What is a Fire Management Plan?

National Park Service policy requires that all parks with vegetation that can sustain fire must have a written fire management plan (FMP). Everglades National Park's Fire Management Plan fulfills that requirement and provides the guidance necessary for managing fire to safely achieve the management objectives of Everglades National Park in accordance with applicable policies and regulations.

Everglades National Park's Fire Management Plan is a detailed program of action to carry out established fire management policies and park goals and objectives in a safe and cost-effective manner. In addition, the Everglades National Park fire management program has evolved with the body of ecological thought and philosophy of natural area management. Everglades National Park was the first unit in the NPS to use fire to manage vegetation (Kilgore 1975), as a result of the recognition of the fire ecology of park ecosystems articulated by Robertson (1953, 1955). Subsequent investigations have added to the body of knowledge on the role of fire in park ecosystems. This knowledge has been used to direct the fire management program. Similarly, the philosophy of park management has changed since the creation of Everglades National Park, due to changes in both ecological theory and the values of society.

It is due to these changes that the FMP is required to undergo periodic review and updating.