• Biologist
• Steering Committee
• Mentor Application
• Mentee Application
• Letter
• Charter

Wildland Fire Workshops for Consultation Biologists

Wildland Fire Workshops for Consultation Biologists

This is a course that provides and introduction for biologists who wish to participate in resource advisors roles on wildland fires and prescribed fire planning. This course provides the basic fire control activities and fire management overview along with a general understanding of the National Fire Plan to the student. Students will be exposed to basic fire behavior, fire ecology, and how these relate to fire planning. Various treatment options and effects and how they effect various resources will be presented as well as a case study on some real life scenarios. Students will be introduced to the basic requirements of wildland fire and what to expect on large incidents and a definition of the roles that they will play.

Upon completion of this course students will be able to conduct biologically supportable consultations and be able to:

1. Use the best available science to assess the efforts of different types of treatments, suppression activities, and rehabilitation activities
2. Evaluate and suggest alternative actions to proposed National Fire Plan projects
3. Define, understand, and use appropriate fire terminology in the appropriate context
4. Name the project proponents and key players, and describe their mission, management structure, procedures, and systems
5. Know where to seek more information needed to complete consultations on National Fire Plan projects

Individuals who are interested in this course should contact their Regional Fire Management Coordinator for course locations and schedules.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages public land in every U.S. state and territory, including 547 national wildlife refuges and 69 national fish hatcheries.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages 75 million burnable acres, including 24 million acres of forest/brushland and 4 million acres of grassland.

More than 50% of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands in the continental U.S. (and more than 90% in Alaska) include fire-adapted ecosystems with vegetation dependent on periodic fire.

An average of 500 wildfires burn 260,000 acres each year on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands. The Service also burns about 300,000 acres a year using prescribed fire.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service annual fire program budget is approximately $80 million.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employs more than 530 permanent fire professionals, along with 270 seasonal and temporary fire employees during fire season.

More than 3,000 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees are qualified to assist with wildland fire management on an interagency basis.

The U.S. Fish and Wildland Service Fire Management Program protects more than 700 communities and wildland-urban interface areas.

Historically, an acre was the amount of land tillable by one man behind an ox in one day. This measures 90% of a football field. There are 640 acres in a square mile.

More than 90% of the hazardous fuels reduction by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is completed using prescribed fire.