NATIONAL PARK SERVICE · U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

U.S. FOREST SERVICE

In cooperation with the State of Oregon Department of Forestry

and Washington Department of Natural Resources

Draft Report to PNWCG · June 30, 1999

 Contents

 I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .

A. Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

B. Pacific Northwest Current Condition . . . . . . . .

II. Goals and Objectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A. Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .

B. Strategy Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .

III. Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A. Action Items

1. Subgeographic interagency fuel treatment plans have beendeveloped in the context of ecosystem management goals . . . .

2. Public information and strategy in place and effective . . . .. . .

3. The increased level of smoke is managed to protect publichealth standards and air quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .

4. Workforce to meet workload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .

5. Expanded fuel treatment programs continue to place highestpriority on safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .

6. Develop a monitoring activity to measure short term and longterm goals. (Results would be evaluated in terms of quantifiableobjectives.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .

III. Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Figures

I. Introduction

"The task before us&endash; reintroducing fire&endash; is bothurgent and enormous. Conditions on millions of acres of wildlandsincrease the probability of large, intense fires beyond any scale yetwitnessed. These severe fires will, in turn, increase the risk tohumans, to property, and to the land upon which our social andeconomic well-being is so intimately intertwined."

Federal Wildand Fire

Management Policy

A. Background

Federal Wildland Fire Policy

This report addresses the implementation of the new FederalWildland Fire Management Policy (December, 1995). The new Policyintroduces the means to treat fuels and use fire more extensively,recognizing the longer-term benefits that can result.

The Policy identifies "Nine Guiding Principles" (see Appendix XX).Three of these principles are fundamental to the success ofincreasing hazardous fuels reduction in the Pacific Northwest:

· Increase firefighter and public safety.

· Reduce large fire suppression cost.

· Recognize the role of wildland fire as an essential ecologicalprocess.

In addition, the Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy andProgram Review Implementation Action Plan contains 17 items that arerelevant to increasing hazardous fuels reduction accomplishmentwithin the Pacific Northwest.

Key action items from the Federal Wildland Policy's ImplementationAction Plan:

Action Item #11

Jointly develop programs to plan, fund, and implementan expanded

program of prescribed fire in fire-dependentecosystems.

Action Item #12

Facilitate the planning and implementation oflandscape-scale prescribed

burns across agency boundaries. Seek opportunities toenter into

partnerships with tribal, state, and private landmanagers to achieve this

objective where appropriate.

Action Item #18

Conduct research and development on fuel treatmentalternatives and

techniques.

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Action Item #10

Build on existing interagency efforts to developand implement a strategic

plan that educates the general public and agencypersonnel about the

role of fire.

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B. Pacific Northwest Current Condition

Fuel conditions in many areas of the Pacific Northwest arebecoming increasingly hazardous. This condition results in larger andmore severe wildfires, especially within ecosystems in which frequentfire has been excluded.

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This situation was addressed nationally in the 1995 FederalWildland Fire Management Policy and Program Review (signed by thesecretaries of Agriculture and Interior). This policy directs federalwildland fire agencies to achieve a balance between fire suppressionand fuels management to sustain healthy ecosystems.

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It is important to view this strategy as a long-term change inapproach toward managing fire. Previous policies emphasized firesuppression, while current policies emphasize fuels management as apart of ecosystem management.

Increased fuel treatments, including prescribed fire, arenecessary to reduce the long term risk of catastrophic wildfires.Fuel treatments are likely to reduce overall smoke emissions as wellprovide other resource benefits and protect public health andproperty.

The Department of Interior agencies' hazardous fuels reduction(HFR) funding began in 1998. While these agencies have had hazardousfuels reduction activities in the past, they originated fromdifferent funding sources.

Forest Service (FS) HFR funding evolved from a "backlog" activityfuels reduction program in the early 1980s.

Currently, activity (harvest) slash treatment is declining on allfederal lands in the Pacific Northwest. HFR treatments are expectedto increase for all agencies over the next several years.

II. Goals and Objectives

A. Goal

Organize and coordinate efforts between PNWCG agencies towardincreasing

hazardous fuel reduction accomplishments in the PacificNorthwest.

B. Strategy Objectives

Desired Results in Five Years

1. Develop subgeographic interagency fuel treatment plans in thecontext of ecosystem management goals.

2. Public information and education strategy is in place andeffective.

3. The increased level of smoke is managed to protect publichealth standards and to meet air quality standards.

4. Workforce to meet workload.

5. Expanded fuel treatment programs continue to place highestpriority on safety.

6. Develop a monitoring activity to measure short term and longterm goals. (Results are evaluated in terms of quantifiableobjectives.)

III. Implementation

(From Strategy Objectives --To Achieve Desired Results)

Objective 1. Develop subgeographic interagency fuel treatmentplans in the context of ecosystem management goals.

Currently fuel treatment plans are developed for each agency, andare often tiered from or are a part of the agencies' resourcemanagement plans. Sub&endash;geographic fuels treatment plans wouldprovide the framework for coordination of fuel treatment activitiesby linking individual agency plans, and working toward jointintegrated long-term planning. The intent is to pull together agencyplans, share resources, coordinate smoke management activities, andintegrate projects across jurisdictional boundaries.

Action Item #1 Develop template for subgeographic multi-year plansincluding items such as: (PNWCG fire use and fuels working team)

· Agency mandates/limitations

· Site description

· Values to be protected

· Fuel/vegetation treatment zones

· Monitoring

· Info & education

· Smoke Management

· Contingency plans

· Share resources/implementation/funding

· Priorities for treatment

· Maps

· Meet reporting requirements in EPA Interim Wildland FirePolicy

Action Item #2 Develop regional geographic mapping standards.(PNWCG fire use and fuels working team, GIS task force)

Action Item #3 Subgeographic areas will develop multi-year plansusing the PNWCG template.

Action Item #4 Subgeographic areas will develop annual operationalplans or coordination meetings (can be a stand-alone plan or meetingnotes).

· Plan or meeting will coordinate such items as:

· Monitoring

· I&E

· Smoke Management

· Contingency

· Shared resources/implementation/funding

· Priorities for treatments

Objective 2. Public information and education strategy in placeand effective.

Action Item #5 Develop PNW geographic public information andeducation plan. (PNWCG Prevention Committee and Fuels Committeecollaborate to include fuels treatment issues)

Plan should include:

· Accomplishments

· Long/short term needs

· Impacts

· Tradeoffs

- wildfire/prescribed fire

- smoke

- risk

- effects

- mechanical vs. prescribed fire

Action Item #6 Develop regional public information and educationproducts for subgeographic use. (PNWCG)

· Pamphlets, videos, sample press releases.

Action Item #7 Subgeographic agencies are encourage to shareinformation on smoke management techniques with agricultural burnersor other entities who perform burning.

Objective 3. The increased level of smoke is managed to protectpublic health standards and air quality.

Action Item #8 Subgeographic areas will coordinate and prioritizeburning operations within State smoke management guidelines.

Action Item #9 PNWCG to promote and encourage coordinated smokemanagement plans for OR and WA.

Objective 4. Workforce to meet workload.

Action Item #10 Fire use and fuels management working team tocoordinate with training team to develop appropriate trainingcurriculum for prescribed fire planning, compliance and monitoring(NEPA, ESA, Air Quality, Smoke Management, Cultural Resources, etc.). (PMS 310-1 addresses fire training and experience for prescribedfire operations)

Action Item #11 Assessment of interagency workforce forprescribed fire, including current levels and projected needs. (Fireuse and fuels management working team to develop form, Subgeographicareas to provide data and fire use and fuels management working teamto compile).

Action Item #12 Develop procedure for reporting availableprescribed fire resources. (Fire use and fuels management workingteam to work with NWC)

Action Item #13 Identify and remove barriers to using contractresources. (Fire use and fuels management working team)

Action Item #14 Develop system to provide personnel thenecessary experience. (Training Team)

Action Item #15 Identify and remove barriers to interagency useof resources. (Fire use and fuels management working team)

Objective 5. Expanded fuel treatment programs continue to placehighest priority on safety.

Action Item #16 Review physical fitness standards in PNW regionfor prescribed fires. What do we do with the review? . . . developstandard policy?

Action Item #17 Review safety elements of prescribed fire plans. What do we do with the review?

Action Item #18 Extend season of coverage of situation reportsto daily reports during prescribed fire season (for units that areburning).

Objective 6. Develop a monitoring activity (plan, system?) tomeasure short term and long term goals. (Do we want to create aninteragency monitoring protocol?) (Results would be evaluated interms of quantifiable objectives.)

Action Item #19 "State of Fuels" address (are we talking aboutaccomplishment report, and if so what?) showing the progress madegeographically in accomplishing fuels and ecosystem restorationprograms.

Action Item #20 PNWCG visit two units per year. (Do you thinkthis will ever happen with this team? What will beaccomplished?)

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III Implementation Plan

· Each member of the Working Team will take one of the (above) sixstrategies.

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Strategies

1. Plans

Develop unit and subgeographic plans for prescribed burning andmanuel fuel reduction in the context of ecosystem management andagency mandates.

XXX Action&endash; Develop an outline for work on asubgeographic plan subgeographic interagency XXXX

2. Operations

Coordinate fuel treatment operations on geographic andsubgeographic levels.

3. Smoke Management

Manage fuel treatments so as to comply with State and Federalsmoke management regulations.

4. Public Information

Develop education plans and marketing strategies.

5. Adaptive Management

Identify how accomplishments will be measured.

6. Human Resources

Develop fire management skills of agency personnel and identifyways to increase the availability of human resources to plan andimplement fuel treatment.

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