With direction set out by the National Fire Plan initiative which began in 2000, Region 1 of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working to protect homeowners and Federal lands from catastrophic wildfires. The National Fire Plan has created funding to reduce the large areas of hazardous fuels which occur throughout the region. Areas where private land and/or urban development are adjacent to wildlands are called Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Zones. Region 1 has numerous areas which fit this definition adjacent to the majority of its refuges. These areas are difficult to protect from wildfire due to hazardous fuel accumulations, limited access and confined work space. Numerous projects were completed by refuges in FY04. Additionally, funds were provided to cooperators and private citizen groups in the form of grants to reduce hazardous fuel conditions, initiate community risk assessments and fire plans and develop fire prevention programs.

The Wildland Urban Interface program is in addition to the fuels treatment work which was done on refuges for hazard fuels reduction and habitat management.

The following lists the accomplishments by state within the Region for fiscal year 04. These projects were accomplished through contracts, grants and force account work.

Washington 4,496 acres Oregon 1,605 acres California 9,170 acres Idaho 492 acres Nevada 265 acres

Hawaii has 2 projects which are ongoing or in the development stage and will be completed in FY05.

Additionally, the Service funded community fire plan development and risk assessments on private lands adjacent to refuges.

Region 1 has joined with the Federal land management agencies in the states of Washington and Oregon to develop a process by which projects are selected by risk to community priorities no matter who the land management agency may be. This team was selected as the recipients of 2003 National Fire Plan award. This award was presented at the National Fire Plan conference in Reno, Nevada