2004

Alaska Region

Fire! and Fire Education in Alaska
Alaska Project Learning Tree (PLT), Department of Natural Resources/Division of Forestry developed a fire education program called Fire! In Alaska. This program blends USFWS Role of Fire and USFS Fireworks curriculums together to produce a classroom "Teach the Teacher/Educator" workshop that blazes through fire ecology, fire behavior, management, and prevention.

Amistad National Recreation Area

National Park Service Provides Local Communities Rural Fire Assistance Grants
In Val Verde County , the VFD that responds to the area adjacent to Amistad NRA, received Rural Fire Assistance Funds in the amount of $12,000 for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), a portable tank and a fire hose.

Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site

The National Park Service and Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site Support Rural Fire Protection Districts
The National Park Service (NPS), in conjunction with Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site, recently provided funding for rural fire assistance to three rural fire districts (RFD). La Junta, Rocky Ford and Las Animas districts received a total of $9,000.

Big Bend National Park

National Park Service Provides Local Communities Rural Fire Assistance Grants
This year, Big Bend National Park presented local Volunteer Fire Departments financial assistance to accomplish wildland fire training, purchasing fire apparatus and wildland fire personal protective equipment (PPE).

Big Cypress National Preserve

Gyrotrac Brushcutters Assist in Hazard Fuels Reduction
Using funds provided by the National Fire Plan, the National Park Service at Big Cypress National Preserve was able to purchase two Gyrotrac brushcutters.

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

Forestry Technicians Complete Busy Spring
This year the Big South Fork Forestry Technician's assisted with prescribed burns at Kings Mountain National Military Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Mammoth Cave National Park and the Daniel Boone National Forest totaling 4,552 acres.

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

National Recreation Area Assists Lovell Volunteer Fire Department
The National Park Service, in conjunction with Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, recently provided
funding through the Rural Fire Assistance (RFA) Program to the Lovell Volunteer Fire Department. The department received $3,000 to increase firefighter safety.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Parkway Assists Local Fire Departments
The Blue Ridge Parkway has consistently demonstrated innovation, collaboration, and commitment to community assistance to utilize the Rural Fire Assistance program to enhance firefighter training, increase safety, and improve preparedness by working with these local rural fire departments to increase their capability to prevent, detect, and/or provide suppression for wildland fires.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon Completes Paria Prescribed Fire
Bryce Canyon National Park Fire Management personnel recently completed the Paria Prescribed Fire as part of their ongoing fire management program. Project goals include the protection of communities and structures located near public lands from the impacts of wildfire and the restoration of fire as a natural process to ponderosa pine and grassland communities.

The Role of Information on the Paria Prescribed Fire
In the case of the Paria Prescribed Fire, a public information plan was developed in cooperation with Zion National Park’s Fire Information and Education Specialist and managers at Bryce Canyon.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

White's City Fire Department Receives Rural Fire Assistance Grant
A check for $10,000 was presented to the Eddy County Commission by National Park Service Director Fran Mainella during her visit to Carlsbad Caverns on April 20.

Chickasaw National Recreation Area

Area Departments Receive Rural Fire Assistance
Chickasaw National Recreation Area has benefited from long-term support by the local fire departments, Davis , Hickory , Dougherty, Joy, Rock Prairie, and Sulphur . On their behalf, Chickasaw NRA applied for and received Rural Fire Assistance funding to enhance these rural fire departments wildland fire suppression ability.

Denali National Park and Preserve

An Innovative Approach to Biomass Utilization Hazardous Vegetative Fuels Project Denali National Park and Preserve
The Alaska National Park Service Western Area Fire Management program in cooperation with Ancor, Incorporated removed approximately 24 acres of biomass from the vicinity of buildings in the headquarters area of Denali National Park and Preserve.

Hazardous Vegetative Fuels Project at Denali National Park and Preserve
In preparation for a wildland fire event, Ancor created defensible space around park structures in order to reduce the risk of property damage and improve safety for employees, visitors and fire suppression crews. Being the largest hazard fuels project to have taken place in a high visitation frontcountry area rendered the project the first of its kind in Alaska 's national parklands.

Division of Fire & Aviation

Two National Park Service Nominees Win National Fire Plan Awards
Two National Park Service nominees were honored with National Fire Plan Awards for Excellence in Firefighter Preparedness, Training and Safety. The award for an individual in this category went to David Crary, Fire Management Officer of Cape Cod National Seashore, and the group award went to the Indiana Interagency Coordination Center, in which Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is a cooperative partner.

El Malpais National Monument

Park Assists Cibola County Volunteer Fire Department
Superintendent Kayci Cook Collins announces that for the fourth consecutive year, El Malpais National Monument has received grant monies for Rural Fire Assistance to support one of its nearest rural fire departments.

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

Monument Provides Funding for Teller County and Florissant Wildland Fire Crews
The National Park Service (NPS), through Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, recently provided a $10,000 grant for rural fire assistance to the Teller County Office of Emergency Services and another $10,000 grant to the Florissant Fire and Rescue District (FRD).

Fort Davis National Historic Site

National Park Service Provides Local Communities Rural Fire Assistance Grants
The Alpine Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) received $13,000 for the purchase of a slip-on firefighting unit and wildland fire PPE. The Fort Davis VFD received $6,000 for purchasing wildland fire shelters, which provide firefighters the last chance protection in a wildfire burnover situation. The Terlingua VFD received $6,000 for training, fire tools and a portable water tank.

Fort Laramie National Historic Site

National Historic Site Assists Fort Laramie Volunteer Fire Department
The National Park Service, in conjunction with Fort Laramie National Historic Site, recently provided funding
through the Rural Fire Assistance Program to the Fort Laramie Volunteer Fire Department. The fire department
received $4,500 to increase firefighter safety and to enhance fire protection capabilities.

Glacier National Park

Appropriate Use of Appropriate Management Response
Some of the actions taken in Glacier during the summer of 1994 were significant in helping develop current national fire management programs including the creation of the Fire Use Teams, Fire Use Managers and Fire Use Modules.

Glacier National Park issues two Rural Fire Assistant Grants
Two rural volunteer fire departments bordering Glacier National Park were the recipients of Rural Fire Assistant Grants in 2004.

2004 Successes Build on 2003 Fire Season
Close working partnerships were tested and reinforced during the fire season of 2003. During the winter of 2003-2004, the Glacier National Park Fire Management Staff built on existing relationships to improve interagency operations.

Grand Canyon National Park

FIREWISE Communities Assists Area Residents
Approximately 45 people attended Grand Canyon's FIREWISE Community workshop. Participants included residents from Grand Canyon and adjacent communities, park and concession employees, cooperators from neighboring Kaibab National Forest and the Tusayan Fire Department.

The Grand Canyon's Youngest Fire Crew Assists in Fire & Aviation
You might have seen them out creating fuel breaks or just cleaning up around the firebase. From a little broom and pinecone hockey to much more serious tasks, these kids did their part for the Grand Canyon National Park's Branch of Fire and Aviation during the 2004 fire season.

Grand Teton National Park

Teton Interagency Fire Management Lends Support to Snowshoe Walks
Now in its third season, free interpretive snowshoe tours from Jackson Mountain Resort Nordic Center take participants into the forest surrounding the resort. The trail passes through a previously burned area presenting an opportunity for guides to lead discussions on fire ecology.

Interagency Fire Effects Meeting Shares Monitoring Information
The third annual Interagency Fire Effects Meeting was held in Jackson in February, bringing together resource professionals to review data and hold discussions on research and fire effects projects in the area. The diverse audience brought a range of skills and expertise to the meeting.

Teton Interagency Fire Participates in Incident Information Officer Training
The Teton Interagency Fire Management Program was represented in the second annual Arizona Wildfire Academy this month, helping to round out a cadre of instructors for the academy's first Information Officer's training.

Teton County Parks & Recreation Students Participate in Fire Programs
Spring break in Teton County means more than just a two- week hiatus from school. It triggers the kick- off for the Teton County Parks & Recreation's Kid's Club Spring Break Program. For ten days, the program offers a variety of both indoor and outdoor activities for children participating in the sessions.

Forestry Event Focuses on Fire Mitigation Efforts
Interagency specialists shared their knowledge about fire and insect management with the public in April 2004, participating in a community workshop held at the Crescent H Ranch south of Wilson, Wyoming. The two-day event consisted of forest tours, presentations, and an open forum session.

School Programs Feature Fire Management Careers
The Jackson Hole High School, Jackson Chamber of Commerce, and Jackson Workforce Center co-sponsored a job fair in May 2004, giving local students an opportunity to learn about area job opportunities. Teton Interagency Fire Management was one of thirteen participants in the job fair, providing a display with photographs and information on a variety of positions within the fire organization.

Fire Information Class Targets Local Community
Training offered through the Teton Interagency Fire Education program this past June shared fire information with local community members and helped develop a pool of resources to utilize on future fire management activities.

Interagency Fire Personnel Participate in All Fire Days Training
The sixth annual interagency All Fire Days training was held on Friday, June 18th in Grand Teton National Park's Beaver Creek employee housing area. The day-long event brought agency wildland fire cooperators together for a task-oriented field exercise day.

Federal Officials Dedicate New Interagency Helibase
The Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park celebrated completion of a new interagency helibase in a ceremony held on July 8th. Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott and Forest Supervisor Kniffy Hamilton jointly cut the ribbon on the new 3,200 square- foot building, located at the Jackson Hole Airport.

Junior Firefighter Program Wraps Up For the Season
The Junior Firefighter program offered in Grand Teton National Park concluded in August, ending a six- week
season that began in early July. The program gave children an opportunity to learn about fire and its relationship with wildlife habitats and plant adaptations.

Fire Management Highlighted at State Outdoor Expo
Through a cooperative effort between the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the Bridger- Teton National Forest, and Grand Teton National Park, participants in September's Wyoming Hunting and Fishing Heritage Expo had an opportunity to learn about fire's role in the ecosystem.

Streamlined EA Fuels Project Work Completed
Teton Interagency fire management crews completed work in October on a fuels reduction pilot project, totaling 89 acres, in Grand Teton National Park. The fuels reduction project, selected to test streamlined Environmental Assessments under the NEPA process, was intended to determine the effectiveness of expediting procedures to accomplish fuels treatment work, while also adhering to existing National Park Service policies.

Community Assistance Grant Funds Fire Prevention Advertising
Fire prevention messages found their way into new locations in the Jackson Hole area this summer, reminding local residents and visitors to use caution with campfires. A National Park Service Fire & Aviation Management Community Assistance Grant allowed the Teton Interagency fire prevention program to reach additional communities and utilize a new method of advertising.

Vegetation Mapping Crew Completes Third Season
Grand Teton National Park's Vegetation Mapping crew recently finished its third data collection season, continuing work on an integrated project with the park's Division of Science & Resource Management and Fire Management Office. The two divisions jointly fund the work.

Open House Highlights Fire Management Plan EA Alternatives
Grand Teton National Park hosted a Public Open House on October 14th to provide information and answer questions about the Environmental Assessment (EA) completed for three fire management plan alternatives. The EA was released for public review and comment on October 4th, and comments were accepted through November 3rd.

Fencing Project Helping to Achieve Prescribed Fire Objectives
Two plus years after the Wolff Ridge Prescribed Fire, a 1700- acre project that had the purpose of stimulating regeneration of quaking aspen, post-burn data collected by fire effects monitors has indicated an increase in the number of aspen suckers compared to pre-burn conditions. Because Wolff Ridge is located in a transitional and winter ungulate range where heavy browsing by moose and elk occurs, fire managers installed a temporary electric fence in the fall of 2003 around 60 selected acres of the project to protect suckers from ungulate browsing. A crew returned to this area again last month to make repairs and prepare the fence for the second migration season.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Park Distributes Rural Fire Assistance to Three VFDs
Three cooperating volunteer fire departments were awarded Rural Fire Assistance (RFA) funding through Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in 2004. This marked the fourth year in a row that grant proposals for the Mosca-Hooper and Baca-Grande fire departments were approved and the first year for Kundalini.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Park Conducts Prescribed Burn in Cataloochee
The burn was conducted to help restore a natural, but increasingly rare forest type, and is expected to help create additional and attractive habitat for the park's experimental elk population.

Park Counts Many Successes in 2004
An overview of 2004, looking at wildland fire, prescribed fire, fuel reduction, Rural Fire Assistance, fire ecology, and more.

Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site

Park Provides $15,000 in Funding
Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site once again cooperated with the Ganado Fire District to purchase specific equipment needed by the District for their wildland firefighting needs.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Indiana Dunes Receives Regional Fuels Award
The park staff at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in Porter, Ind., has been named the winner of the 2003 Midwest Regional Fuels Award.

Indiana Dunes Partnership Receives National Fire Plan Award
The Indiana Interagency Coordination Center (IICC), in which Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in Porter, Ind. , is a cooperative partner, has been named the winner of the 2003 National Fire Plan Award for Excellence in Firefighter Preparedness, Training, and Safety.

Kings Mountain National Military Park

National and State Parks Cooperate on Prescribed Burn
On March 25, 2004, Kings Mountain National Military Park and Kings Mountain State Park conducted their first-ever collaborative prescribed burn. The Partner Burn treated 477 total acres

Lake Meredith National Recreation Area

Park Distributes Rural Fire Assistance
Superintendent Karren Brown announced in August that five area Rural Fire Departments received Rural Fire Assistance from the National Park Service.

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Park Uses Portable Information Display to Inform about Fire
At Lassen Volcanic National Park this past summer, Fire had great success when they chose to erect a portable fire information display.

Successful Wildland Fire Use Fire in Lassen Volcanic National Park
A significant lightning storm passed over Lassen Volcanic National Park on June 28, 2004. During the next few days 10 different lightning caused fires were detected in the park. These fires were assessed to determine if they would achieve resource management objectives and should be managed to allow fire to play out its role in shaping Lassen Volcanic National Park 's ecosystems.

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park

Rural Fire Assistance Program is A Winning Combination
For the fourth year in a row, the Johnson City and the Stonewall Volunteer Fire Departments (VFDs) have been awarded funding to improve their firefighting capabilities via the Department of the Interior's Rural Fire Assistance program (RFA).

Mesa Verde National Park

Park Provides Rural Fire Assistance to Local Communities
Over the years Mesa Verde has come to depend on five neighboring fire protection districts to assist the park with fire suppression in times of need. These districts include Mancos FPD, Dolores FPD, Cortez FPD, Lewis-Arriola FPD and Pleasantview FPD. As with many fire districts, money to provide wildland firefighting gear and training is often in short supply.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Mount Rushmore National Memorial Donates Firewood to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
Superintendent Gerard Baker of Mount Rushmore National Memorial announced on October 25, 2004 a multi-year firewood donation program from the National Park Service to the Oglala Lakota Nation on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Natchez Trace Parkway

Increasing Fire Awareness in Young People
Each year, the Natchez Trace Parkway participates in Fire Prevention Week by hosting field trips for students from local schools. This year, more than 300 third and forth graders from Pontotoc county ( Mississippi ) schools participated.

New River Gorge National River

Park Distributes Equipment through Rural Fire Assistance
New River Gorge National River distributed $60,000 worth of equipment to 18 fire departments in the four county region around the park.

Northeast Region

Interagency Team Receives National Award
The Shenandoah Valley Interagency Wildfire Prevention and Education Team received a 2004 Bronze Smokey Bear Award.The National Smokey Bear Awards are presented annually by the Ad Council, the National Association of State Foresters and the Forest Service for sustained excellence in wildland fire prevention.

Interagency Team Teaches New Information Officers
The National Park Service's Northeast Region Fire Education Specialist was a member of the instructor cadre for a USDA Forest Service sponsored Introduction to Incident Information Course (S-203) earlier this year.

Ozark National Scenic Riverways

Diverse Year for Fire Education Program
This was a very diverse year for the Fire Education Information and Prevention program at Ozark National Scenic Riverways. From the WUI Mapping Program and Fire Management Plans to school programs, implementing Rural Fire Assistance funding and prescribed fire, the Fire Education / Information / Prevention program was involved.

Pacific West Region

National Park Service Increases Participation in "Camp Smokey"
In 2004, the National Park Service in the Pacific West Region increased its involvement in Camp Smokey, an interagency event at the California State Fair.

Point Reyes National Seashore

Six More Fuel Reduction Projects Receive Funding through the Wildland-Urban Interface Program
On July 29, 2004, the National Park Service announced six additional community partnership projects will receive funding during Fiscal Year 2004 to achieve greater wildland fire protection in the vicinity of Point Reyes National Seashore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and neighboring open space lands.

Rural Fire Assistance Provides Safety Equipment to
Fire Departments Near Park
In early September, the National Park Service announced that three fire departments near Point Reyes National Seashore have received funding for Rural Fire Assistance (RFA).

Defensible space outreach provides insights to fuels program
For two consecutive years, Point Reyes National Seashore has hosted SCA interns in fire education. Since this program has been place, important feedback gained through community outreach efforts has had a significant role in developing several directions within the fuels program.

Partnering through Media Internships in Fire Communications and Education
In 2004, fire education partnerships were developed with the Multi-Media Studies program at College of Marin, and the Communications Studies Department at Sonoma State Universities. Both programs include an internship course which requires students to gain communications experience with an outside organization.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Estes Valley Landowners Provide a Model for Protecting Forests, Homes and Communities
The fuels reduction efforts of an energetic group of residents in the Windcliff subdivision started 10 years ago. Since then, they've embarked on an ambitious plan to mitigate hazardous fuels on each lot and the common areas.

National Park Service Hotshots Participate in Firefighter Health and Safety Study
The Alpine and Arrowhead Interagency Hotshot Crews are participating in a study with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Department of the Interior to examine work related exposures and lung disease in Type I wildland firefighters.

United States Forest Service Chief Visits Rocky Mountain National Park
Dale Bosworth, Chief of the United States Forest Service recently joined a group of national and regional Forest Service administrators and Rocky Mountain National Park resource and fire management staff to discuss local fire management issues and interagency partnerships. The meeting was part of a larger "chief's review" of the USFS Rocky Mountain Region.

Estes Valley Fire Education Partnership Continues
A $15,000 National Fire Plan Community Assistance Grant continues to provide cooperative fire education opportunities for residents of communities near Rocky Mountain National Park.

National Park Service Distributes Federal Funding To Local Volunteer Fire Departments
Rocky Mountain National Park distributed $25,900 in federal funding to assist four local volunteer fire departments. Glen Haven Volunteer Fire Department received $11,000, Estes Park VFD was awarded $7000, Grand Lake VFD accepted $4,400 and Allenspark VFD obtained $3,500 in funding.

Celebrating National Fire Prevention Week
Fire management staff from Rocky Mountain National Park participated in several local events to help celebrate National Fire Prevention Week.

Neighboring Subdivision Receives FIREWISE Communities/USA Designation
The Windcliff subdivision bordering Rocky Mountain National Park recently earned the important FIREWISE Communities/USA designation. FIREWISE Communities/USA is a nationwide program that recognizes communities for taking action to protect people and property from fire risk in the wildland urban interface.

Saguaro National Park

National Park Service Provides Local Community of Rincon Valley Rural Fire Assistance
Working with Saguaro's Fire Management Staff, Rincon Valley Fire developed a grant request through the Rural Fire Assistance Program for 2005. The Department was awarded $5,000 through the grant process, which enabled the Department to add several pieces of important equipment to their engines.

Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site

Officials Meet to Discuss Fire Management Issues at Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
The National Park Service recently hosted a planning session to discuss fire prevention efforts and suppression activities for Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. Community Assistance funding was obtained through the National Fire Plan to facilitate this important meeting.

Kiowa County, Colorado Receives Rural Fire Assistance through Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
In Fiscal Year 2004, Kiowa County, Colorado received its second NPS Rural Fire Assistance authorized by the National Fire Plan. The $11,000 grant, for the purchase of collapsible water tanks and personal protective equipment, continues the upgrading of the volunteer fire department's equipment that began with its first NPS RFA grant in FY '03.

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

Year in Summary for Fire Communications & Education
The fire communication and education program at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) found 2004 to be a challenging year. From the wildland fires that swept through California in October/November 2003 to the extended dry period throughout the entire year, fire education priorities were shifted several times. Still, several successes stand out.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Park Hosts National Wildland Fire Communications and Education Program Workshop
Two dozen National Park Service fire educators, dressed in bright layers of fleece and wool, followed a park ranger as he navigated through a maze of giant, ancient trees. Scarred by fire but still dependent on it, the trees stood as examples of survival for the onlookers who were getting ready for a challenging future.

National Park Service Hotshots Participate in Firefighter Health and Safety Study
The Alpine and Arrowhead Interagency Hotshot Crews are participating in a study with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Department of the Interior to examine work related exposures and lung disease in Type I wildland firefighters.

Tharps - "A Model Prescribed Fire"
On July 2, 2004, fire crews at Sequoia National Park completed the 257-acre Tharps Prescribed Fire after five days of ignition. The burn behaved like a model prescription fire, with the smoke barely noticed by Three Rivers residents, said the Kaweah Commonwealth, a local newspaper.

Operational Flexibility
The fire program at Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks proved its operational flexibility in June of 2004 when it switched gears between two burn projects in less than 24 hours.

Doing the Right Thing - Honoring a Fallen Firefighter
Daniel Holmes, a 26-year-old wildland firefighter with the Arrowhead Hotshots based at Kings Canyon National Park, was killed on October 2, 2004 when t he top of a dead snag fell on him during a prescribed burn on his home unit. Seeking to learn from this whole experience, an interagency team of fire and safety experts are conducting an in-depth investigation of Daniel's accident so that similar accidents may be prevented in the future.

Shenandoah National Park

Partnership Brings Benefits to Area Communities
Shenandoah National Park now has better, more accessible information to help it provide improved protection to structures within and near its boundary.

Southeast Region

Communicating the Role of Fire and Fuels Management in the Southeast
A summary and compilation of fire communication and education activities in the region during 2004.

Interagency Group Brings Together Fire Ecologists
The Southeast Fire Ecology Partnership (SEFEP) is an innovative new group composed of the southeast regional fire ecologists from the NPS, USFS, and USFWS as well as staff from The Nature Conservancy Global Fire Initiative, and Tall Timbers Research Station. Their mission is "To serve as a reference point for fire ecology issues and to support collaborative research, training, and education efforts within the field of fire ecology, especially in the southeastern United States."

Region Contributes to National Fire Plan Goal of Hazardous Fuel Reduction
In FY-2004, the Southeast Region Fire Management Program continued its tradition of major contributions to the National Park Service hazardous fuels accomplishments in support of the National Fire Plan. As of September 30, 2004, the region had treated 40,346 acres.

Fire Planning Unit Selected as Prototype
Southern Mississippi was one of four areas nationwide selected by the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) to be a prototype area for Fire Program Analysis (FPA) planning. The collaborative fire planning unit includes the Mississippi District of Gulf Islands National Seashore, the Desoto National Forest, and the Mississippi Sandhill Crane & Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuges.

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

Kanaka Shaded Fuelbreak Completed
Working together with local, private contract crews Whiskeytown National Recreation Area was able to complete another critical link on its eastern boundary with the completion of the 6.5 mile Kanaka Shaded Fuelbreak.

Power Tower Prescribed Fire Successful
The National Park Service at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area successfully completed the Power Tower prescribed burn on March 13, 2004.A total of 560 acres were burned along the east boundary of the Park. The Power Tower burn is a strategic line of defense that reduced hazardous fuels in the recreation area, and will help to protect nearby communities from devastating wildfire.

Community of Shasta Benefits from Hazard Fuels Reduction
The National Park Service at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and the Western Shasta Resource Conservation District (WSRCD) joined forces during Spring 2004 to reduce hazardous fuels in and around the community of Shasta.

An Information Officer's Experience with Wildfire Threat
Wildfire came to Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and threatened my community and home on August 14, 2004. This was my most difficult assignment in my 14 year career with the National Park Service. I overcame many fears and emotions on a personal and professional level.

Yellowstone National Park

Park Distributes Rural Fire Assistance Funds
Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Suzanne Lewis announced June 10 that the park has successfully obtained $27,000 in funding from the Department of the Interior’s Rural Fire Assistance Program.

Zion National Park

Zion Opens New Emergency Operations Center
Zion National Park recently celebrated the completion of their Emergency Operations Center (EOC) with a grand opening on May 20, 2004. This newly constructed $3.5 million; sustainably-designed building will house all staff, vehicles and equipment involved with emergency operations in the park in one location to better serve an ever-increasing visitor population.

Color Country Interagency Fire Management Wins
Prestigious Pulaski Award
Officials from the Color Country Interagency Fire Management Area proudly accepted the prestigious Pulaski Award for 2004 at a ceremony in Cedar City, Utah on June 2. Color Country earned the award for its achievements in interagency cooperation and coordination in managing wildland fire.

Kolob Visitor Center Fuel Reduction Project
Zion National Park Fire Management recently completed the Kolob Visitor Center Fuels Reduction Project for the purpose of protecting park and surrounding private structures and resources in the event of a wildland fire.

Rockville Bench Fuel Reduction Project
Fire Management Officials in Zion National Park recently completed the Rockville Bench Fuel Reduction Project as part of its ongoing program to reduce hazardous fuel levels. This contract project was intended to reduce fuel loading to manageable levels in order to protect park resources and private properties and structures along the park boundary in the event of a wildland fire.

Fuel Reduction Treatments Completed in Zion Canyon
Zion National Park Fire Management officials recently completed a series of wildland urban interface (WUI) fuels treatments in Zion Canyon, as part of their ongoing efforts to reduce the risks from wildland fire to park resources.

East Boundary Fuel Reduction Treatments
Zion National Park recently completed some fuels reduction treatments along its eastern boundary as part of our ongoing program to reduce the risks of wildland fire to neighboring communities and private landowners.

Clear Trap Prescribed Burn
A solid burn plan coupled with some appropriately-timed weather events combined to make the Clear Trap Prescribed Fire the largest prescribed fire in the park’s history an overall success.

Annual Success Story Publications
Compilations of success stories for National Fire Plan.