NATIONAL ADVANCED FIRE AND RESOURCE INSTITUTE

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**INSTRUCTOR:** Jay Perkins

**LESSON:** Fire Planning

**COURSE:** Fire Management Leadership

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**OBJECTIVES:**

Upon completion of this lesson, participants will be able to:

1.  Further your understanding of the relationship of the Fire
    Management Plan to the Land and Resource Management Plan.

2.  Know where to find the pertinent information in your Fire Management
    Plan.

3.  Identify *(or recommend)* the Appropriate Management Response.

**NARRATIVE:**

I.  **INTRODUCTION**

This lesson will prepare you for future lessons and set the stage for
ALL agency administrators. The course objectives that are directly
related to this lesson are objectives two and three:

-   ***Gain a common understanding of national policy, agency
    administrator responsibility and accountability, and authority to
    improve all fire management actions.***

-   ***Understand the need to balance land management goals with an
    appropriate fire management response that considers safety and
    overall costs of management actions.***

You will not be an expert upon completion of this lesson. You will be
familiarized though, with the FMP requirements of the Federal Wildland
Fire Policy so that you can work through decision-processes and make an
informed decision with your fire manager's assistance. You will know the
questions you should ask of your fire management officers. You must be
familiar with you local unit's FMP to such an extent that when your
first lightning storm visits your responsibility area, you have a deep
sense for where your decision space is and the consequences of the
decisions you have to make.

I want to stress that the information that I am presenting is
interagency in nature. HO-3 is a letter of direction to all agency
administrators and senior fire mangers. It is a letter of direction to
all of you. It provides WO leaders intent on:

-   Leadership

-   Fire and aviation operations

-   Safety

-   Cost containment

-   Current policy issues

    -   Appropriate management response (2007)

I bring this to your attention so that it is clearly understood that
what is to be presented is interagency direction pertinent to all agency
administrators.

**II. FIRE PLANNING POLICY**

[Federal Wildland Fire Policy]{.underline}

The current Federal Wildland Fire Policy requires that FMP's be
developed for all areas with burnable vegetation. Section 6.a. states
"Fire Management Plans are fundamental strategic documents, based on
land management plans, to guide the full range of
fire-management-related activities in a unit or area." HO-1 displays the
abbreviated interagency fire policy flow chart.

The FMP is a detailed program of action to carry out fire management
policies and aid in achieving resource management objectives.

The plan meets National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements and
State and Federal regulatory requirements.

From the "Interagency Strategy for the Implementation of Federal
Wildland Fire Management policy. (June 20, 2003, signed April 21, 2004
Mark Rey, Under Secretary, USDA and Lynn Scarlett, Assistant Secretary,
DOI):

[Land/Resource Management Plan (L/RMP)]{.underline}

Overall direction is provided to the wildland fire management program by
land and resource management plans. The L/RMP references the seventeen
wildland fire policy statements. The paramount policy is firefighter
safety. Fire regime dynamics must also influence land and resource
management objective development in the L/RMP. The L/RMPs desired future
condition will incorporate the desired mix of Condition Classes by fire
regime.

[Fire Management Plan (FMP)]{.underline}

All burnable acres will have Fire Management Plan. The FMP is the
cornerstone plan for managing the wildland fire program and should flow
directly from the L/RMP. FMPs are developed for a Fire Planning Unit
(FPU). Where the wildland fire management program crosses jurisdictional
boundaries, or where program coordination is essential, the FMP will
require interagency coordination. Most FMPs are anticipated to fall into
this category. One of the major findings of recent policy reviews and
studies has been that there is a regional dimension to FMPs that must be
considered for effective wildland fire management program
implementation.

[DOI - Departmental Manual Part 620, Chapter 1.4 Policy:]{.underline}

H. Planning: Every area with burnable vegetation must have an approved
Fire Management Plan. Fire Management Plans are strategic plans that
define a program to manage wildland and prescribed fires based on the
area\'s approved land management plan. Fire management plans must
provide for firefighter and public safety, include fire management
strategies, tactics, and alternatives; address values to be protected
and public health issues; and be consistent with resource management
objectives, activities of the area, and environmental laws and
regulations.

[USDA -- Forest Service Manual 5103 Policy]{.underline}:

> 8\. Planning: Every area of burnable vegetation must have an approved
> Fire Management Plan. Fire Management Plans are strategic plans that
> define a program to manage wildland and prescribed fires based on the
> area\'s approved land management plan. Fire Management Plans must
> provide for firefighter and public safety, include fire management
> strategies, tactics, and alternatives; address values to be protected
> and public health issues; and be consistent with resource management
> objectives, activities of the area, and environmental laws and
> regulations.

**III. LAND/RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLANNING DIRECTION**

**[Overall Fire Management Direction]{.underline}**

The two agency examples, though similar, differ in how the "parent"
decision documents were developed. The Klamath example is fairly typical
of how the USDA Forest Service does business. Fire management related
decisions are found within the LRMP. For the Yosemite example, you have
to go back to the 1980 General Management Plan to find fire discussed
with other resources. Otherwise, Yosemite has a Final Yosemite Fire
Management Plan EIS that was published March 2004. It analyzed
alternative way for managing the Yosemite fire management program.

**KNF example**

Land and Resource Management Plan

Describe unit-wide desired condition, goals, objectives, standards and
guidelines. Forest-wide example:

Desired Future Condition: "Ecological processes will be the primary
influence evident in the late-successional and old growth habitats,
specifically in locations where wildfires are no longer suppressed."

Goal: "Reintroduce fire into the environment through prescribed natural
fire and prescribed fire, where Forest ecosystems evolved under the
influence of wildfires."

Objective: Specific LRMP objectives are typically found as output
tables.

Fire Related Fuels Treatment 9,375 acres

Timber Related 3,183 acres

Resource (Fish, Water, Range, etc.) [14,550 acres]{.underline}

TOTAL 27,108 acres

Standard and Guide: Apply the minimum suppression impact method to all
lands. The suppression method shall be commensurate with the wildland
fire's potential to spread or to cause undesirable effects.

**Yosemite example**

General Management Plan 1980

Desired Future Condition: Nothing specifically stated in the FMP/EIS.
However, "Restore and maintain natural terrestrial, aquatic, and
atmospheric ecosystems so they operate essentially unimpaired."

> *Goal:* Implement a fire program that allows the natural process of
> fire to prevail in the Yosemite Wilderness.

Objective:

> WUI 1,095 acres
>
> Rx fire 1,817 -- 9,194 (5,505)
>
> WFU [16,000 acres]{.underline}

TOTAL 22,600 acres

**[Specific Direction]{.underline}**

***Wildland Fire Use***: Assure that you have specific direction or
decision space for implementing a Wildland Fire Use program. Is WFU
appropriate in all management areas or only in certain areas? Example:
the Klamath National Forest has a standard and guide in Wilderness (see
above), Late Seral Reserves, and Backcountry that states that all
"...fire starts are Prescribed Natural Fires...." (WFU) unless otherwise
determined to require a suppression action.

***Prescribed Fire Use***: Similar to WFU above. Make sure that there
are no barriers or restrictions to prescribed fire use in the LRMP.

***Initial Attack***: Curiously, this is often an overlooked decision
process. Actions are done by habit or tradition. We frequently assume
that about anything may be permissible. Is there direction in your LRMP
that specifies suppression response intensity on initial actions during
suppression responses? Are there places where dozers, certain
retardants, or helispots should not be used? Are there actions that
would be best managed by the line officer closest to the action? HO #2.

**From the Yosemite Record of Decision**

+------------+------+----------+-------+--------+----------+-------+
| A          | Sup  |          |       | Fire   |          |       |
| LTERNATIVE | pres |          |       | Use    |          |       |
| D          | sion |          |       | Unit   |          |       |
|            | Unit |          |       |        |          |       |
+------------+------+----------+-------+--------+----------+-------+
| Treatment  | W    | Non-WUI/ | Wilde | Wi     | Non-WUI/ | Wilde |
| Strategy   | ildl |          | rness | ldland |          | rness |
|            | and/ | Non-Wi   |       | /Urban | Non-Wi   |       |
|            | U    | lderness |       | Int    | lderness |       |
|            | rban |          |       | erface |          |       |
|            | I    | C        |       |        | C        |       |
|            | nter | orridors |       |        | orridors |       |
|            | face |          |       |        |          |       |
+------------+------+----------+-------+--------+----------+-------+
| Aggressive | *    |          |       |        |          |       |
| Reduction  | *X** |          |       |        |          |       |
+------------+------+----------+-------+--------+----------+-------+
| Passive    | X    | **X**    | **X** | **X**  | **X**    | **X** |
| Reduction  |      |          |       |        |          |       |
+------------+------+----------+-------+--------+----------+-------+
| Managed    |      |          |       |        | **X**    | **X** |
| Wildland   |      |          |       |        |          |       |
| Fire       |      |          |       |        |          |       |
+------------+------+----------+-------+--------+----------+-------+
| Prescribed | *    | **X**    | **X** | **X**  | **X**    | **X** |
| Fire       | *X** |          |       |        |          |       |
|            |      |          |       |        |          |       |
| (in        |      |          |       |        |          |       |
| prescribed |      |          |       |        |          |       |
| fire       |      |          |       |        |          |       |
| units)     |      |          |       |        |          |       |
+------------+------+----------+-------+--------+----------+-------+
| WUI =      |      |          |       |        |          |       |
| wild       |      |          |       |        |          |       |
| land/urban |      |          |       |        |          |       |
| interface  |      |          |       |        |          |       |
+------------+------+----------+-------+--------+----------+-------+

Are there any other specific decisions?

**IV. FIRE MANAGEMENT PLANS**

The USDA and DOI have an interagency template for fire management plans.
All fire management plans should have been updated by this time.

**Chapter**

***I.*** Introduction

***II.*** Relationship to Land Management

Planning and Fire Policy

***III.*** Wildland Fire Management

Strategies

***IV.*** Wildland Fire Management

Program Component

***V.*** Organizational and Budgetary

Parameters

***VI.*** Monitoring and Evaluation

***Appendices***

**Introduction**

This discussion will focus on the common items as identified above.
Please refer to your particular agency manual direction for a more
exhaustive discussion of FMP requirements.

**LRMP Direction**

Fire management related LRMP Direction. May be directly excerpted from
the LRMP.

**Scope of Fire Management on the Unit**

This is where the tenor of the program is first displayed. Specific
direction will be first exposed here. Goals, program elements, and Fire
Management Unit descriptions unfold in this section.

**Identify the Fire Management Units**

Describe vegetation, soil, aquatic resources, air, wildlife, cultural
and historical values, T&E species and real property values.

History of fire occurrence within the FMU. Determine natural fire
cycles, suppression history and other land use activities that have
affected the vegetation and fire management. (Fire cycle may have been
interrupted through fire suppression and created a situation where
prescribed fire and/or wildland fire use is no longer an option until
fuels are reduced either through mechanical treatment or large fires).

**Develop strategic Goals specific for the FMU.**

Examples:

Wildland Urban Interface Unit

Being associated with urban development, the emphasis for this FMU is on
suppression, safe, quick and decisive suppression action needs to be
taken throughout this FMU during fire season. Fuels treatment for hazard
reduction and pre-suppression planning is a high priority within this
FMU.

Wildland Fire Use Unit

Each new lightning ignited fire within this FMU needs to be evaluated
(Go No-Go checklist) to determine whether or not resource objectives can
be achieved. The use of wildland fire for resource benefit is emphasized
in this FMU. All human ignited wildfires will be initial attacked.

**Identify constraints that will impact fire management activities
within the FMU.**

Example:

If a fire start is to be considered for WFU, the County Air Pollution
Control Board must have a declared "burn day" status.

**Wildland Fire Management**

Wildland Fire Implementation

This is the most complex of scenarios but offers full advantage of the
fire policy and the decisions made in the Forest Plan. It allows
wildland fires to be managed in a manner that achieves resource
benefits. This authority currently resides where approved in the LRMP.

The Appropriate Management Response represents the range of available
responses within a Fire Management Unit (FMU) to implement protection or
fire use objectives for each wildland fire occurrence.

The full range of management responses runs the spectrum from aggressive
suppression of the fire to managing fires to accomplish resource
benefits. Human- caused fires will occur in this pathway. FMPs will
clearly state that appropriate management responses for human-caused
fires will not include resource benefits as a consideration and these
fires will receive a full suppression response (USFS policy).

Determine how wildland fires will be managed.

-   Describe briefly the rationale for all fire management strategies
    the manager intends to apply to any wildland fire occurrence within
    the FMU. The range varies from initial attack, the full suppression
    alternative to allowing a wildland fire to meet resource benefits.

Appropriate Management Response

Interpretation of the Appropriate Management Response Concept

> The concept of appropriate management response is integral to the new
> policy. Management responses are programmed to accept resource
> management needs and constraints, reflect a commitment to safety, be
> cost-effective, and accomplish desired objectives while maintaining
> the versatility to vary in intensity as conditions change.
>
> The appropriate management response is defined as the specific actions
> taken in response to a wildland fire to implement protection and/or
> fire use objectives. It allows managers to utilize a full range of
> responses. It does not lock tactical options to fire type
> designations. As conditions change, the particular response can change
> to accomplish the same objectives.
>
> It is important to note that the appropriate management response [is
> not]{.underline} a replacement term for prescribed natural fire, or
> the suppression strategies of control, contain, confine, limited, or
> modified, but is a concept that offers managers a full spectrum of
> responses. It is based on objectives, environmental and fuel
> conditions, constraints, safety, and ability to accomplish objectives.
> It includes wildland fire suppression at all levels, including
> aggressive initial attack. Use of this concept dispels the
> interpretation that there is only one way to respond to each set of
> circumstances.
>
> The purpose of giving management the ability to select the appropriate
> management response on every wildland fire is to provide the greatest
> flexibility possible and to promote opportunities to achieve greater
> balance in the program.
>
> There are four variable considered in the development of an
> appropriate management response.

1.  Objectives: protection or fire use

2.  Management Boundary Defensibility: partial to total

3.  External Influences: high to low

4.  Relative Risk: high to low

> ![](media/image1.wmf)
>
> Objectives, boundary defensibility and risk are somewhat quantifiable.
> You, as a line officer, will have to determine the extent of the
> external influences.

-   From the prescriptive criteria described in the Fire Management
    Plan, you select an Appropriate Management Response.

-   Remember: You and your fire manager will use these strategies for
    the decision making process to determine whether to respond with an
    initial action or whether this wildland fire will be used for
    resource benefit.

-   Using the FMP, when a fire starts, your fire manager is required to
    do a Stage I assessment using the Decision Criteria Checklist (show
    example). This is the GO/NO GO step. (USFS policy requires that a
    Fire Use Manager (FUMA) must do this.)

-   When the wildland fire continues to burn, Stage II, Short Term
    Implementation Actions and Stage III, Long Term Implementation
    Actions are required. Many ignitions do not continue to burn and
    others remain confined to small areas by natural boundaries (example
    alpine basins or patches of vegetation surrounded by rock).

> Wildland fire use for resource benefits requires the following:

-   Preplanned implementation procedures (see risk assessment
    immediately trailing this section).

-   A description of potential impacts of plan implementation both
    on-site and off-site.

-   Qualified personnel to implement and manage the wildland fire use
    program.

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-   A Wildland Fire Implementation Plan (WFIP) (Specific WFIP
    requirements are outlined in Chapter 4 of the Wildland and
    Prescribed Fire Management Policy Implementation Procedures and
    Implementation Guide.

> Risk assessment will be one of the more difficult tasks. The elements
> must all be done ahead of time. Below is an example of the risk
> assessment chart created for the Klamath.
>
> ![](media/image2.wmf)
>
> Suppression Response Intensity
>
> For those situations indicating a suppression-oriented response, a
> range of responses dealing with only suppression actions is available.
> The following chart at the bottom of HO#2 illustrates how the range of
> suppression-oriented appropriate management responses can vary. The
> primary variables are 1) threats to life, property and resources, and
> 2) fire danger. The extremes of either strongly suggest an aggressive
> suppression action.
>
> ![](media/image3.wmf)
>
> Given the focus of this course, I offer up the following other
> requirements of the FMP without explanation. I encourage you to get
> involved with the development of these areas, especially the
> prescribed section.

##### Prescribed Fire and Mechanical Treatment

> **Organizational and Budgetary Parameters**
>
> **Monitoring and Evaluation**
>
> **Appendices**

V.  **CONCLUSION**

> The Federal Wildland Fire Policy requires that every acre with
> burnable vegetation must be covered with a Fire Management Plan. The
> FMP includes direction for wildland fire suppression, prescribed fire
> management and wildland fire use.
>
> Communicate your expectations for the fire managers who work for you.
> Be explicit about your intentions for firefighter and public safety.
>
> Describe your intentions for employee welfare; provide guidelines for
> R&R for your firefighters. (I found that local firefighters did not
> think that the 14-day rest cycle applied to Initial Attack personnel
> and worked for over 30 days without a day off in Colorado and
> Montana).
>
> Participate in go/no go decisions for prescribed fire activities and
> wildland fire use.