Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy Report Published
Release Date: January 23, 2001
Release Number: HQ-01-004
Washington, DC -- The Interagency Federal Wildland Fire Policy Review Working Group (Working Group), at the direction of the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, has completed a review of the 1995 Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy & Program Review (1995 Report) and its implementation. This Review and Update, with its findings and recommendations, provides a broad philosophical and policy foundation for federal agency fire management programs and activities.
The Working Group reached the following principal conclusions:
- The 1995 Federal Fire Policy is still generally sound and appropriate.
- As a result of fire exclusion, the condition of fire-adapted ecosystems continues to deteriorate; the fire hazard situation in these areas is worse than previously understood.
- The fire hazard situation in the Wildland Urban Interface is more complex and extensive than understood in 1995.
- Changes and additions to the 1995 Federal Fire Policy are needed to address important issues of ecosystem sustainability, science, education, communication, and to provide for adequate program evaluation.
- Implementation of the 1995 Federal Fire Policy has been incomplete, particularly in the quality of planning and in interagency and interdisciplinary matters.
- Emphasis on program management, implementation, oversight, leadership, and evaluation at senior levels of all federal agencies is critical for successful implementation of the 2001 Federal Wildland Fire Management.
The complete report is available in PDF format on the National Interagency Fire Center's web site http://www.nifc.gov/fire_policy/.
Last Modified: Friday, 17-Oct-2003 10:50:39