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FPA Overview

In 2002, the Fire Program Analysis (FPA) System was initiated in response to a Congressional request that together the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture develop a budget and allocation process for the wildland fire management programs; FPA is that process. FPA:

  • Provides fire managers a common interagency process for strategic fire management program analysis, planning and budget formulation;
  • Is a tool that provides opportunities to evaluate relative trade-offs in alternative fire management strategies;
  • Will reflect fire management objectives and performance measures for prevention, preparedness and hazardous fuels and suppression activities.
  • Is a strategic trade-off analysis tool that allows decision makers to investigate the implications of different investment choices.
  • Examines tradeoffs and determine interagency (interdepartmental) program priorities. This information will be used to exhibit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Congress the effects of the recommended changes on the national wildland fire management program.

Under the FPA Charter updated in October 2010, the FPA Oversight Group (OG) is the interagency group designated to direct the future of FPA. The OG is responsible for further development and improvement of a sophisticated decision support system. FPA will be used as a tool at the national level by the DOI firefighting bureaus (BLM, BIA, FWS and NPS) and the USDA Forest Service when evaluating different alternatives to develop budgets and allocate funds (e.g., by activity, Department, agency/bureau, fuel type, region, geographic area, etc.) and to show what the results and trade-offs or consequences might be.

Last modified: Wednesday January 09 2013