XYZ Fire Planning Unit (FPU)

Fire Program Analysis (FPA) System

FPU Charter

*Current Date*

TABLE OF CONTENTS

[1. Fire Planning Unit Overview 3](#fire-planning-unit-overview)

[1.1 Identification 3](#identification)

[1.2 Purpose / Business Need / Scope 3](#purpose-business-need-scope)

[1.3 FPU Objectives 3](#fpu-objectives)

[1.4 Partnerships 4](#partnerships)

[1.5 Key References 4](#key-references)

[1.6 Terminology 4](#terminology)

[2. Project Approach Section 4](#project-approach-section)

[2.1 FPU Deliverables and Quality Objectives
5](#fpu-deliverables-and-quality-objectives)

[2.2 FPU Organization and Responsibilities
5](#fpu-organization-and-responsibilities)

[FPU Board of Directors (Managing Committee)
5](#fpu-board-of-directors-managing-committee)

[FPU Steering Committee 5](#fpu-steering-committee)

[FPU Technical Team 6](#fpu-technical-team)

[Advisors 6](#advisors)

[Support Services 6](#support-services)

[2.3 Reporting, Oversight, & Review 7](#reporting-oversight-review)

[Core Process Workflows 7](#core-process-workflows)

[2.4 Communications 7](#communications)

[2.5 FPU Schedule 7](#fpu-schedule)

[2.6 Project Effort/Cost Estimate 7](#project-effortcost-estimate)

[2.7 Mechanism for Transferring Funds (If Needed)
8](#mechanism-for-transferring-funds-if-needed)

[2.8 FPU Benefits 8](#fpu-benefits)

[Appendices 10](#__RefHeading___Toc94001386)

[Appendix A -- Example - Shared Funding for FPU Planner/Team
Administrator
10](#appendix-a-example---shared-funding-for-fpu-plannerteam-administrator)

[Appendix B -- Tables of Organizations
10](#appendix-b-tables-of-organizations)

**List of Tables**

[Table 1 -- Management Committee 10](#__RefHeading___Toc79399369)

[Table 2 -- Steering Committee 11](#__RefHeading___Toc79399370)

[Table 3 -- FPU Team 11](#__RefHeading___Toc79399371)

[Table 4 -- FPU Advisors 11](#__RefHeading___Toc79399372)

[Table 5 -- Support Services 12](#__RefHeading___Toc79399373)

# 1. Fire Planning Unit Overview

## 1.1 Identification

This project is to be known as the **XYZ Fire Planning Unit (FPU)**,
also referred as the "Back of the Beyond FPU". The FPU is an interagency
project of the following wildland fire management agencies:

-   **Well Exposed National Forest**

-   **Little Known National Park**

-   **Where Is It District, BLM**

-   **Shallow Water National Wildlife Refuge**

-   **Local Indian Tribe (If Compacted) or Local Indian Agency (If
    Managed by BIA)**

-   **Green Tree Area, State Department of Forestry**

## Purpose / Business Need / Scope

The purpose of creating FPA Fire Planning Units is to support and
contribute to the development of landscape scale interagency fire
planning and budgeting to meet the intent of the National Fire Plan,
Federal Wildland Fire Policy, 10 Year Implementation Plan, and other
related documents, as well as direction provided by Congress and OMB in
the FY2003 appropriations language. This is accomplished through:

-   Providing subject matter expertise to be incorporated into FPU
    design and function

-   Developing data sets that address all participating agency needs

-   Conducting test analyses to ensure reasonable results

-   Ensure consistent application of FPA business rules that affect
    analysis outcomes

-   Provide defined roles and responsibilities for all levels of
    participating personnel from line officers to personnel in
    supporting disciplines

-   Ensure timely completion of analysis to meet required planning and
    budget submission deadlines

-   Ensure consistent implementation is coordinated by all participating
    agencies

## 1.3 FPU Objectives

The goal of the FPU is to provide an acceptable planning and budget
analysis that will be used by the participating agencies to develop and
implement associated budgets within the context of the Fire Program
Analysis System, and to guide effective implementation of Fire
Management Plans.

The overall objective of an FPU is to define the geographic scope of the
landscape, or boundaries, for the local fire planning analysis. Specific
objectives are:

-   Develop interagency planning partnerships.

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-   Develop or refine resource management objectives relative to fire,
    and the full suite of fire management objectives, constraints and
    restrictions.

-   Develop and refine the required data inputs for the models in the
    FPA system.

-   Evaluate both interim and final analysis results for reasonableness.

-   Identify efficiencies through landscape integrated planning and
    budgeting.

-   Provide comment on guidance and reference documents to improve
    quality of the information and operations

## 1.4 Partnerships

The following partnership team will provide executive level oversight.
The members of this team are fire staff or designee from the following
agencies:

-   USDA Forest Service

-   DOI Bureau Of Land Management

-   DOI National Park Service

-   DOI Fish & Wildlife Service

-   DOI Bureau of Indian Affairs

-   State and Local government agencies, and Tribal governments

## Key References

> References may be found at
> [http://fpa.nifc.gov](http://fpa.nifc.gov/). Following are significant
> documents guiding the FPA process:

-   1995 Federal Wildland Fire Policy

-   2001 Update to the Federal Wildland Fire Policy

-   National Fire Plan

-   A Collaborative Approach for Reducing Wildland Fire Risks to
    Communities and the Environment, 10-Year Comprehensive Strategy:
    Implementation Plan (a.k.a. 10-Year Comprehensive Strategy)

-   Developing an Interagency, Landscape-scale Fire Planning Analysis
    and Budget Tool (a.k.a. "The Hubbard Report")

## 1.6 Terminology

To improve communications the team will use terms consistent with those
defined in the Glossary of Wildland Fire Terminology, published by the
National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) or terms defined in the
Appendix of the FPA Reference Guide.

# 2. Project Approach Section

The Fire Planning Unit (see attached map) will include all the Well
Exposed National Forest (National Unit Identifier), Little Known
National Park (National Unit Identifier), Where Is It District,
(National Unit Identifier), Shallow Water National Wildlife Refuge
(National Unit Identifier), Local Indian Agency, BIA (National Unit
Identifier), and the Green Tree Area Sate Department of Forestry
(National Unit Identifier). These six agencies will be the partner
agencies for fire program analysis.

The other agencies that will be viewed as "cooperators" for analysis
purposes will be portions of the Left and Right National Forests, and
Joyous and Pleasantville Counties' Fire Departments. Additional
cooperators may become involved as the process matures.

## 2.1 FPU Deliverables and Quality Objectives

Primary deliverables from this undertaking will include:

-   Annual analysis meeting tests of reasonableness;

-   Provision of proposed budget to appropriate line officer(s) for
    approval and submission;

-   Proposed interagency roles and responsibilities and operational
    procedures

## 2.2 FPU Organization and Responsibilities

### FPU Board of Directors (Managing Committee)

The FPU Board of Directors consists of line officers or in their absence
their designees (deputies) from the respective administrative units.
They are responsible for overall management of the planning and
budgeting process including conflict resolution, but not limited to the
following: negotiation of differences in location and ownership of fire
resources, distribution of FPU funding among the administrative units,
decisions on implementation timeframes. If a vote is necessary, each
agency regardless of the number of members only has one vote.

This group's membership is identified in Table 1 in Appendix B.

**XYZ FPU Organization Chart**

### FPU Steering Committee

Steering committee is made up of the Fire Management Officers (fire
business specialists) or others with similar duties. This group is
responsible for the following:

-   Draft the FPA Charter for the FPU, obtain approval, and review and
    update the document annually.

-   Provide direction regarding fire management business strategy.

-   Provide guidance on FPU business requirements

-   Review project plans and deliverables especially business
    requirements.

-   Help the FPU Team make decisions regarding scope, time, quality and
    cost tradeoffs.

-   Ensure that the deliverables of the project will meet the business
    needs of the sponsoring agencies.

-   Establish dispute or conflict protocols and provide the primary
    forum for resolving issues.

-   Recommend alignment of fire resources (personnel, equipment,
    facilities)

-   Draft the FPU Transition Plan

The FPU Steering Committee membership is listed in Appendix B, Table 2.

### FPU Technical Team

Members include representatives from participating agencies. This team
has responsibility to:

-   Establish fire management planning and budgeting business process
    and procedures for all participating wildland fire management
    agencies;

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-   Coordinate with technical support groups, and advisors;

-   Obtain, enter and edit data, run the analysis and verify results
    from the analysis;

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-   Provide feedback on FPA system user interfaces, data structures and
    models to support preparedness planning;

-   Present analysis information to peers, associates and managers.

NOTE: The FPU Data Administrator often is the de facto FPU Team Lead.

FPU Technical Team Members are listed in Appendix B, Table 3

### Advisors

Advisors serve the FPU Team providing periodic input on specialty
subjects. Members may include:

-   Liaisons from other fire business areas, e.g. Fire Operations, Fire
    Planning, Fuels, Prevention, Education, providing input for
    consideration of interfaces, shared data/resources and to coordinate
    planning.

-   Resource management specialists (botanist, wildlife biologist, range
    manager, forester, ecologist) advisors and participants in the
    identification of attributes in the FPA weighting process

-   Liaison from States, Tribes and Federal Agencies.

Advisors are listed in Appendix B, Table 4.

### Support Services

Support service can include many disciplines depending on the needs of
the individual FPU. Examples include: GIS program support, Fire Ecology
expertise, fire planning from a higher level, and other resource
professionals. A list of functions/personnel contributed by each
participant is included in Appendix B, Table 5.

## 2.3 Reporting, Oversight, & Review

Reporting, oversight and review will ensure that the FPU stays within
scope and on time. Oversight is provided line officers/steering
committee.

### Core Process Workflows 

The FPU Team will be responsible for assembling data as needed for the
FPA process. One individual (an FPU Team Administrator) will be assigned
the role of gathering of data from all the agencies and input it into
the FPA Modules. That individual is responsible for tasking agency
planners with data needs and due dates for timely implementation of the
analysis. The administrator will document processes used in developing
the inputs for the Fire planning Analysis.

The team administrator has the responsibility of informing the Steering
Committee of irresolvable issues such as discrepancies of data among
agencies.

The Steering Committee has the responsibility of providing oversight and
support to the team administrator in developing assumptions that best
represents "real world" fire operations for their individual agencies
and as a collective unit.

## 2.4 Communications

**FPU Team**

The following mailing list of XYZ FPU participants has been sent out to
participants in the FPU. Communication is encouraged within the FPU team
to identify issues in a timely manner and to provide information when
needed.

#### Name Agency Phone Number Email Address

Joe Dinglefritz USFS 123-555-1234 <jdingle@fs.fed.us>

Etc.

## 2.5 FPU Schedule

Timelines for FPU activities will be developed annually based on
requests from the agencies' national offices, that timeline will then be
assembled and appended to this charter.

## 2.6 Project Effort/Cost Estimate

This section may be needed if shared positions are anticipated. For
example, one full time FPA team administrator (fire planner) position is
required for the XYZ Fire Planning Unit to function as the
coordinator/lead planner and primary contact. The participating agencies
will fund the planner's salary according to the annual table in the
Appendix to guarantee it is a dedicated position. Travel and
miscellaneous costs related to FPU activities will be incurred by the
participating agencies for their employees.

## 2.7 Mechanism for Transferring Funds (If Needed)

This section, if needed, could include the mechanics for transfer of
funds among agencies. (To reduce the workload associated with changes in
dollar amounts percentages should be established then the annual
adjustments for step increases and base funding increases, etc. will be
covered automatically. This part of the document if needed could be very
sensitive as far as interagency operations are concerned.)

## 2.8 FPU Benefits 

The participating agencies in the FPU will benefit by interagency
participation in fire management planning. This agreement will support
processes and standards for interagency collaborative wildland fire
planning as required in recent and future policy documents.

**3. Approval Section**

This charter is effective as of the last date of signature. By signing,
the signatories indicate their agreement and support of the project
charter and their commitment to the project.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Forest Supervisor Data

USDA Forest Service

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Field Office Manager Date

USDI Bureau of Land Management

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Park Superintendent Date

USDI National Park Service

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Indian Agency Superintendent or Tribal Chairman Date

USDI Bureau of Indian Affairs

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Refuge Manager Date

USDI U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

> \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
> \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
>
> Area Manager Date
>
> State Department of Forestry
>
> []{#__RefHeading___Toc94001386 .anchor}**Appendices**

## Appendix A -- Example - Shared Funding for FPU Planner/Team Administrator

  ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
  **Shared Funding for FPU Team       
  Administrator (FY 05)**             

  USFS                                34,200

  BLM                                 34,200

  NPS                                 10,250

  BIA                                 10,250

  FWS                                 10,250

  Tribe                               3,420

  State                               3,420

  **Total**                           **\$105,990**
  ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------

> Note: This table will be updated annually. The FTE will be hosted by
> BLM with other agencies supporting the cost as listed in the table
> above. Funding is developed as a percentage of the acreage of agency
> in the FPU.

## Appendix B -- Tables of Organizations

The following tables will reviewed and updated as necessary.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc79399369 .anchor}Table 1 -- Management Committee

  --------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------
  **Agency**            **Title**        **Individual**   **Contact
                                                          Information**

  Well Exposed National Forest                            
  Forest                Supervisor                        

  Little Known National Park                              
  Park                  Superintendent                    

  Where Is It District, District Manager                  
  BLM                                                     

  Shallow Water         Refuge Manager                    
  National Wildlife                                       
  Refuge                                                  

  Local Indian Agency   BIA Agency                        
                        Superintendent                    
                        or Tribal                         
                        Chairman                          

  Green Tree Area       State Area                        
                        Manager                           
  --------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc79399370 .anchor}Table 2 -- Steering Committee

  --------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------
  **Agency**            **Title**        **Individual**   **Contact
                                                          Information**

  Well Exposed National Fire Management                   
  Forest                Officer                           

  Little Known National Interpretive                      
  Park                  Specialist                        

  Where Is It District, Fire Management                   
  BLM                   Officer                           

  Local Indian Tribe    Resource                          
                        Specialist                        

  Shallow Water         Biologist                         
  National Wildlife                                       
  Refuge                                                  

  Local Indian Agency   Fire Management                   
                        Officer                           

  Green Tree Area       Fire Management                   
  Department of         Officer                           
  Forestry                                                
  --------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc79399371 .anchor}Table 3 -- FPU Technical Team

  --------------------- ------------------------- -----------------------
  **Agency**            **Individual**            **Contact Information**

  Well Exposed National                           
  Forest                                          

  Little Known National                           
  Park                                            

  Where Is It District,                           
  BLM                                             

  Local Indian Agency                             

  Shallow Water                                   
  National Wildlife                               
  Refuge                                          

  Green Tree Area                                 
  Department of                                   
  Forestry                                        
  --------------------- ------------------------- -----------------------

\* indicates FPU Data Administrator. The Data Administrator may also be
the Team Lead.

\# indicates backup FPU Data Administrator

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc79399372 .anchor}Table 4 -- FPU Advisors

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Agency**            **Specialty**     **Individual**   **Contact
                                                           Information**
  --------------------- ----------------- ---------------- ----------------
  College of Hard       Public Meeting                     
  Knocks                assistance and                     
                        facilitation                       

  State of Confusion    Expertise in air                   
                        quality and state                  
                        regulations                        

  Pleasantville County  WUI/ Rural FD                      
                        support                            
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc79399373 .anchor}Table 5 -- Support Services

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Agency**           **Support Type**      **Individual**   **Contact
                                                              Information**
  -------------------- --------------------- ---------------- ----------------
  Well Exposed         Office Space                           
  National Forest                                             

  Little Known         GIS Expertise                          
  National Park                                               

  Where Is It          Fire Ecology                           
  District, BLM                                               

  Local Indian Tribe   Archeology/Cultural                    
                       Information                            

  Shallow Water        Wildlife Information                   
  National Wildlife                                           
  Refuge                                                      

  Green Tree Area      Communications                         
  Department of                                               
  Forestry                                                    
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------