Approved: Robert Stanton, Director, National Park Service

Effective Date: November 17, 1998
Sunset Date: November 17, 2002

1. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

National Park Service wildland fire management activities areessential to the protection of human life, personal property andirreplaceable natural and cultural resources, and to theaccomplishment of the NPS mission. High safety risks and expensesassociated with fire management activities require exceptional skilland attention to detail when planning and implementing firemanagement activities.

Interagency recognition of risks and expenses associated withwildland fire management culminated in a December 1995 Final Reportof the Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy and Program Review,issued by a team of fire management experts. The Secretary of theInterior has accepted and endorsed the principles, policies, andrecommendations contained in the report, and has directed the NPS toimplement them.

The objectives of this Director=s Order are to: (1)institutionalize within the NPS the new policies, organizational andoperational relationships, and changes in law and reportingrequirements reflected in the report; and (2) establish a frameworkby which the NPS will implement the report=s principles, policies,and recommendations. The provisions of this Director=s Ordersupercede all previous NPS instructions, requirements and statementsof policy relating to wildland fire management that may be inconflict.

2. LEGAL AUTHORITY FOR THIS DIRECTIVE

16 U.S.C. 1 through 4.

3. NPS MANAGEMENT POLICIES

NPS Management Policies (beginning at chapter 4, page 14) governing fire management in the National Park System are herebyrescinded and replaced with the following:

Park Fire Management Programs

Wildland fire may contribute to or hinder the achievement of parkmanagement objectives. Therefore, park fire management programs willbe designed to meet resource management objectives prescribed for thevarious areas of the park and to ensure that firefighter and publicsafety are not compromised. Each park with vegetation capable ofburning will prepare a fire management plan to guide a firemanagement program that is responsive to the park=s natural andcultural resource objectives and to safety considerations for parkvisitors, employees, and developed facilities. The EnvironmentalAssessment developed in support of the fire management plan willconsider effects on air quality, water quality, health and safety,and natural and cultural resource management objectives. Until afire management plan is approved, parks must aggressively suppressall wildland fires, taking into account the resources to be protectedand firefighter and public safety. Suppression activities withinwilderness, including the categories of designated, recommended,potential, proposed, and study areas, will be conducted in keepingwith "minimum requirement" protocols identified in Director's Order#41, Wilderness Preservation and Management.

All fires burning in natural or landscaped vegetation in parkswill be classified as either wildland fires or prescribed fires. Allwildland fires will be effectively managed, considering resourcevalues to be protected and firefighter and public safety, using thefull range of strategic and tactical options as described in anapproved fire management plan. Prescribed fires are those firesignited by park managers to achieve resource objectives and willinclude monitoring programs that record fire behavior, smokebehavior, fire decisions and fire effects, to provide information onwhether specified objectives are met.

All parks will use a systematic decision making process todetermine the most appropriate management strategies for allunplanned ignitions, and for any prescribed fires that are no longermeeting resource management objectives. Parks lacking an approvedfire management plan may not use resource benefits as a primaryconsideration influencing selection of a suppression strategy, butthey must consider the resource impacts of suppression alternativesin their decision.

The full range of suppression strategies will be considered bysuperintendents guiding suppression efforts. Methods used tosuppress wildland fires should minimize impacts of the suppressionaction and the fire, commensurate with effective control and resourcevalues to be protected. Park superintendents must address the needfor adequate funding and staffing to support fire managementoperations.

4. OPERATIONAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

4.1 The NPS is committed to protecting park resources andnatural ecological processes; but firefighter and public safety mustbe the first priority in all fire management activities.

4.2 NPS fire management activities will be performed inaccordance with the principles, policies, and recommendations of theFinal Report of the Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy andProgram Review, and with Part 620 of the Departmental

Manual. Air operations during wildland fire incidents will complywith the provisions of Director=s Order #60 (Aviation Management) andParts 350-354 of the Departmental Manual

4.3 All naturally caused wildland fires may be managed toaccomplish resource management goals, provided there is an approvedfire management plan, and provided they do not compromise firefighterand public safety, threaten property, or violate air quality laws orregulations.

4.4 To implement NPS Management Policies governing firemanagement, the NPS will administer its wildland fire program in amanner that will:

a) Achieve maximum overall benefits and minimize damages ofwildland fire use within the framework of land use objectives andresource management plans, while giving primary consideration tofirefighter and public safety.

b) Educate employees and the public about the scope and effectof wildland fire management, including fuels management, resourceprotection, prevention, hazard/risk assessment, mitigation andrehabilitation, and fire=s role in ecosystem management.

c) Stabilize and prevent further degradation of natural andcultural resources lost in and/or damaged by impacts of wildlandfires and/or fire management activities.

d) Maintain the highest standards of professional and technicalexpertise in planning and safely implementing an effective wildlandfire management program.

e) Integrate fire management with all other aspects of parkmanagement.

f) Manage wildland fire incidents in accordance with acceptedinteragency standards, using appropriate management strategies andtactics and maximize efficiencies realized through interagencycoordination and cooperation.

g) Scientifically manage wildland fire using best availabletechnology as an essential ecological process to restore, preserve,or maintain ecosystems and use resource information gained throughinventory and monitoring to evaluate and improve the program.

h) Protect life and property and accomplish resource managementobjectives, including restoration of the natural role of fire infire-dependent ecosystems.

i) Effectively integrate the preservation of wildernessincluding the application of "minimum requirement" managementtechniques into all activities impacting this resource.

4.5 The Associate Director for Park Operations and Educationwill represent, and act on behalf of, the NPS on the InteragencyManagement Oversight Team.

4.6 The Associate Director for Park Operations and Educationwill prepare and issue a reference manual to help NPS managers andfield staff understand and implement Departmental and NPS policiesapplicable to fire management. The reference manual will containdetailed procedures emphasizing personnel safety, the use of wildlandfire for beneficial purposes, monitoring of smoke behavior and theconcept of risk management.

4.7 The superintendent of each park having burnable vegetationwill ensure that the manual referenced in paragraph 4.6 (ReferenceManual - 18) is available in sufficient quantities to serve the needsof fire management staff within the park, and will ensure that firemanagement staff is adequately versed in the Departmental and NPSpolicies and procedures contained therein.

4.8 NPS employees will take advantage of appropriateopportunities to educate the public about the positive values ofwildland fire and the manner in which the NPS manages fire to meetecosystem management objectives.

4.9 The Associate Director for Natural Resource Stewardship andScience will develop, in concert with the Associate Director for ParkOperations and Education: (1) a research program to addressscientific information needs, technological needs and advances, riskassessment, social and economic concerns, and public health concerns;(2) procedures to ensure that park resource management plansadequately take into account the positive values of wildland andprescribed fire as a tool for ecosystem management; and (3) a primerto assist all NPS personnel in accomplishing the objective ofparagraph 4.8.

5. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

To further implement NPS Management Policies governing firemanagement activities, and to comply with the principles, policies,and recommendations of the Final Report of the Federal Wildland FireManagement Policy and Program Review and Part 910 of the DepartmentalManual, the NPS adopts the following program requirements:

5.1 Safety and Health

a) Firefighter and public safety is the first priority in all firemanagement activities.

b) Fire personnel will meet appropriate qualifications forincident assignments, including medical requirements.

c) Fire personnel will be equipped with personal protectiveequipment appropriate to their incident assignments.

d) Fire personnel, including cooperators, will comply withNational Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) and NPS fitness andpersonal protective equipment standards while assigned to fireincidents. Mutual aid cooperators, responding to NPS fires underMemoranda of Agreement, will meet their respective personalprotective equipment and qualification standards during initialaction operations. However, during project fire or extendedoperations, cooperators will meet NWCG equipment and qualificationstandards.

e) Fire personnel assigned to fireline operations will complete aminimum of 32 hours of basic wildland fire training, and thenannually a minimum of 8 hours of refresher safety training prior toincident assignments.

f) No "live fire" shelter training exercises will be conducted orcondoned by the NPS.

g) All wildland fire incidents which result in human entrapment,fatalities, or serious injuries, or result in incidents withpotential for the above (see RM-18 for definition), will be reportedand investigated. Pending initial assessment, those directlyinvolved in the event to be investigated will be removed fromfireline duties as soon as practical, and will be made available forinterview by the investigation team. Appropriate administrativeactions will be taken subsequent to a full investigation.

h) All safety standards and guidelines identified within theInteragency Incident Business Management Handbook will befollowed.

i) Management of all wildland fire incidents will comply withinteragency risk management standards.

j) The Job Hazard Analysis process will be used for potentiallyhazardous fire management activities, and for jobs which requireemployee use of out-of-the-ordinary personal protective equipment. See Reference Manual 18 for Job Hazard Analysis process andformat.

5.2 Fire Management Plans.

a) Every park area with burnable vegetation must have a fire management plan approved by the superintendent.

b) All approved fire management plans will:

1. Reinforce the commitment that firefighter and public safetyis the first priority.

2. Describe wildland fire management objectives which arederived from land, natural, and cultural resource management plansand address public health issues and values to be protected.

3. Address all potential wildland fire occurrences and considerthe full range of wildland fire management actions.

4. Promote an interagency approach to managing fires on anecosystem basis across agency boundaries and in conformance with thenatural ecological processes and conditions characteristic of theecosystem.

5. Include a description of rehabilitation techniques andstandards that comply with resource management plan objectives andmitigate immediate safety threats.

6. Be developed with internal and external interdisciplinaryinput and reviewed by appropriate subject matter experts and allpertinent interested parties, and approved by the parksuperintendent.

7. Comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) andany other applicable regulatory requirements.

8. Include a wildland fire prevention analysis and plan.

9. Include a fuels management analysis and plan.

10. Include procedures for short and long term monitoring todocument that overall programmatic objectives are being met andundesired effects are not occurring.

c) Until a Fire Management Plan is approved, park areas must takean aggressive suppression action on all wildland fires, taking intoaccount firefighter and public safety and resources to be protectedwithin and outside the park.

d) Although resource impacts of suppression alternatives mustalways be considered in selecting a fire management strategy,resource benefits cannot be a primary consideration unless there isan approved Fire Management Plan.

5.3 Interagency Coordination.

a) All park areas will comply with the National InteragencyMobilization Guide in all applicable aspects for wildland firemanagement.

b) Superintendents will pursue mutual assistance agreements withnearby fire management units of Federal, state, local and Tribalagencies. All agreements involving an obligation of funds orassumption of liability must be reviewed by a solicitor for legalsufficiency. Procedures established by the NPS Contracts and PropertyManagement Program will be followed if NPS funds will be obligated.

5.4 Training, Qualifications, and Certification.

a) All NPS employees assigned dedicated fire program managementresponsibilities at the park, regional, or national level shall meetestablished interagency and NPS competencies (knowledge, skills andabilities) and concomitant qualifications.

b) All NPS employees assigned to wildland fire managementincidents will meet the training and qualification standards set bythe National Wildfire Coordinating Group

c) NPS wildland fire qualifications standards for positions otherthan those defined in NWCG 310-1 will be defined and maintained onthe DOI Incident Qualification System.

d) All wildland fires will be managed by an individual qualifiedand certified at the command level appropriate to the complexitylevel of the incident.

e) All agency administrators are responsible for verifying andcertifying that their employees meet the identified positionqualification standards.

f) All NPS employees involved in wildland fires certified at orabove Single Resource Boss/Unit Leader will have their qualificationrecords entered into and maintained annually on the DOI IncidentQualification System.

g) All NPS employees involved in wildland fires will meet thephysical fitness standards established for those positions for whichthey are qualified, as defined in the DOI Incident QualificationSystem.

5.5 Preparedness

a) Preparedness planning must be developed annually at the park,regional and national levels. As a minimum, preparedness planningmust address permanent and temporary staffing requirements for thenormal fire year and for managing fire use, a step-up staffing plan,cache management, equipment needs, training, qualifications,preseason risk analysis, dispatch, detection, initial attack,agreements, and pre-attack planning.

b) During periods when conditions exceed those of the normal fireyear, severity planning may be developed and implemented on a local,regional, and national interagency basis.

c) All agency administrators will ensure that trained andcertified employees are made available to participate in wildlandfire management activities, as the situation demands, and thatemployees with operational, administrative, or other skills supportthe wildland fire program as needed.

5.6 Prescribed Fire Operations

a) The use of prescribed fire is permissible only when a FireManagement Plan that authorizes and describes such activities hasbeen completed and approved.

b) All prescribed fire activity will comply with applicableFederal, state and local air and water quality laws andregulations.

5.7 Prescribed Burn Plans

a) All prescribed fire projects will have a burn plan approved bythe superintendent.

b) All burn plans will be prepared using a systematicdecision-making process, and contain measurable objectives,predetermined prescription, and environmental compliancedocumentation.

c) Contingency actions must be described in the event theprescription is exceeded.

d) All burn plans will address the need for alerting parkneighbors and appropriate public officials to the objectives andtiming of the planned burn.

5.8 Prescribed Fire Monitoring

a) Fire effects monitoring must be done to evaluate the degree towhich objectives are accomplished.

b) Long-term monitoring is required to document that overallprogrammatic objectives are being met and undesired effects are notoccurring.

c) Evaluation of fire effects data is the joint responsibility offire management and natural resource management personnel.

5.9 Fuels Management

a) Park areas will identify, manage, and reduce where appropriate,accumulations of hazardous fuels.

b) Wildland fire use, prescribed fire, and non-fire techniques areappropriate tools for reducing hazardous fuels.

c) Park areas will reduce, to the extent possible, hazardous fuelsin the wildland/urban interface.

d) All NPS design and construction projects will consider wildlandfire prevention, protection capability and mitigation measures toreduce potential for adverse impacts of wildland fire. Mitigationmeasures include, but are not limited to, site location (e.g.,position on slope, setback from slope) and fuels management withinthe vicinity of development.

e) Design and project costs must include mitigation measures andincorporate mitigation measures in environmental compliancedocumentation.

f) All park programs to manage accumulations of hazardous fuelsmust be identified in the park resource management plan and must bethe subject of an appropriate level of NEPA and cultural resourceprotection compliance.

g) Fuels management project rehabilitation is inappropriate in theNPS.

5.10 Debris Disposal

a) An important goal of national park management is themaintenance of clean air and clear visibility. With that in mind, ifit is deemed infeasible or impracticable to mechanically removedebris, wildland fire may be used as a routine maintenance activityto dispose of naturally occurring debris or debris generated fromother maintenance actions, construction activities, or the removal ofhazardous trees or discarded building and administrativematerials.

b) All debris burning activities will be reviewed by a firemanagement officer.

c) All construction contracts/projects which produce vegetationdebris will specify when and how the material will be disposed of,and will be reviewed by the fire management officer.

d) Wildland fire qualified personnel and a formal prescribed fireburn plan are not necessary for debris burning projects, unlessreview by a fire management officer indicates a potential forescape.

e) Debris burning will not be reported through the DI-1202 processunless the burn escapes the designated project area.

f) All debris burning activities will be conducted in compliancewith local, state, and federal air quality requirements andpermits.

5.11 Certification

a) For each wildland fire being managed for resource objectivesunder an operational management plan, the park superintendent isrequired to certify daily that the management strategy continues tomeet overall management objectives.

b) Daily certification authority may be re-delegated to specificincident management positions as appropriate.

c) If selection of a new management alternative is needed,certification authority will automatically and immediately revert tothe park superintendent.

5.12 Evaluation and Reviews

a) All wildland fires and fire-related incidents will be reviewedby the appropriate management level.

b) All entrapments and fire shelter deployments will be reviewedby an interagency investigation team.

c) All personnel assigned to any wildland fire will receive aperformance evaluation. The evaluation will be verbal or writtencommensurate with the complexity of the incident. Writtendocumentation of unsafe or substandard and exemplary performance ismandatory.

d) The Associate Director, Park Operations & Education, willconvene an ad-hoc team to review Service-wide fire managementprograms subsequent to the occurrence of any significant,controversial or unusual wildland fire management activities.

e) All prescribed fires will be reviewed as appropriate.

5.13 Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation

a) Emergency rehabilitation will be carried out on all wildlandfires as necessary to prevent land degradation and resource damagesand mitigate unsafe conditions caused by the wildland fire or byactions taken to suppress the fire.

b) The Department=s BAER Handbook will be the primary source ofguidance on BAER policies and procedures, and will be implemented asprescribed in this Director=s Order and Reference Manual-18.

c) The NPS will utilize the least intrusive BAER actions requiredto mitigate actual or potential damage caused by wildland fire. Erosion following wildland fire is an element of natural landscapechange and should not necessarily be viewed as a deleterious effect,especially in natural areas.

d) Natural recovery by native plant species is preferable toseeding. Seeding should be used only when approved to preventunacceptable erosion or to resist competition from exotics orinvasive species.

e) Mitigation of fire suppression activity damage will bespecified in incident action plans.

f) Burned area emergency rehabilitation plans will be prepared asnecessary to specify long-term actions for mitigating the deleteriouseffects of wildland fires.

g) Planning, funding, and timing requirements for fire suppressionactivity damage and burned area emergency rehabilitation arespecified in Reference Manual-18.

5.14 Research

a) Research programs will be developed on an interagency basis,addressing scientific information needs, technological needs andadvances, risk management, social and economic concerns, and publichealth concerns.

b) Research findings will be used to provide a sound basis for theintegration of wildland fire into land-use and resource managementactivities.

5.15 FIREPRO Analysis

a) FIREPRO funds are provided through the Department of theInterior firefighting account (P.L. 101-121, Department of theInterior and Associated Agencies Appropriation Act, 1990), which maybe supplemented by the emergency authority provisions of Section 102of the Department of the Interior Appropriation Act. FIREPRO fundsare non-ONPS, no-year funds which will be distributed to parks andSupport Offices by the NPS Fire Management Program Center, throughWASO Budget. FIREPRO funds will be managed through the use of uniquecost account codes established for the various wildland firemanagement program activities and cannot be used to fund personnel oractivities not directly supporting wildland fire management.

b) All FIREPRO funding activities must comply with allinstructions prescribed in Reference Manual-18 and the FIREPRO USER'SGUIDE.

5.16 Fire Business and Personnel Management

a) The need to expedite operations in the wildland fire managementprogram, combined with the interagency nature of the program, hasresulted in a body of law and business and personnel managementpractices that are quite different from those that normally apply toNPS operations. Those who are involved in managing wildland fireactivities must be knowledgeable of the laws and practices that applyto their responsibilities.

b) All fire business and personnel management activities mustcomply with all instructions prescribed in Reference Manual-18, FireManagement Compendium, Interagency Incident Business ManagementHandbook (NWCG Handbook 2), and 5 CFR, parts 550, 551 and 532.

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