2004 Update of the 1992 Wildland Fire Management Plan
In 1992, Yellowstone completed a Wildland Fire Management Plan for its fire management program, along with an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act. Subsequent federal fire policies recognized the role of fire as a critical natural process and made recommendations for improvements in fire planning, hazardous fuels reduction, interagency coordination and cooperation, and program management and oversight. Interagency policies and a Congressional directive required all national parks to write or revise existing plans to meet these interagency guidelines. Yellowstone completed a 2004 Update of its 1992 Wildland Fire Management Plan to meet National Park Service and interagency requirements. The implementation of the 2004 Update will allow fire to continue to play its ecological role in the park while protecting human life, developments, and sensitive cultural and natural resources.