he challenge of managing
wildland fire in the United States has dramatically increased in complexity
and magnitude over the decades. Large wildfires now threaten millions
of both public and private acres, particularly where vegetation patterns
have been altered by development, land-use practices, and aggressive fire
suppression. Potentially serious ecological deterioration is possible
where fuel loads have become extremely high. In these areas, public and
private values are at risk. To reduce the threat of these catastrophic
fires, federal wildland fire policy was revised in 1995 and engages a
proactive approach to managing fire.
ecause
wildland fire respects no boundaries, uniform policies and programs are
essential, as well as strengthening cooperators' relationships. The Departments
of the Interior and Agriculture, together with tribal and state governments
and other jurisdictions, are responsible for the protection and management
of natural resources on public lands. And, as firefighting resources become
increasingly scarce, it is more important than ever to strengthen cooperative
relationships.
he Federal Wildland Fire
Management Policy and Program Review was chartered in 1994 by the Secretaries
of the Interior and Agriculture to ensure that federal policies are uniform
and programs are cooperative and cohesive. The review was conducted by
the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service,
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The National Biological Service, Environmental Protection Agency, National
Weather Service, and FEMA also were involved. The resulting report presents
fundamental principles of fire management and recommends a set of federal
wildland fire policies. Though the different missions of the agencies
sometimes result in differences in operations, a cohesive set of federal
fire policies improves the effectiveness and efficiency of fire management
- and our ability to meet modern challenges posed by seasonal wildland
fire conditions.
ome
of the key points in the policy include:
- Protection of human life is the first priority in wildland fire management.
Once firefighters are committed to an incident, they are the number
one priority. Property and resource values are the second priority,
with management decisions based on values to be protected.
- Where wildland fire cannot be safely reintroduced
because of hazardous fuel build-ups, some form of pretreatment must
be considered, particularly in wildland/urban interface areas.
- The role of federal agencies in the wildland/urban
interface includes wildland firefighting, hazard fuels reduction, cooperative
prevention and education, and technical assistance. Primary responsibility
rests at the state and local levels.
- The Western Governors' Association will serve as a
catalyst to involve state and local agencies and private stakeholders
in achieving a cooperative approach to fire prevention and protection
in the wildland/urban interface.
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ey points continued:
- Wildland fire, as a critical natural process, must
be reintroduced into the ecosystem. Fire will be allowed to function
as nearly as possible in its natural role to achieve the long-term goals
of ecosystem health.
- Wildland fire management decisions and resource management
decisions go hand in hand and are based on approved Fire Management
and land and resource management plans. Fire managers also have the
ability to choose from the full spectrum of fire management options,
from prompt suppression to allowing fire to function in its natural
ecological role.
- Structural fire protection in the wildland/urban interface
is the responsibility of tribal, state, and local governments.
- Federal agencies must place more emphasis on educating
internal and external audiences about how and why we use and manage
wildland fire.
ur success depends upon four
things: Every agency administrator must ensure that these policies are
incorporated into all actions. Fire professionals must work with agency
administrators to make the policies work on the ground. Managers and staffs
must actively implement the recommendations and work with their constituents
to ensure success. Every employee of every agency must also be committed
to follow through on the ground.
inally,
agencies and the public must change their expectation that all wildfires
can be controlled or suppressed. No organization, technology, or equipment
can provide absolute protection when unusual fuel build-ups, extreme weather
conditions, multiple ignitions, and extreme fire behavior periodically
come together to form catastrophic events.
Following the
Cerro Grande Fire of 2000, Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt and
Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman directed the Interagency Federal
Wildland Fire Policy Review Working Group to review the 1995 Federal Wildland
Fire Management Policy and Program Review and its implications. The Working
Group's Report, released in January, 2001. |
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