Modification of Interagency Strategy for the Implementation of Federal

Wildland Fire Management Policy

February 2009

Evolving Fire Management Opportunities

Purpose & Objectives• Review fire policy

evolution and the 2001 Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy

• Examine the Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy Implementation Strategy Changes

Wildland Fire Policy• Evolving Process

– Fire control– Fire management

• Recent Policy Reviews– 1989 – 1995– 2001– 2003– 2008

National Fire Policy EvolutionWFLC:• Agency Directors for NPS, FWS,

BLM, BIA, USGS• Under Secretary USDA• Chief, USFS• Associate Deputy Secretary, DOI• US Fire Administrator• Designated tribal representative• Western Governors • National county representative• National Fire District representative

Wildland Fire Policy• Why review the policy

– Interagency cooperation and communications

– Escalating fire suppression costs

– Confusion about policy implementation

– Issues where policy implementation conflicted with policy

Wildland Fire Policy• What is it all about

– Nine guiding principles important to success

– Seventeen Federal Wildland Fire Management Policies•Qualifying statements

Guiding Principles1. Firefighter and public safety

is the first priority in every fire management activity.

2. The role of wildland fire as an essential ecological process and natural agent of change will be incorporated into the planning process.

3. Fire Management Plans, programs, and activities support land and resource management plans and their implementation.

Guiding Principles (cont.)

4. Sound risk management is a foundation for all fire management activities.

5. Fire management programs and activities are economically viable, based on values to be protected, costs, and land and resource management objectives.

Guiding Principles (cont.)

6. Fire Management Plans¹ are based on the best available science.

7. Fire Management Plans¹ incorporate public health and environmental quality considerations.

¹Fire Management Plans is a generic term referring to unit level strategic plans for wildland fire and known by the names of Land, Resource and Fire Management Plans

Guiding Principles (cont.)

8. Federal, state, tribal, and local interagency coordination and cooperation are essential.

9. Standardization of policies and procedures among federal agencies is an ongoing objective.

Policy Statements1. Safety2. Fire Management and

Ecosystem Sustainability3. Response to Wildland Fire4. Use of Wildland Fire5. Rehabilitation and

Restoration6. Protection Priorities

Policy Statements (cont.)

7. Wildland Urban Interface8. Planning9. Science10.Preparedness11.Suppression12.Prevention

Policy Statements (cont.)

13.Standardization14.Interagency Cooperation15.Communication and

Education16.Agency Administrator

and Employee Roles17.Evaluation

National Fire Policy Evolution• Modification of Federal Wildland Fire

Policy Implementation:• “Wildland fires can be managed for one or

more objective(s) based on Land/Resource Management Plan direction.”

• “When 2 or more wildland fires burn together they will be handled as a single wildland fire & may be managed for one or more objectives based on the Land/Resource Management Plan direction as an event moves across the landscape and fuels and weather conditions change.”

National Fire Policy Evolution• “Every wildland fire will be assessed

following a decision support process that examines the full range of responses. The system currently being developed and prototyped is known as the Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS)

• Once a Rx fire no longer meets resource objectives stated specifically in the Rx Fire Plan/project level NEPA & declared a wildfire, it receives the same reassessment & selection of response objectives

• Initial response to human-caused wildfire will continue to be suppressed at the lowest cost with the fewest negative consequences with respect to firefighter and public safety

Understanding the Implementation

ChangesWhat the changes ARE:• a more cohesive way of

approaching wildland fire management

• a foundation to facilitate more efficient operations

• a program of action that prompts concurrent use of all viable management strategies

Understanding the Implementation Changes

What the changes ARE:

• a means to greater balance in the wildland fire program

• a means to greater efficiency

• a means to greater attention to ecological concerns

Understanding the Implementation Changes

What the changes ARE:• 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 across agency boundaries

Understanding the Implementation Changes

What the new implementation of policy IS NOT:

• a less safe method of managing wildland fires

• a significant change in what we do

• a wholesale shift to “let burn” actions

• a change in policy

Next Steps• Development of implementation

strategy/guidance– Issue in early CY 2009– Incorporate into “Red Book” & “Blue Book”

in 2010

• Each agency to implement as capability allows – land management plans and management capacity

• Begin use of WDFSS as tools, data, and training allow– Continue use of stand alone Wildland Fire

Situation Analysis (WFSA) and Wildland Fire Implementation Plan (WFIP) as needed

Implementation Strategy Changes for

2009• Eliminate the distinction between

wildland fire use and wildfire. – Wildland fires will be differentiated

by whether the ignition is planned or unplanned.

– Wildfire = unplanned– Prescribed Fire = planned

• Recommendations from 2008 “test” will be included in new implementation strategy

• Changes will be consistent with the 2001 Federal Wildland Policy language

• Implementation strategy will clarify terminology

Outcomes of the Test

• Test forests and DOI units indicated that the increased flexibility in managing unplanned ignitions was very helpful.– More fire on the landscape achieving benefits– Opportunities to be more transparent with

cooperators, stakeholders and the public

• Lessons learned for implementation– Need simple terms– Need aggressive communication and

education program – both internal and external

• Recommendations to go further in modifying policy– Eliminate Wildland Fire Use as a category

Schedule• WFLC Memo - 5/2008• NWCG Memo - 1/2009• Policy Implementation

Strategy released mid to late February

• Include Communication Plan• Agency specific guidance for

rollout to their units

Issues Needing ResolutionIssueTerminology Select terms which are

transparent, avoid development of many new terms

Internal Communication and Education

Ensure agency employees understand accept and support changes to implementation strategy

External Communication and Education

Develop “campaign’ to ensure understanding by cooperators and the public

Issues Needing Resolution

IssueTraining requirements Evaluate S 580 as a

requirement; evaluate additions/amendments to other skill position training

Skill position requirements

Evaluate FUMAs, FEMOs, LTANs, FBANs, FUMTs, FUMs for required versus optional staffing on wildfires of differing complexities

Smoke management requirements

Work with agency air quality specialists and regulatory agencies to develop procedures

Wildfires with “resource benefit” objectives

Linkages to LRMPs/FMPs; other requirements???

“We have never been limited by policy, only

by our ability”– old fire dog, 2008

Discussion/questions/answers