Vegetative Areas

1 km (250 acre pixel) – too coarse for local useUnderestimated CC3 – could be as high as 45%

Coarse-scale was designed for National strategic assessment & planningShould not be used for local assessment & planning

All Wildland – Lower 48 - 1250 million acresAll Wildland – Lower 48 - 1250 million acres40% Forest40% Forest

60% Rangeland60% RangelandFRG1&2 – Frequent – 60%FRG1&2 – Frequent – 60%FRG3&4 – Infrequent– 35%FRG3&4 – Infrequent– 35%

FRG5 – Rare -- 5%FRG5 – Rare -- 5%CC1 – 45%CC1 – 45%CC2 – 40%CC2 – 40%CC3 – 15%CC3 – 15%

FRCC Value for IntegrationFRCC Value for Integration

Not a direct fire & fuel hazard

Associated with increasing hazards

Not a directresource hazard

Associated with increasing hazards

Not a direct costof mgt or mitigation

Associated with increasing costs

Index ofsustainability

Index of forest &rangeland health

Common to all Collaborative

Recent and ongoing FRCC approachesRecent and ongoing FRCC approaches

• Coarse scale– GTR RMRS-87, http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/fuelman– Lower 48 states, expert opinion, 1km2

• Guidebook (http://www.frcc.gov)– FRCC working group: Interagency & The Nature

Conservancy

• Rapid assessment• LANDFIRE (http://www.landfire.gov)• Science review

• Coarse scale– GTR RMRS-87, http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/fuelman– Lower 48 states, expert opinion, 1km2

• Guidebook (http://www.frcc.gov)– FRCC working group: Interagency & The Nature

Conservancy

• Rapid assessment• LANDFIRE (http://www.landfire.gov)• Science review

Strengths and limitationsStrengths and limitations

• Landscape scale

• Ecological

• Simple

• Uncharacteristic vegetation, pattern & fire

• Reference conditions – Estimated through simulation based on

experience and often very limited data– Are they relevant? Restorable? Useful?

• Landscape scale

• Ecological

• Simple

• Uncharacteristic vegetation, pattern & fire

• Reference conditions – Estimated through simulation based on

experience and often very limited data– Are they relevant? Restorable? Useful?

Determining FRCCDetermining FRCC

• Stratify a landscape by biophysical setting– Potential natural vegetation group

• Determine reference conditions– Fire frequency and severity (fire probabilities and % severe)– Relative abundance of vegetation-fuel classes (simulation model)

• Characterize current conditions– Fire frequency and severity (fire probabilities and % severe)– Relative abundance of vegetation-fuel classes

• Calculate departure• Online training (produced by University of Idaho FRAMES

project, www.frames.gov and www.frcc.gov) and field training being provided by the Interagency FRCC Working Group made up of federal agencies and The Nature Conservancy

• Stratify a landscape by biophysical setting– Potential natural vegetation group

• Determine reference conditions– Fire frequency and severity (fire probabilities and % severe)– Relative abundance of vegetation-fuel classes (simulation model)

• Characterize current conditions– Fire frequency and severity (fire probabilities and % severe)– Relative abundance of vegetation-fuel classes

• Calculate departure• Online training (produced by University of Idaho FRAMES

project, www.frames.gov and www.frcc.gov) and field training being provided by the Interagency FRCC Working Group made up of federal agencies and The Nature Conservancy