Healthy Forest Initiative (HFI)

In August 2002, the Healthy Forests Initiative (HFI) was launched by President Bush with the intent of reducing the risk to people, communities, and the environment posed by severe wildfires. By protecting forests, woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands from unnaturally occurring, intensive, and destructive wildfires, HFI helps to increase pubic and firefighter safety, improve the condition of our public lands, and conserve and protect landscape attributes valued by our society. Listed below are some out resources that may be useful in finding out more information about HFI.

• Healthy Forest Official Information Website

• Fact Sheet: Healthy Forest Initiative (White House)

• Fact Sheet: Cabinet Official

• Healthy Forests: An Initiative for Wildfire Prevention and Stronger Communities

• Healthy Forests Initiative Categorical Exclusions

• Environmental Assessment for the Healthy Forest Imitative Counterpart Regulations September 30, 2003

• Find No Significant Impact for Joint Counterpart regulations for the Healthy Forest Initiative

• Alternative Approaches for Streamlining Section 7 Consultations on Hazardous Fuels Treatment Projects

Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA)

On December 3, 2003, President Bush signed into law the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to reduce the threat of destructive wildfires while upholding environmental standards and encouraging early public input during review and planning processes. The legislation is based on sound science and helps further the President's Healthy Forests Initiative pledge to care for America's forests and rangelands, reduce the risk of catastrophic fire to communities, help save the lives of firefighters and citizens, and protect threatened and endangered species. The Healthy Forests Restoration Act serves to:

1. Strengthen public participation in developing high priority forest health projects;
2. Reduce the complexity of environmental analysis allowing federal land agencies to use the best science available to actively manage land under their protection.
3. Provide a more effective appeals process encouraging early public participation in project planning.
4. Issue clear guidance for court action against forest health projects.

• Healthy Forest Restoration Act (full text)
• Press Release: Healthy Forest Restoration Act
• Fact Sheet: HRI/HFRA
• HR1904 Short Summary
• Healthy Forest Initiative and Healthy Forests Restoration Act: Interim Field Guide

Collaboration

Collaboration involves the continual, horizontal process of working together at each national, state, and local level. The outcome must be essential to the interest, effectiveness, and efficiency of all partners in the process. Within Wildland Fire Fuels Management, collaboration is promoted with the incentive of providing a successful and valuable product or outcome. Collaborators are each a stakeholder in the project and share its success and accountability. The utilization of collaboration across agency lines, state boundaries, and private ownership creates an undeniable opportunity to get otherwise unfeasible projects completed. Collaboration occurs at all levels of the planning and implementation processes.

• Collaboration Framework - Addressing Community Capacity

• Exploring Barriers to Collaborative Forestry September 17-19, 2003

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to integrate environmental values into their decision making processes. Agencies are required to consider the environmental impacts of their proposed actions and reasonable alternatives to those actions. All fuels management treatments must comply with NEPA. Listed below is information, documents, and/or links to additional guidance in reference to NEPA policies.

Communities in the Wildland Urban Interface

The Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) is defined by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) as "the line, area, or zone where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels". This interface includes all areas where developed lands, such as homes, businesses or agricultural lands, meet undeveloped lands, such as naturally appearing ecosystems like grasslands, woodlands or forests.

Hazard Fuels Reduction Outside Communities

Fuels are considered any type of combustible material. The primary objective of hazard fuels reduction or vegetation treatments is to remove enough of this fuel to reduce the risk posed by wildfire. In general, fuels treatments reduce surface fuels and/or maintain healthy forests using thinning and limbing techniques. Treatments have been proven to successfully lessen the severity and threat of wildfires to the public and firefighter safety as well as making fire suppression easier.

Consultations and Contracting

This section will be updated in the coming weeks! Check back soon!

Resources

There are many resources including websites, newsletters, literature, etc. currently available to assist in effective and efficient Fuels Management Planning.