Appendix O

Wildland Fire 

Management Plan

USFWS

Appendix A

Appropriate Use Findings 

Appendix B

Compatibility Determinations

Appendix C

Implementation

Appendix D

Wilderness Review

Appendix E

Biological Resources of Concern

Appendix F

Statement of Compliance

Appendix G

Integrated Pest Management

Appendix H

Glossary

Appendix I

Contributors

Appendix J

Acquisition History

Appendix K

Public Involvement

Appendix L

Hydrological Modeling

Appendix M

References

Appendix N

List of Refuge Species

Appendix O

Wildland Fire Management Plan

Appendix P

Maps
Page 1 of 48

 

WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN 

TUALATIN RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

2013
Page 2 of 48

 
Page 3 of 48

Table of Contents

1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 5

1.1. Purpose of the Fire Management Plan .................................................................... 5

1.2. General Description of the Area in the Fire Management Plan .............................. 6

1.3. Significant Values to Protect .................................................................................. 8

1.3.1. Cultural Resources .................................................................................................. 8

1.3.2. Fish and Wildlife..................................................................................................... 8

1.3.3. Structures and Facilities .......................................................................................... 9

2. Policy, Land Management Planning, and Partnerships ................................................ 9

2.1. Implementation of Fire Policy ................................................................................ 9

2.1.1. Federal Interagency Wildland Fire Policy .............................................................. 9

2.1.2. National Fire Plan ................................................................................................... 9

2.1.3. U.S. Department of Interior Fire Policy ................................................................ 10

2.1.4. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fire Policy ........................................................... 10

2.2. Land/Resource Management Planning ................................................................. 11

2.2.1. Land Resource Management Documents ............................................................. 11

2.2.2. Compliance with Regulatory Acts ........................................................................ 11

2.3. Fire Management Partnerships ............................................................................. 11

2.3.1. Internal Partnerships ............................................................................................. 11

2.3.2. External Partnerships ............................................................................................ 11

3. Fire Management Units Characteristics ....................................................................... 11

3.1. Area-wide Considerations ..................................................................................... 12

3.1.1. Fire Management Organization ............................................................................ 12

3.1.2. The History of Prescribed Fire at the Refuge ....................................................... 12

3.1.3. Management Goals, Objectives, and Constraints in the CCP ............................... 12

3.1.3.1. Goals for Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge ......................................... 12

3.1.3.2. Specific Resource Management Objectives Related to Fire Management ...... 13

3.1.3.3. Objectives for Fire Management at Tualatin River NWR ............................... 14

3.1.3.4. Constraints for Implementing fire management at Tualatin River NWR ........ 15

3.2. Fire Management Units ......................................................................................... 15

3.2.1. Fire Management Units—Specific Descriptions .................................................. 15

3.2.2. FMU 1—Sherwood ............................................................................................... 16

3.2.3. FMU 2—Wapato Lake ......................................................................................... 16

4. Wildland Fire Operational Guidance ........................................................................... 18

4.1. Preparedness ......................................................................................................... 18

4.2. Detection ............................................................................................................... 19

4.3. Communications ................................................................................................... 19

4.4. Dispatch, Initial Response, and Initial Attack ...................................................... 20

4.5. Extended Attack and Large Fire Management ..................................................... 20

4.6. Aviation Operations .............................................................................................. 20

4.7. Reviews and Investigations................................................................................... 20

4.8. Reports .................................................................................................................. 21
Page 4 of 48

4.9. Hazardous Fuels Management .............................................................................. 21

4.9.1. Prescribed Fire Program for Hazardous Fuels and Habitat Restoration ............... 21

4.9.1.1. Program Overview ........................................................................................... 21

4.9.1.2. Prescribed Burn Program Objectives ............................................................... 22

4.9.1.3. Effect of National and Regional Preparedness Levels ..................................... 22

4.9.1.4. Project Planning ............................................................................................... 22

4.9.1.5. Project Implementation .................................................................................... 23

4.9.1.6. Smoke Management ......................................................................................... 24

4.9.1.7. After Action Reviews and Escaped Fire Reviews ............................................ 24

4.9.1.8. Reports .............................................................................................................. 24

4.9.2. Nonfire Hazard Fuels Treatment Program ............................................................ 24

4.9.3. Process to Identify Hazard Fuels Treatments ....................................................... 24

4.10. Emergency Stabilization and Burned Area Rehabilitation ................................... 25

4.11. Prevention, Mitigation and Education .................................................................. 25

4.11.1. Prevention/Mitigation ........................................................................................... 25

5. Monitoring and Evaluation ............................................................................................ 26

5.1. Fire Management Plan Monitoring ....................................................................... 26

5.1.1. Annual Fire Management Plan Review ................................................................ 26

5.2. Hazard Fuels Treatment Monitoring ..................................................................... 26

5.3. Fire Critiques ........................................................................................................ 26

5.4. Fire Management Terminology ............................................................................ 26

Appendices 

Appendix A. Directory (update annually) ...................................................................... 27

Appendix B. Fire Management—Roles and Responsibilities ........................................ 28

Appendix C. Fire Danger Indices ................................................................................... 31

Appendix D. Dispatching Plans ...................................................................................... 33

Appendix E. Memorandum of Understanding, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue ......... 34

Appendix F. Memorandum of Understanding, Gaston Rural Fire Department ............ 40

Appendix G. Example: Delegation of Authority to Incident Commanders ................... 46

Appendix H. Annual Review Check List ....................................................................... 47

Appendix I. Zone FMO Area of Responsibility ........................................................... 48

Figures

Figure 1: Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge ............................................................ 5

Figure 2: Regional Vicinity Map of Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge .................. 6

Figure 3: Sherwood Units Land Status on Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge ........ 7

Figure 4: Land Status of Wapato Lake Unit on Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge 8

Figure 5: FMU 2 (Wapato Lake) .................................................................................... 16

Figure 6: FMU 1 (Sherwood) ........................................................................................... 17

 
Page 5 of 48

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. PURPOSE OF THE FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN 

This Fire Management Plan (FMP) is written to meet the U.S. Department of the Interior 

(USDOI) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) requirement that every area with burnable 

vegetation have an approved FMP (620 DM 1.4). It also enables the Tualatin River National 

Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) to meet the Service requirement that refuges review and/or revise the 

FMP at a minimum of 5-year intervals or when significant land use changes are proposed (621 

FW 2). 

The goal of wildland fire management is to plan and implement actions that help accomplish the 

mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System). That mission is to administer 

a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and, where 

appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United 

States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans (095 FW 3.2). 

The approval of this FMP enables the Refuge to consider a full range of appropriate suppression 

strategies and to conduct prescribed fires. Without this FMP, prescribed fires cannot be 

conducted and only wildfire suppression strategies may be implemented. 

This FMP outlines both wildland fire suppression and prescribed fire activities on the Refuge 

within the context of an approved comprehensive conservation plan (CCP). The CCP planning 

process began in 2010 and is scheduled to be completed by 2013. The FMP defines a program to 

manage wildland fires and to ensure that wildland fire management goals and components are 

coordinated and in compliance with all required direction. 

Figure 1: Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge 

 
Page 6 of 48

1.2. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA IN THE FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, which includes both the Sherwood Units and the 

Wapato Lake Unit, is located within the Tualatin River Basin in the northern portion of the 

Willamette Valley, in Oregon’s Washington and Yamhill Counties. The Refuge preserves a 

wetland ecosystem and provides a Wildlife Center in the shadow of Oregon’s largest 

metropolitan area, Portland. The overall management focus for the Sherwood Units as cited in 

the Land Protection Plan (1992) is to “protect, enhance, and manage upland, wetland, and 

riparian habitats for a variety of migratory birds and resident fish and wildlife, as well as for the 

enjoyment of people.” The Wapato Lake Unit serves a similar purpose as the Sherwood Units 

and supports many of the same types of habitats. The approved acquisition boundary of the 

Refuge totals approximately 7,370 acres. The Refuge may purchase any lands within the 

boundary from willing sellers (Figures 3 and 4). 

Figure 2: Regional Vicinity Map of Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge 
Page 7 of 48

Figure 3: Sherwood Units Land Status on Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge 

Current acreage owned or managed by the Refuge is distributed among six management units 

(Table 1). The Tualatin River Valley consists of low foothills, terraces, alluvial fans, and 

floodplains. The Refuge’s landscape is predominately flat bottomland bordered by uplands with 

elevations ranging from 105 to 300 feet above sea level. Habitats consist of rivers and streams; 

herbaceous and scrub-shrub wetlands; riparian forests; wet prairie; oak and mixed 

coniferous/deciduous forested uplands. 

 

Table 1: Management Units on Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge 

Management Unit Acres 

Riverboat 348 

Tualatin River 221 

Atfálat’i 555 

Onion Flats 139 

Rock Creek 75 

Wapato Lake 879 

Total 2217 
Page 8 of 48

Figure 4: Land Status of Wapato Lake Unit on Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge 

1.3. SIGNIFICANT VALUES TO PROTECT

1.3.1. CULTURAL RESOURCES

Three pre-European sites have been recorded on the Refuge. They are not listed but may be 

eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Two post-European sites 

have not been evaluated, but may also qualify for listing on the NRHP. Ground disturbance will 

be avoided if possible during suppression activities on all archeological sites. The regional 

archeologist will be notified of any suppression actions taken on Refuge lands. 

1.3.2. FISH AND WILDLIFE

The diverse habitat types found on the Refuge host a variety of fish and wildlife. Over 165 

species of birds have been recorded on the Refuge. Mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish have 

not been inventoried on the Refuge, but a diverse number of species breed, migrate, or forage on 

Refuge lands. Large concentrations of waterfowl including Canada geese, northern pintails, and 

green-winged teal occur during late fall and winter. In spring and summer, numerous species of 

neotropical migrant songbirds migrate through or nest on the Refuge. There is one known bald 

eagle nesting territory on the Refuge. In addition, peregrine falcons are present during fall 

through early spring. Western pond turtles and red-legged frogs use the Refuge wetlands. 
Page 9 of 48

1.3.3. STRUCTURES AND FACILITIES

There are numerous Refuge facilities that serve both the visitor services and biological programs, 

ranging from boundary fencing, barns, outbuildings, and numerous water control structures, to 

residences and public use facilities, such as the Wildlife Center and environmental education 

shelter. In addition, there are structures that serve as offices for other Service programs, such as 

Cultural Resources. 

There is a mixture of properties adjacent to the Refuge. Many of the properties adjacent to the 

Sherwood Units have a rural agricultural nature as well as highly urbanized components. Many 

of the rural lots have single-family homes with other structures such as barns. The urban areas 

include closely spaced single- and multi-family residences and commercial businesses of various 

types. Adjacent and in the vicinity of Refuge boundaries are large subdivisions within the urban 

growth boundary. Properties adjacent to the Wapato Lake Unit are mostly rural in nature with 

some single-family homes. 

2. POLICY, LAND MANAGEMENT PLANNING, AND PARTNERSHIPS

2.1. IMPLEMENTATION OF FIRE POLICY 

2.1.1. FEDERAL INTERAGENCY WILDLAND FIRE POLICY

This FMP implements these guiding principles of Federal wildland fire policy: 

 Firefighter and public safety is the first priority in every fire management activity. 

 The role of wildland fire as an essential ecological process and natural change agent has 

been incorporated into the planning process. Federal agency land and resource 

management plans set the objectives for the use and desired future condition of various 

public lands. 

 FMPs, programs, and activities support land and resource management plans and their 

implementation. 

 Sound risk management is a foundation for all fire management activities. Risks and 

uncertainties relating to fire management activities must be understood, analyzed, 

communicated, and managed as they relate to the cost of either doing or not doing an 

activity. 

 Fire management programs and activities are economically viable, based upon resource 

values to be protected, costs, and land and resource management objectives. 

 FMPs and activities are based upon the best available science. 

 FMPs and activities incorporate public health and environmental quality considerations. 

 Federal, state, Tribal, local, interagency, and international coordination and cooperation 

are essential. 

 Standardization of policies and procedures among Federal agencies is an ongoing 

objective. 

2.1.2. NATIONAL FIRE PLAN

This FMP emphasizes the following primary goals of the 10-year Comprehensive Strategy and 

the Cohesive Strategy for Protecting People and Sustaining Natural Resources for: 

 Improving fire prevention and suppression 
Page 10 of 48

 Reducing hazardous fuels 

 Restoring fire-adapted ecosystems 

 Promoting community assistance 

2.1.3. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR FIRE POLICY 

This FMP incorporates and adheres to USDOI policy stated in 620 DM 1, by giving full 

consideration to use of wildland fire as a natural process and tool during the land management 

planning process and by providing for the following guidelines. 

Wildland fires, whether on or adjacent to lands administered by the USDOI, that threaten life, 

improvements, or are determined to be a threat to natural and cultural resources or improvements 

under the USDOI’s jurisdiction, will be considered emergencies and their suppression given 

priority over other USDOI programs. 

Bureaus shall cooperate in the development of interagency preparedness plans, to ensure timely 

recognition of approaching critical wildland fire situations, to establish processes for analyzing 

situations and establishing priorities, and for implementing appropriate management responses to 

these situations. 

Bureaus will enforce rules and regulations concerning the unauthorized ignition of wildland 

fires, and aggressively pursue violations. 

2.1.4. U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE FIRE POLICY 

This FMP addresses a full range of potential wildland fires and considers a full spectrum of 

tactical options (from monitoring to intensive management actions) for appropriate management 

response (AMR) to meet Fire Management Unit (FMU) objectives. It fully applies procedures 

and guidelines in the Service Fire Management Handbook and the National Interagency Fire 

Center’s Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations and affirms the following 

key elements of Service fire policy. 

 Firefighter and public safety is the first priority of the wildland fire management program 

and all associated activities. 

 Only trained and qualified leaders and agency administrators will be responsible for and 

conduct wildland fire management duties and operations. 

 Trained and certified employees will participate in the wildland fire management 

program as the situation requires, and noncertified employees will provide needed 

support as necessary. 

 Fire management planning, preparedness, wildfire and prescribed fire operations, other 

hazardous fuel operations, monitoring, and research will be conducted on an interagency 

basis with involvement by all partners to the extent practicable. 

 The responsible agency administrator must have coordinated, reviewed, and approved 

this FMP to ensure consistency with approved land management plans, values to be 

protected, and natural and cultural resource management plans, and to address public 

health issues related to smoke and air quality. 
Page 11 of 48

 Fire, as an ecological process, will be integrated into resource management plans and 

activities on a landscape scale, across agency boundaries, based upon the best available 

science. 

 Wildland fire will be used to meet identified resource management objectives and 

benefits when appropriate. 

 Prescribed fire and other treatment types will be employed whenever they are the 

appropriate tool to reduce hazardous fuels and the associated risk of wildfire to human 

life, property, and cultural and natural resources and to manage our lands for habitats as 

mandated by statute, treaty, and other authorities. 

 Appropriate management response will consider firefighter and public safety, cost 

effectiveness, values to protect, and natural and cultural resource objectives. 

 Staff members will work with local cooperators and the public to prevent unauthorized 

ignition of wildfires on our lands. 

2.2. LAND/RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLANNING 

2.2.1. LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DOCUMENTS

The Refuge’s CCP guides refuge management for 15 years and beyond. An environmental 

assessment (EA) is developed with the CCP to analyze the effects of proposed alternatives. 

2.2.2. COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATORY ACTS

Compliance with regulatory acts (i.e., National Environmental Policy Act [NEPA]) associated 

with fire management activities is documented in the CCP and associated EA. 

2.3. FIRE MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIPS 

2.3.1. INTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS 

The Refuge does not have a dedicated fire position onsite. Fire management activities are 

coordinated by the zone fire management officer (FMO) stationed at the W.L. Finley National 

Wildlife Refuge. The Zone FMO is responsible for updating suppression agreements, providing 

fire management guidance in the event of a wildfire, and assisting with implementing prescribed 

fire projects identified by the Refuge. The Zone FMO is also responsible for maintaining training 

records and ensuring that current policy and procedures are followed. 

2.3.2. EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS 

A memorandum of understanding with Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue (TVFR) and Gaston 

Rural Fire Department is in the process of being developed to cover suppression response in the 

Sherwood FMU and the Wapato Lake Unit. Once finalized, the MOU’s will be included in the 

appendices of the FMP and will be reviewed annually by the Zone FMO. 

3. FIRE MANAGEMENT UNITS CHARACTERISTICS 

The intent of this portion of the FMP is to articulate and describe the general fire management 

situation within the local area and describe the specific fire management goals and objectives for 

the Refuge. In addition, this portion of the FMP will describe the particular FMUs defined within 
Page 12 of 48

the Refuge. Through the FMUs, we attempt to categorize lands on the Refuge based on fire 

suppression response, not limited to vegetation type or fuel model. 

3.1. AREA-WIDE CONSIDERATIONS 

3.1.1. FIRE MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION

The Refuge has no dedicated fire personnel onsite. Local fire departments provide fire 

suppression, and the Zone FMO updates agreements for fire suppression, and provides program 

oversight for the development of annual dispatch plans and prescribed fire projects. 

3.1.2. THE HISTORY OF PRESCRIBED FIRE AT THE REFUGE

The earliest historical records indicate that Native Americans started fires that burned extensive 

areas of the Willamette Valley annually. What role fire played prehistorically is not known. In 

general, fire is considered beneficial to the native grassland areas and oak savanna uplands. Fire 

is considered essential in the prairie areas to maintain the grassland condition and suppress 

encroaching woody vegetation. Previous versions of the FMP for Tualatin River National 

Wildlife Refuge only allowed for pile burning, prescribed fire broadcast burning was not 

addressed. With the approval of this document, prescribed fire broadcast burning will be 

considered as a management tool available to managers. Each prescribed fire project will have an 

approved prescribed fire plan outlining procedures, notifications, and permits required for 

implantation of prescribed fire. 

3.1.3. MANAGEMENT GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND CONSTRAINTS IN THE CCP 

3.1.3.1. GOALS FOR TUALATIN RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE 

The following goals were derived from the Refuge CCP. 

1. Maintain, enhance, and restore bottomland riparian habitat to a historical range of 

variability representative of the Willamette Valley ecosystem in order to support breeding 

and migratory landbirds and other native species. 

2. Maintain, enhance, and restore mixed coniferous/deciduous forest habitat to a historical 

range of variability representative of the Willamette Valley ecosystem in order to support 

breeding and migratory landbirds and other native species. 

3. Maintain, enhance, and restore oak habitats to a historical range of variability 

representative of the Willamette Valley ecosystem in order to support breeding and 

migratory landbirds and other native species. 

4. Maintain, enhance, and restore native Willamette Valley wet prairie habitat, with an 

emphasis on management for rare and listed plant species. 

5. Maintain, enhance, and restore a diversity of wetlands to support migratory landbirds, 

waterbirds, and shorebirds with special emphasis on wintering waterfowl. 

6. Maintain, enhance, and, where feasible, restore streams and off-channel backwater slough 

habitats in order to benefit salmonids and other native aquatic species. 
Page 13 of 48

7. Cultivate and maintain croplands as an interim measure to control nonnative invasive 

species. 

8. Collect scientific information (surveys, scientific assessments, and research) necessary to 

support adaptive management decisions that are associated with Goals 1 through 7. 

9. Protect and manage the Refuge’s unique cultural resources for their cultural, scientific, 

and educational values, while consulting with appropriate Native American groups and 

preservation organizations and complying with historic preservation legislation. 

10. Provide visitors, local residents, volunteers, and partners with opportunities to understand 

and appreciate fish and wildlife conservation as well as the purpose, ecology, and 

management of the Refuge and the Refuge System. 

11. Provide students and teachers from the greater Portland area with compatible and highquality opportunities to participate in environmental education. 

12. Provide Refuge visitors with diverse, compatible, and high-quality opportunities to 

participate in wildlife-dependent recreation and interpretation. 

13. Build a broad-based natural resource conservation constituency with a focus on urban 

audiences to create a conservation ethic within urban communities; increase relevance of 

habitat conservation, wildlife heritage, and the Refuge System in the eyes of urban 

citizens; and instill a sense of empowerment for urban communities to work together to 

actively support conservation, in both local and global settings. Specific Resource 

Management Goals Related to Fire Management 

3.1.3.2. SPECIFIC RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES RELATED TO FIRE MANAGEMENT 

 Objective 2.1 Enhance and maintain mixed coniferous/deciduous forest 

Strategies Applied to Achieve Objective 

 Use common forest health practices including prescribed fire and mechanical removals to 

create variable age structure. 

Objective 2.2 Restore mixed coniferous/deciduous forest 

Strategies Applied to Achieve Objective 

 Use prescribed fire as appropriate to control invasive species and reduce the build-up of 

unwanted fuel. 

Objective 3.1 Enhance and maintain oak savanna habitat 

Strategies Applied to Achieve Objective 

 Use prescribed fire during fall with burn interval of 3 to 5 years, to reduce encroachment of 

woody species and to reduce thatch. 

Objective 3.2 Restore oak savanna habitat 

Strategies Applied to Achieve Objective 

 Use prescribed fire during spring to control nonnative species prior to initial planting. 
Page 14 of 48

 Use prescribed fire during fall with burn intervals of 3 to 5 years to reduce thatch and 

control invasive species. 

Objective 3.3 Enhance and maintain oak/pine woodland 

Strategies Applied to Achieve Objective 

 Use common forest health practices including prescribed fire and mechanical removal to 

create variable age structure. 

Objective 3.4 Restore oak/pine woodland 

Strategies Applied to Achieve Objective 

 Use prescribed fire as appropriate to control invasive species and reduce the build-up of 

unwanted fuel. 

Objective 4.1 Enhance and maintain native wet prairie 

Strategies Applied to Achieve Objective 

 Use prescribed fire at burn intervals of 3 to 5 years. 

Objective 4.2 Restore native wet prairie 

Strategies Applied to Achieve Objective 

 Use prescribed fire during spring to control nonnative species prior to initial planting. 

 Use prescribed fire at burn intervals of 3 to 5 years. 

Objective 5.1 Enhance and maintain herbaceous wetland 

Strategies Applied to Achieve Objective 

 Use prescribed fire to reduce extent of emergent plants and/or remove encroaching woody 

species (e.g. willow, ash) 

Objective 5.2 Enhance and maintain scrub-shrub wetland 

Strategies Applied to Achieve Objective 

 Use prescribed fire to increase diversity in older stands 

Objective 5.3 Restore scrub-shrub wetland 

Strategies Applied to Achieve Objective 

 Pretreat (e.g., herbicide, prescribed fire, discing) for 1-2 years to exhaust nonnative seed 

bank prior to restoration actions. 

Objective 8.2 Research 

Strategies Applied to Achieve Objective 

 Conduct study to evaluate timing of prescribed fire to best promote native herbaceous cover 

and control invasive plants. 

3.1.3.3. OBJECTIVES FOR FIRE MANAGEMENT AT TUALATIN RIVER NWR 

The overall objectives for fire management at Tualatin River Refuge are to: (1) promote a 

program to provide for firefighter and public safety; (2) reduce the occurrence, threat, and 

resource impacts of human-caused fires; (3) ensure appropriate suppression response to meet 

expected wildland fire complexity; and (4) increase the use of prescribed fire. Specific fire 

management objectives follow. 

 
Page 15 of 48

 Promote a fire management program that includes both prescribed fire and a wildland fire 

suppression component. 

 Provide for the protection of life, property, and resources from wildland fires, at costs 

commensurate with resource values at risk. 

 Utilize prescribed fire and mechanical treatments to reduce hazardous fuels, and enhance and 

maintain wildlife habitat. 

3.1.3.4. CONSTRAINTS FOR IMPLEMENTING FIRE MANAGEMENT AT TUALATIN RIVER NWR 

Constraints for implementing fire management on the Refuge include: 

 The use of retardants is prohibited unless life or property is in imminent risk, or consultation 

with the Resource Advisor occurs and approval from the Line Officer is obtained prior to 

using retardants. Foams may be used with prior Refuge approval. 

 Heavy equipment can be used with prior approval from the Line Officer. 

Specific constraints for implanting prescribed fire on the Refuge include: 

 Spring burning for areas targeted for restoration. 

 Fall burning every 3-5 years for areas targeted for maintenance and enhancement of habitat. 

Although not a managed fire management unit, plant and wood debris piles are located on 

various Refuge sites. These piles could be burned periodically to remove the collected debris. 

3.2. FIRE MANAGEMENT UNITS

3.2.1. FIRE MANAGEMENT UNITS—SPECIFIC DESCRIPTIONS 

Fire Management Units (FMUs) are areas on the Refuge that have common wildland fire 

management objectives and strategies, are manageable as units from a wildland fire standpoint, 

and are based on natural or human-made fuel breaks. An FMU may coincide with a prescribed 

fire burn block or treatment area or unit, but this is not always the case. The Tualatin Refuge has 

two FMUs, the Sherwood Unit and the Wapato Lake Unit. Within the FMUs, current acreage 

owned and managed by the Refuge is divided into six management units. Five management units 

are located within the Sherwood Unit and the Wapato Lake Unit comprises the sixth 

management unit. Due to the similarity in fire response within the management units and other 

factors, including the geographic separation within the urban setting, we were able to organize 

the Refuge into two FMUs. 

The two FMUs at Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge are: 

 FMU 1: Sherwood (1,338 acres) 

Riverboat Unit (348acres) 

Tualatin River Unit (221 acres) 
Page 16 of 48

Atfálat’i Unit (555 acres) 

Onion Flats Unit (139acres) 

Rock Creek Unit (75 acres) 

 FMU 2: Wapato Lake (879 acres) 

3.2.2. FMU 1—SHERWOOD

The Sherwood FMU is 1,338 acres and includes the Riverboat, Tualatin River, Atfálat’i, Onion 

Flats, and Rock Creek Units (6). These management units are defined in the CCP, and would 

elicit a similar response in the event of a wildfire. FMU 1 is predominately flat bottomland 

bordered by uplands. It has oak savanna habitat, mixed coniferous/deciduous forested uplands, 

riparian forests, scrub-shrub wetlands, and wet prairies. In the event of a fire within this FMU, 

suppression actions would include using existing natural and human-made fire breaks to catch 

the fire at the smallest possible size. The lands surrounding the Sherwood FMU are primarily a 

mix of urban and agricultural lands. The City of Sherwood abuts the southern and western edge 

of the Sherwood FMU. The City of Tualatin is to the east, and King City is to the northeast. 

3.2.3. FMU 2—WAPATO LAKE 

The Wapato Lake FMU encompasses 

approximately 879 acres (Error! 

Reference source not found.5). The 

Wapato Lake Unit was established in 2007. 

This unit’s purpose is similar to the 

Sherwood Unit’s purpose, and it supports 

many of the same types of habitats. 

Current land ownership is primarily of the 

historic Wapato Lake lakebed where a 

series of dikes and levees were built in the 

1930s to support onion farming irrigation 

practices. The City of Gaston is adjacent to 

the western boundary of the Wapato Lake 

FMU and Forest Grove is located to the 

north. 

Figure 5: FMU 2 (Wapato Lake)
Page 17 of 48

Figure 5: FMU 1 (Sherwood)
Page 18 of 48

4. WILDLAND FIRE OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE 

The procedures used to implement the Refuge’s FMP are covered in this section. Information 

pertaining to fire management is either directly provided or references are cited. Interagency 

standards for fire and fire aviation operations have been developed, and are documented and 

available for reference in the Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations 

(National Interagency Fire Center’s National Fire Equipment System [NFES] No. 2724). The 

Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations is commonly referred to as the 

“Redbook.” 

Structural fire suppression is the responsibility of local governments. The Service may assist 

with exterior structural protection activities under formal Fire Protection Agreements that specify 

mutual responsibilities, including funding (Redbook 01-3). 

All wildfires will be supervised by a qualified incident commander (IC), through a delegation of 

authority (see Appendix G) from the project leader. The IC is responsible for the following: 

 Assessing the fire situation and making a report to dispatch as soon as possible. 

 Using guidance in this FMP and/or a delegation of authority to determine and implement 

an appropriate management response. 

 Determining organization, resource needs, strategy, and tactics. 

 Briefing incoming and assigned resources on the organization, strategy and tactics, 

weather, fire behavior; lookouts, communications, escape routes and safety zones 

(LCES); seasonal and historical Energy Release Components (ERC); and radio 

frequencies. 

 Advising dispatch of resources needed for the appropriate management response. 

 Managing the incident until relieved or until the fire is suppressed. 

The FMP and a delegation of authority can provide a general strategy to an IC, who has the 

discretion to select and implement appropriate tactics within the limits described for the FMU, 

including when and where to use minimum impact suppression tactics (MIST), unless otherwise 

specified. 

All resources, including mutual aid resources, will report to the IC, in person or by radio and 

receive an assignment prior to tactical deployment. 

The Refuge is dedicated to providing for the safety of each visitor and all residents and property 

adjacent to the Refuge’s boundary. Residents adjacent to the Refuge will be notified with as 

much advance warning possible of any wildfire that poses the threat of burning outside Refuge 

boundaries. A contact list can be found in Appendix A of this FMP. 

4.1. PREPAREDNESS

Preparedness is the work accomplished prior to fire occurrence to ensure that the appropriate 

response, as directed by the FMP, can be carried out. Preparedness activities include budget 

planning, dispatch planning, personnel qualifications and training, and equipment acquisition, 
Page 19 of 48

maintenance, and inventory. The preparedness objective is to have a well-trained and equipped 

fire management organization to manage all fire situations within the Refuge. Preparedness 

efforts are to be accomplished outside the normal fire season dates. The general fire season 

recognized by the Oregon Department of Forestry runs from June 10 through October 15. 

Wildland fire training, experience, and position qualifications information will be maintained 

through the Service’s Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) database. The 

information will be updated annually. 

The minimum qualification will be Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2), which requires the annual 

firefighter refresher. Specific training and certification requirements can be found in the 

Redbook, Chapter 13. 

Fire lines consisting of vegetation-cleared areas will be constructed around the perimeter of the 

Refuge annually. Work on these lines will begin after July 16. Fire lines will consist of 

combination mow and disc lines, and will be cleared to make them accessible to Type 6 engines. 

The following apparatus are available from Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge (35 miles 

south of Tualatin River Refuge) for suppression and prescribed fire on Tualatin River Refuge. 

 Type 6 engine (E-76 fire-ready) 

 Type 4 engine (unmaintained) 

The equipment is primarily designed and maintained for use in support of on-refuge prescribed 

fire activities. The E-76 is a Type 6 engine and will be maintained fire-ready during the specified 

fire season. The Type 4 engine requires an operator with a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), 

and will be maintained for fire suppression, and used if qualified personnel are available to 

operate it. Personal protective equipment (PPE) will be assigned to qualified personnel. Assigned 

PPE will be inspected annually as part of the annual fire refresher. 

Additional equipment and supplies are available through cooperators and the interagency cache 

system and would be ordered through the Columbia Cascade Communications Center.

4.2. DETECTION

Most wildland fires at Tualatin River Refuge are caused by human-related activities. Many times 

the person who started the fire will call the Refuge for help or the local fire department if the 

Refuge office is closed after hours. Fires are typically reported through 911 emergency services, 

and the Refuge is contacted along with the TVFR. 

4.3. COMMUNICATIONS

Cellular phones are the primary means of communication on the Refuge. All immediate 

emergency notifications and contacts can be found in Appendix A of the FMP. During 

emergency fire operations local radio frequencies found in the following table (Table 2) will be 

used. 
Page 20 of 48

Table 2: Radio Frequencies 

Channel Name Assignment Tx: Rx: 

ODF Red Net Command 151.3400 151.3400 

ODF White Net Air to Ground 151.3100 151.3100 

NIFC Tac 1 Tactical 168.0500 168.0500 

NIFC Tac 2 Tactical 168.2000 168.2000 

NIFC Tac 3 Tactical 168.6000 168.6000 

4.4. DISPATCH, INITIAL RESPONSE, AND INITIAL ATTACK 

Upon receiving a wildfire report, qualified Refuge staff will respond initially and provide a fire 

update to the dispatch center. Procedures and criteria for status reports are in the dispatch plan 

(Appendix D). Qualified Refuge staff should respond to assist with tasks such as securing the 

point of origin, fire suppression, protecting visitors at risk, and implementing necessary closures. 

In most cases, initial attack (IA) resources will respond from TVFR. The Refuge will use the 

Incident Command System (ICS) to guide suppression organization and actions. 

4.5. EXTENDED ATTACK AND LARGE FIRE MANAGEMENT

If the fire exceeds the capabilities of IA resources and transitions into extended attack, additional 

resources and logistics will be handled through Columbia Cascade Communication Center. The 

development of the Wildland Decision Support System, delegations of authority, and briefing 

regarding incoming resources will be initiated by the Zone FMO. Specific incident management 

procedures for transition into extended attack can be found in the Redbook Chapter 11. 

4.6. AVIATION OPERATIONS 

All fire-related aviation operations will follow applicable guidelines of the USDOI National 

Business Center Aviation Management Directorate. Aviation requests and operations will be 

coordinated with regional office staff. 

Aircraft may be used in all phases of fire management operations. All aircraft must be approved 

by the National Business Center (NBC) or the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). An Office of Aircraft 

Services (OAS) Aviation Policy Department Manual will be provided by OAS. 

Helicopters may be used for reconnaissance, bucket drops, and transporting personnel and 

equipment. Natural helispots and parking lots are readily available in most cases. Clearing for 

new helispots should be avoided where possible. Improved helispots will be rehabilitated 

following a fire. 

As in all fire management activities, safety is the primary consideration. Qualified aviation 

personnel will be assigned to all flight operations. 

4.7. REVIEWS AND INVESTIGATIONS

Reviews and investigations are used by wildland fire and aviation managers to assess and 

improve the effectiveness and safety of organizational operations. Brief descriptions of various 

reviews and associated procedures and requirements, including those for serious wildland fire 

accidents, entrapments, and trespass, are listed in the Redbook, Chapter 18. 
Page 21 of 48

4.8. REPORTS 

The Zone FMO will complete and file an individual fire report (DI-1202) for the following types 

of fires within 10 days of a fire being declared out. 

 All wildfires on Service lands. 

 Wildfires threatening Service lands on which Service personnel take action. 

 All escaped prescribed fires. When a fire exceeds prescription, it must be declared a 

wildfire and a separate new report filed to report acres burned by the wildfire from the 

time of declaration to the time of being declared out. 

 All false alarms responded to by field office staff. 

Individual Fire Reports (DI-1202) are required regardless of who takes action, whether it is a 

Service engine, cooperator, or contractor. When we take the initial attack (IA) off our lands, the 

agency with jurisdiction over where the fire occurs will file a report and we will file a limited 

report to document our response and to support potential billing to non-Federal entities for 

trespass fires. 

4.9. HAZARDOUS FUELS MANAGEMENT 

4.9.1. PRESCRIBED FIRE PROGRAM FOR HAZARDOUS FUELS AND HABITAT RESTORATION

The annual prescribed fire and fuels treatment schedule should be prepared in February/March 

and included as an important aspect in the annual work plan. Prescribed fire plans (i.e., burn 

plans) should be completed and submitted prior to the burn season. 

4.9.1.1. PROGRAM OVERVIEW

All prescribed fires must comply with NEPA requirements. An EA for management actions 

associated with prescribed fire was completed as part of the CCP development process. We 

recognized prescribed fire in the CCP as a necessary tool for habitat management and 

restoration. All prescribed fire activities must also adhere to Service requirements, which can be 

found in the Service’s Fire Management Handbook, Chapter 17, Interagency Prescribed Fire 

Planning and Implementation Procedures Reference Guide; and the Redbook. 

The fire management program consults with the Refuge’s wildlife biologist to formulate a 

prescribed fire program for the annual work plan that accomplishes the following. 

 Identifies the annual target acreage scheduled for treatment. 

 Designates the burn units to be treated. 

 Determines prescribed burn unit complexities. 

 Identifies the preferred treatment interval (this can vary by fuel type). 

 Recommends the approved method of treatment (fire, fire/mechanical/chemical, etc.). 

 Recommends an effective treatment sequence (rotation). 

 Identifies the type of monitoring and frequency. 
Page 22 of 48

4.9.1.2. PRESCRIBED BURN PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

Prescribed fire is a useful tool for restoring and maintaining natural conditions and processes. 

The goals of prescribed fire follow. 

 Restore and maintain native wetland prairies and oak habitat using fire to set back and 

reduce woody vegetation, such as Douglas-fir. 

 Enrich soil nutrients that benefit vegetation. 

 Provide benefits to specific rare plant species, such as Nelson’s checker-mallow 

(Sidalcea nelsoniana). 

 Provide opportunities for research of fire-dependent species and plant communities. 

 Remove unwanted accumulations of residual vegetation in association with wetland 

restoration. 

 Realize beneficial effects upon native prairie plant species. 

Upland grasslands are burned to maintain an open oak savanna habitat by inhibiting the 

encroachment of shrubs and woody vegetation, and to invigorate native plant species. Wetland 

habitats on the Refuge may be burned to remove dense stands of reed canarygrass, which 

dominate the shallow moist soil areas. Some areas may be treated with herbicide post-burn, as 

reed canarygrass sprouts quickly following fire. The increase in sunlight and exposed soil 

accomplished through prescribed burns will allow native species to germinate, thereby 

promoting and supporting a healthy wetland ecosystem. 

The Willamette Valley’s native prairies evolved under a regime of fire. There are no known 

ecological equivalents to the use of fire, although mowing can be used to mimic some of the 

effects. Mowing is used as a restoration tool as it provides a disturbance, such as timing mowing 

to target nonnative species prior to the development of seed heads. Mowing is used as an 

alternative treatment to burning if burn windows are not available during a given field season. 

4.9.1.3. EFFECT OF NATIONAL AND REGIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVELS

Prescribed fires may be ignited during National Preparedness Levels 4 or 5 as specified in the 

National Interagency Mobilization Guide. 

The program relies on interagency cooperators from the USFS, the Bureau of Land Management 

(BLM), and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to accomplish prescribed fire projects. Elevated 

preparedness levels are indicative of an active fire season, and resource availability may be 

limited due to local resources being committed to ongoing incidents. 

4.9.1.4. PROJECT PLANNING

Prescribed fire will be used to reduce hazard fuel accumulations, restore fire-dependent 

ecological communities, improve conditions for federally listed threatened and endangered 

species, improve wildlife habitat, and contribute to research. All prescribed fire activity will 

comply with applicable Federal, State, and local air quality laws and regulations. 

Prescribed fire plans for the units to be treated will be prepared and approved prior to treatment. 
Page 23 of 48

Prescribed fire plans should be prepared well enough in advance to allow for as much time as 

possible for review prior to the start of a burn season or burn execution phase. 

A smoke management section is required and must contain adequate information to meet Oregon 

State requirements. No permits are required. 

All burn plans are prepared by a qualified burn boss, reviewed by a technical reviewer and the 

Zone FMO, and then approved by the project leader. 

Burn boss duty assignment is determined near the time of the burn by the Zone FMO or 

designated member of the Zone FMO’s staff. The approved burn plan must be reviewed and 

signed by the designated burn boss before implementation. Procedures for prescribed fire 

implementation are covered within the Interagency Prescribed Fire Planning and Implementation 

Procedures Reference Guide. 

4.9.1.5. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

Site specific treatment objectives are developed to guide project operations. Prescribed fire 

objectives describe what a treatment must accomplish in order to meet a resource management 

objective. Each prescribed burn plan contains objectives for the project that are quantifiable and 

measurable. 

The Zone FMO shall assign a burn boss appropriate to the complexity level of the planned burn. 

The burn boss will follow all the guidelines and procedures contained in the prescribed fire plan. 

Cooperators, contractors, and administratively determined emergency hires may be used to 

implement prescribed fires. All individuals working on Federal agency prescribed fires must 

meet the Fire Management Handbook and Wildland Fire Qualification Guide (published by the 

National Wildfire Coordinating Group [NWCG], PMS 310-1) standards unless local agreements 

specify otherwise. The complexity of each prescribed burn determines the organization needed to 

safely achieve the objectives specified in the burn plan. Further information on qualifications is 

found in Chapter 17 of the 2008 Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations. 

The Zone FMO will be responsible for ensuring that Refuge personnel maintain the 

qualifications necessary to implement prescribed fire programs. 

A prescribed fire must be declared a wildfire by those identified in the burn plan when those 

person(s) determine that the contingency actions have failed or are likely to fail and cannot be 

mitigated by the end of the next burning period. An escaped prescribed fire must be declared a 

wildfire when the fire has spread outside the project boundary, or is likely to do so, and cannot 

be contained by the end of the next burning period. A prescribed fire can be converted to a 

wildfire for reasons other than an escape. An appropriate management response will be made to 

such incidents. A formal analysis using a required wildfire decision support tool will occur when 

needed. The Refuge manager and project leader will be notified of an escaped prescribed fire. 

The public will be informed of prescribed fires through news releases, interpretive messages, and 

educational programs. Individual prescribed fires should not be conducted without informing 

agencies and members of the public likely to be impacted. 
Page 24 of 48

4.9.1.6. SMOKE MANAGEMENT 

All grass burning in the Willamette Valley is strictly regulated by the Oregon Department of 

Environmental Quality (DEQ) through the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Division of 

Smoke Management (DSM), to comply with smoke dispersal requirements in the Willamette 

Valley. DSM decides, on a daily basis, whether burning will be allowed and how many acres 

may be burned. No prescribed burns are conducted without DSM approval. Approval is obtained 

by contacting DSM on the morning of a proposed burn. In addition to smoke management by 

DSM, Refuge lands are also constrained by fire danger ratings for the area. If the fire danger 

rating is extreme, then no prescribed burning will be allowed even when weather conditions are 

favorable for smoke dispersion. 

4.9.1.7. AFTER ACTION REVIEWS AND ESCAPED FIRE REVIEWS

The burn boss will ensure an informal After Action Review (AAR) is conducted for each 

operational period on a prescribed fire, as described in the Incident Response Pocket Guide 

(IRPG). 

All prescribed fires declared a wildfire will have an investigative review initiated by the refuge 

manager or project leader. The level and scope of the review will be determined by policy and 

procedures of the Redbook and the Services Fire Management Handbook. 

4.9.1.8. REPORTS

Burn plans will specify information to be included in a project file. The burn boss will ensure 

this information is provided to the refuge manager and/or Zone FMO as specified. This includes 

documenting conditions and fire behavior during the prescribed fire to assess how well actual 

fire characteristics fit those predicted, documenting any unanticipated difficulties encountered 

during implementation, and assessing how well the fire accomplished the intended objectives. 

The burn boss will complete an Individual Fire Report (DI-1202) with the Zone FMO, who will 

file an Individual Fire Report (DI-1202) electronically within 10 days of the fire being declared 

out. 

4.9.2. NONFIRE HAZARD FUELS TREATMENT PROGRAM

Many activities associated with normal habitat maintenance are similar to pre-suppression fire 

activities. Mowing is a regular tool used to treat invasive species of grasses and shrubs and to 

mimic a fire disturbance. These activities may not be funded through the fire program, but 

directly benefit the fire program as well as the habitat. Mowing is used in pretreatment of 

prescribed fire units to lower flame lengths near the control lines. These areas may not be 

classified as hazardous fuels but their treatment would aid in suppression if a fire were to occur 

on the Refuge. 

4.9.3. PROCESS TO IDENTIFY HAZARD FUELS TREATMENTS

Due to the difficulty of access to areas within the Refuge, most hazardous fuels treatments are 

identified to aid in creating defensible space and engine access. An annual site visit is conducted 

with the project leader, refuge biologist, and the Zone FMO to identify areas that would benefit 

ecologically as well as aid in suppression in the event of a wildfire. 
Page 25 of 48

4.10. EMERGENCY STABILIZATION AND BURNED AREA REHABILITATION

Immediate post-wildfire actions are needed to minimize the threat to life and health and prevent 

unacceptable degradation to natural and cultural resources (see the NWCG Interagency Burned 

Area Emergency Response Guidebook). Required repair of damage resulting from wildland fire 

activities will be completed before crews and resources are released from assignment to the 

incident. 

Rehabilitation and restoration efforts will be undertaken to protect and sustain ecosystems, and 

public health and safety, and to help communities protect infrastructure. Natural recovery is the 

preferred emergency stabilization or burned area rehabilitation (BAR) treatment. 

The goal of the Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR) Plan is to promote public 

safety, stabilize and prevent further degradation of natural and cultural resources, and rehabilitate 

the stability, productivity, diversity, and ecological integrity of Refuge lands after a wildland fire 

as described in approved refuge management plans. The ESR Plan is tiered to the Refuge’s CCP, 

FMP, and operations or step-down plans. Development of ESR Plan objectives is guided by 

resource management objectives, general management practices, and constraints identified in an 

approved CCP, habitat management plan, and/or supporting step-down plans. 

If burned area ESR is required to reduce the effects of a wildland fire, then the Refuge should 

request appropriate funding through the ESR fund. The Service representative at the National 

Interagency Fire Center administers the ESR fund. A rehabilitation and restoration survey, plan, 

and request must be prepared and submitted according to agency guidelines. Smaller incidents 

may only need simple plans prepared by Refuge staff. 

Larger incidents with extensive rehabilitation efforts should employ an ESR team. An ESR team 

is composed of personnel who specialize in key disciplines of resource management and are 

experts in ESR Plan preparation. A formal request for an ESR team should be made in 

consultation with the Incident Management Team as soon as it appears that damage may be 

significant. 

Instructions for ESR team mobilization can be found in the NWCG mobilization guide. Delays 

in making a request may hinder funding approval and magnify the damage. Once an ESR team is 

employed, the project leader or their representative should provide guidance to the team leader. 

The project leader, biologist, and Zone FMO will review all ESR plans. The final plan will be 

submitted to the Service’s Regional Office for review prior to submission to Headquarters. 

Direction on ESR guidelines can be found in the Service’s Fire Management Handbook. 

4.11. PREVENTION, MITIGATION AND EDUCATION 

4.11.1. PREVENTION/MITIGATION 

The objective of fire prevention activities is to prevent human-caused wildfires. The inadvertent 

or intentional ignition of wildland fuels by humans is illegal. All human-caused wildfires will be 

investigated at the earliest possible time. The investigation may range from a documented 

determination of cause by the IA crew to criminal investigation by a qualified arson investigator. 
Page 26 of 48

Educating the public on the value of fire as a natural process is important to increasing public 

understanding and support for the fire management program. The Refuge will use the most 

appropriate and effective means to explain the overall future of the fire and smoke management 

programs. This may include supplemental handouts, signage, personal contacts, auto tour routes, 

or media releases. When necessary, interpretive presentations will address the fire management 

program and explain the role of fire in the environment. The public information program would 

include the following options. 

 The concepts of the prescribed burn program will be incorporated, as appropriate, in 

publications, brochures, and handouts. 

 During periods when prescribed burns are ignited, handouts will be prepared and 

distributed to all visitors entering areas of fire activity. 

 The fire management program may be incorporated into visitor contacts. Particular 

attention will be given when fires are conspicuous from roads or visitor use areas. 

 News releases will be distributed to the media as appropriate. 

 The public information outlets of neighboring and cooperating agencies and the Regional 

Office will be provided with all fire management information. 

 The fire management program will be discussed in informal talks with all employees, 

volunteers, residents, and neighbors. 

5. MONITORING AND EVALUATION 

The intent of this section is to document the processes for determining whether the FMP is being 

implemented as planned and fire-related goals and objectives are being achieved. Information 

obtained from monitoring is used to update the FMP and land management plans. 

5.1. FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN MONITORING

5.1.1. ANNUAL FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN REVIEW

This FMP will be reviewed annually and updated as needed, upon local agency administrator 

approval. Revisions of FMPs with regional review and concurrence are required every 5 years, 

and following completion of a CCP (or significant CCP revision) or habitat management plan. 

5.2. HAZARD FUELS TREATMENT MONITORING

Any prescribed fire treatment will be monitored according the 2010 Pacific Region Hazardous 

Fuels Monitoring Framework. At a minimum, a perimeter of the treatment area will be collected 

and archived in the regional database. 

5.3. FIRE CRITIQUES

Fire reviews will be documented and filed with the final fire report. The Zone FMO will retain a 

copy for Refuge files. 

5.4. FIRE MANAGEMENT TERMINOLOGY 

Terms in the FMP are defined by the NWCG, at http://www.nwcg.gov/pms/pubs/glossary. 
Page 27 of 48

Appendix A. Directory (update annually) 

Name Position Office Phone Extension Cell Phone Home 

Erin Holmes Project Leader (503) 625-5944 221 (503) 816-1227 (971) 400-4405 

vacant Deputy Project Leader N/A N/A N/A N/A 

Greg 

Hagedorn 

Zone Fire Management 

Officer (541) 757-7236 205 (541) 740-5613 (503) 913-2883 

Kolleen Irvine 

Law Enforcement 

Officer (503) 625-5944 230 (971) 832-1730 N/A 

Sarah Gray 

Administrative 

Assistant (503) 625-5944 226 N/A N/A 

Kim 

Strassburg 

Visitor Services 

Manager (503) 625-5944 228 (503) 539-5194 N/A 

Pete Schmidt Refuge Biologist (503) 625-5944 231 (503) 816-2007 N/A 

John 

Schweitzer Equipment Operator (503) 625-5944 N/A (503) 329-8384 N/A 

Wildlife 

Center N/A (503) 625-5945 N/A N/A N/A 
Page 28 of 48

Appendix B. Fire Management—Roles and Responsibilities 

Agency Administrator/Project Leader 

 Is responsible for implementation of all fire management activities within the Refuge, 

and will ensure compliance with USDOI, Service, and Refuge policies. 

 Selects the appropriate management responses to wildland fire. 

 Coordinates Refuge programs to ensure personnel and equipment are made available and 

utilized for fire management activities including fire suppression, prescribed burning, and 

fire effects monitoring. 

 Ensures that the fire management program has access to the Refuge and resources when 

needed. 

 Ensures that staff members consider the fire management program during Refuge-related 

planning and implementation. 

Refuge Biologist 

 Identifies prescribed burn units and biological objectives to the Zone FMO, notifies Zone 

FMO of prescribed fire project constraints, and ensures that Refuge resources are 

available to accomplish prescribed fire and fire suppression objectives. 

 Acts as the primary Refuge resource management specialist during fire management 

planning and operations. 

 Drafts wildland fire rehabilitation plans for project leader. 

 Coordinates through project leader to provide biological input for the fire program to the 

Zone FMO. 

 Assists in design and implementation of fire effects monitoring for the Zone FMO. 

 Participates, as requested, and is appropriately trained in prescribed burning and wildland 

fire suppression. 

Fire Management Officer 

 Maintains oversight and review role for fire management activities on Refuge lands. 

 Responsible for all fire-related planning and implementation. 

 Responsible for implementation of this FMP. This responsibility includes coordination 

and supervision of all prevention, pre-suppression, detection, wildland fire, prescribed 

fire, suppression, monitoring, and post-fire activities involving Refuge lands. 

 Prepares burn plans. 

 Integrates the Refuge’s biological objectives into all fire management planning and 

implementation. 

 Solicits program input from the project leader. 

 Supervises prescribed fire planning. 

 Responsible for planning, coordinating, and directing preparedness activities including 

fire training, physical fitness testing, and Interagency Fire Qualification System (IFQS) 

data entry, fire cache and equipment inventory accountability, maintenance, and 

operation, and cooperation with cooperative agencies. 

 Responsible for setting up rural fire assistance agreements and grants. 

 Responsible for setting up and overseeing wildland urban interface (WUI) and hazardous 

fuels treatment contracts. 
Page 29 of 48

 Responsible for preparation of fire reports following the suppression of wildland fires and 

operations undertaken while conducting prescribed fires. 

 Prepares an annual report detailing fire occurrences and prescribed fire activities 

undertaken in each calendar year. This report serves as a post-year fire management 

activities review, as well as provides documentation for development of a comprehensive 

fire history record for the Refuge. 

 Nominates personnel to receive fire-related training, as appropriate. 

 Responsible for interagency coordination. 

 Ensures fire management policies are observed. 

 When available, may serve as prescribed fire burn boss and propose prescribed fire 

projects. 

 Prepares Refuge fire prevention plan, and coordinates fire prevention with other 

employees. 

 Assists in updates of this FMP, maintains fire records, reviews fire reports (DI-1202) for 

accuracy, and enters fire reports into Fire Management Information System (FMIS). 

 Maintains engines and fire-related equipment in state of readiness. 

Fire Management/Suppression Personnel 

 Consists of all Refuge personnel, whether permanent or seasonal, who meet the minimum 

standards set by the NWCG for firefighters. 

 Are fully equipped with proper PPE, have taken and passed the minimum classroom 

training, and meet physical fitness standards required. 

 Undertake fire management duties as assigned by the qualified IC on each suppression 

action or by the prescribed fire burn boss on each prescribed fire project. 

 Responsible for their PPE and physical conditioning, qualifying annually with the work 

capacity test. 

Incident Commander

ICs (of any level) use strategies and tactics as directed by the project leader and Wildland Fire 

Decisions Support System (WFDSS) where applicable to implement selected objectives on a 

particular incident. A specific Delegation of Authority (see Appendix G) will be provided to 

each IC prior to their assuming responsibility for an incident. Major duties of the IC are given in 

the NWCG Fireline Handbook. 

Initial Attack Teams 

IA teams consist of experienced, fully qualified firefighters. Teams will be prepared and 

equipped with hand and power tools as needed and will be dispatched self-sufficient to function 

up to 24 hours without additional support. 

Employees participating in any wildland fire activities on Service or cooperator lands will meet 

fitness requirements established in PMS 310-1, except where Service-specific fitness 

requirements apply. 

 
Page 30 of 48

Resource Advisor 

Resource advisors (RAs) are technical specialists appointed by the agency administrator. RAs 

report to the IC or designee, and provide guidance for protecting natural and cultural resource 

from fire suppression operations. The RA provides input to the IC in the development of fire 

suppression strategies and tactics to minimize or mitigate the expected impacts of fire and fire 

suppression actions upon natural and cultural resources. The RA also provides input required for 

the development of rehabilitation plans. RA responsibilities include providing analysis, 

information, and advice to fire managers for areas of concern, including the following. 

 Critical watersheds, riparian areas, fisheries, and water sources. 

 Threatened or endangered species. 

 Prehistoric and historic archaeological sites and cultural landscapes. 

 Fuel breaks—locations and specifications. 

 Urban interface impact—structures and improvements. 

 Hazardous materials. 

The RA also: 

 Assists the planning function in developing fire maps and identifying areas of concern. 

 Determines environmental restrictions commensurate with FMP resource protection in 

the fire area. 

 Provides recommendations to fire management personnel and agency administrators for 

fire suppression rehabilitation needs. 

 Documents potential and actual suppression/fire-related resource impacts and the 

rationale for protection of priority areas. 

 Provides resource information to local IA ICs, dispatchers, or other fire personnel during 

preseason training and planning meetings. 
Page 31 of 48

Appendix C. Fire Danger Indices 

The fire season at Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge can begin in July and continue 

through October during drought years. Fire season can be influenced by both moist Pacific 

weather systems and drying trends created through a warm easterly flow. The wettest months are 

November through March, when over 70 percent of the precipitation occurs. There is a 

pronounced warm, dry period beginning in mid-July and running through late September. This 

period accounts for less than 10 percent of the average annual precipitation. During this period, 

temperatures are generally at their highest levels (80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit) and relative 

humidity is at its lowest (20-30%).

Wildland fire danger in the United States is characterized by a system called the National Fire 

Danger Rating System (NFDRS). This system has indices that are used to display and provide 

context to fire danger on a subregional scale. The most accurate way of displaying the 

relationship of weather and fuels to fire danger in the short term at the Refuge is through the 

NFDRS Burning Index, or BI. 

The BI is an estimate of the potential difficulty of containment of a wildland fire as it relates to 

the flame length at the head of the fire. The BI value is a function of the spread component (how 

fast the fire could spread) and the energy release component (how hot the fire could burn). The 

BI is scaled such that a BI value of 40 would indicate a predicted average flame length of 4 feet. 

Wildland fires where the flame length exceeds 4 feet are judged to be too hazardous for hand 

crews and engines to attack along the direct edge of the fire. The BI may also communicate the 

relative fire danger in a rating area. The ninetieth percentile defines the index that 90 percent of 

all BIs are at or below for the time period calculated, and the same is true for the ninety-seventh 

percentile. When overlaid with historical fire occurrence, a relationship with fire weather can 

assist with more accurate preparedness planning. 

A representative NFDRS fire weather station is located 70 miles south of the Refuge area at 

W.L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge. The following graphs display seasonal fire danger trends 

for the period from 2003 to 2009. 
Page 32 of 48

 

 
Page 33 of 48

Appendix D. Dispatching Plans 

FIRE DISPATCH PLAN 2013 

TUALATIN RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE 

To comply with Service policy these procedures should be followed for wildland fire initial response on our 

refuges. 

1. Call 911 for emergency management services and assistance. Provide dispatcher with fire size up. 

2. Inform refuge project leader or refuge manager. 

3. Utilize qualified engine bosses that are responding from our interagency partners to supervise suppression 

activities. 

4. Engines require two qualified firefighters to operate. If responding alone, scout fire and complete fire size-up 

documentation, and wait for assistance. 

5. Be safe; no fire is worth risking your safety and wellbeing. 

You cannot legally participate in any extended attack or prescribed fire activities until you have cleared the work 

capacity process and fire refresher for 2012. 

Elements of Initial Fire Size-up: 

 Location of smoke or fire: (plot on map if possible). 

 Location, name, and telephone number of reporting party. 

 Estimated size. 

 Fuel type: (1) Grass (2) Brush (3) Timber (4) Slash. 

 Fire behavior: (1) Smoldering (2) Creeping (3) Running (4) Torching (5) Crowning. 

 Structures threatened: (1) Yes (2) No. 

 Weather conditions: Temperature, sky/cloud cover, wind/speed/direction. 

 Slope: (1) 0-25% (2) 26-40% (3) 41-55% (4) 56+%. 

 Potential for spread: (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High. 

 Additional resources needed for control. 

CONTACT INFORMATION 

Name Position Office Phone Extension Cell Phone Home 

Erin Holmes Project Leader (503) 625-5944 221 (503) 816-1227 (971) 400-4405 

vacant Deputy Project Leader N/A N/A N/A N/A 

Greg 

Hagedorn 

Zone Fire Management 

Officer (541) 757-7236 205 (541) 740-5613 (503) 913-2883 

Kolleen 

Irvine Law Enforcement Officer (503) 625-5944 230 (971) 832-1730 N/A 

Pam Ensley 

Regional Fire Management 

Coordinator (503) 231-6174 N/A (503) 781-7978 N/A 

Brian Gales 

Regional Fire Operations 

Specialist (503) 231-6769 N/A (541) 778-0372 N/A 

Brett Fay Regional Fuels Specialist (503) 872-2756 N/A (503) 347-8194 N/A 

 
Page 34 of 48

Appendix E. Memorandum of Understanding, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue 

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING 

BETWEEN 

THE UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 

AND 

TUALATIN VALLEY FIRE AND RESCUE 

FOR 

TUALATIN RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE 

This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is made and entered into and between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge (Service) and Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue (TVFR), and is 

effective upon signing by both parties. 

I. AUTHORITIES 

The Service has entered into this MOU under the following authorities. 

A. Reciprocal Fire Protection Act of May 27th, 1955 (69 Stat. 66, 42 U.S.C 1856a-d). 

B. Economy Act of June 30, 1932, (31 U.S.C. 1535 as amended). 

C. Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, (Public Law 93-288, as amended, 42 

U.S.C. 5121-5207). 

II. PURPOSE 

The purpose of this agreement is to coordinate and provide cooperative fire protection between the Service and 

TVFR, in order to more efficiently and effectively suppress wildfires from damaging structures and lands managed 

by the Service. This MOU is consistent with the existing Master Cooperative Fire Protection Agreement (Service 

agreement #: 10132-9-J102) and further describes the working relationship, financial arrangements, and joint 

activities between the Service and TVFR not otherwise specified under the terms of the Master Cooperative Fire 

Protection Agreement. 

III. RECITALS 

A. Whereas, both parties have fire protection responsibilities upon lands of their respective jurisdiction, 

intermingles and adjoining fire protection responsibilities, and limited fire protection resources. 

B. Whereas, the Service is the jurisdictional agency responsible for fire protection on Service lands. 

C. Whereas, the Service has limited specialized equipment and qualified personnel required to fight structural 

and wild land fires. 

D. Whereas, TVFR can provide initial attack capability to support and supplement the Service’s and other fire 

protection cooperator’s resources. 

E. Whereas, TVFR can provide multiple engines and overhead for fire suppression activities within TVFR’s 

jurisdiction, including suppression of accessible wild land fires on Service lands within TVFR’s fire 

protection boundary. 

F. Whereas, if initial attack suppression actions by TVFR are unsuccessful and the fire will not be contained 

within the next burning period, dispatching and continued incident support services will likely be 

transferred to Columbia Cascade Communication Center (CCCC). CCCC will then provide extended attack 

dispatching support for the incident. This transfer will occur in consultation with the Service’s fire 

representative. 

Therefore, for the mutual consideration herein stated, the parties herby enter into this MOU. 
Page 35 of 48

IV. DEFINITION OF TERMS 

A. Principal Contacts. A list of appropriate contacts for TVFR and the Service. 

B. Direct Costs. Costs directly related to the suppression effort. These costs do not include dispatch or other 

administrative costs. 

C. Jurisdictional Agency. Agency which has overall land and resource management and/or protection 

responsibility as provided by Federal or State law. 

D. Overhead Costs. Costs not directly chargeable to suppression efforts, but are part of the overall cost of 

operation. 

E. Suppression Work. All work of confining and extinguishing a fire beginning with its discovery. 

F. Reimbursable Work. Providing monetary compensation at the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Standardized 

Costs Schedule, Fire Service Mobilization Plan hourly reimbursement rate table, as updated annually for 

the use of any fire engines, fire support vehicles or equipment, and wages for qualified wildland fire 

personnel and support staff responding to wildfires on Service lands. 

G. Appropriate Charges. Comprises all charges related to direct fire suppression, initial attack, fire control and 

mop up. Appropriate charges include: personnel charges and equipment operating costs (per Oregon State 

Fire Marshal Rate Schedule). The following charges are excluded from reimbursement and are not 

considered Appropriate Charges: 

i. Backfill for station personnel engaged in fire suppression on Service lands for period of less than 8 

hours. 

ii. Replacement of equipment damaged during initial or extended attack not pre-approved by the Service. 

iii. Billing for services that are outside of the Oregon State Fire Marshals Rate Schedule and not preapproved by Service officials prior to submission for billing. 

H. Multijurisdictional Incident. An incident requiring action from multiple agencies that each have jurisdiction 

to manage certain aspects of an incident. In ICS, these incidents will be managed under Unified Command. 

I. Unified Command. An application of ICS used when there is more than one agency with incident 

jurisdiction or when incidents cross political jurisdictions. Agencies work together through the designated 

members of the Unified Command to establish their designated Incident Commanders at a single ICP and 

to establish a common set of objectives and strategies and a single Incident Action Plan. 

V. FIRE PROTECTION 

The Service shall: 

A. Reimburse TVFR for all direct costs, overhead costs, suppression work, and reimbursable work as defined 

in article IV. 

B. Reimburse TVFR under the provisions within this MOU no less frequently than every 30 days. 

Reimbursement shall be at the rates identified by the sources listed under Section IV-F. Reimbursement for 

costs not specified in in the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Standardized Cost Schedule must be pre-approved 

by appropriate Service fire management staff prior to submission for reimbursement. 

C. Annually provide TVFR with an updated principal contact list. 

TVFR shall: 

D. Upon request by the Service, conduct initial attack on structural and/or wildland fires occurring on Service 

lands. 
Page 36 of 48

E. Provide resources as current conditions permit. Assistance will only be provided when TVFR determines, 

in its sole discretion that the resources are available and can be committed without jeopardizing TVFR’s 

ability to protect its own jurisdiction. 

F. Follow all fire suppression guidelines addressed in Exhibit B of this MOU. 

G. Report fires promptly to the Principal Contacts (Exhibit A) for the Service upon discovering or receiving 

reports of structural and/or wildland fire on Service lands. 

H. Forward the necessary fire report data to the responsible Service representative identified in the Principal 

Contact list (Exhibit A) when TVFR suppresses structural and/or wildland fires burning wholly or in part 

on Service lands. 

I. Dispatch only personnel who meet or exceed the minimum training requirements of the TVFR when 

responding pursuant to this MOU. 

Both the Service and TVFR shall: 

J. Provide Principal Contact information annually, prior to the initiation of fire season. The information will 

include protection area maps for any new lands acquired by the Service, names and numbers for principle 

contacts (Exhibit A), and the updated Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Standardized Costs Schedule, Fire 

Service Mobilization Plan hourly reimbursement rate table. These rates can be found in Appendix C of the 

Oregon Fire Service Mobilization Plan available at 

http://www.oregon.gov/osp/SFM/docs/emergency_mobilization/mobplan2012.pdf. 

K. Waive all claims between and against each other which may arise from the performance of work under 

this MOU, including compensation for loss or damage to each party’s property and personal injury, 

including death of employees, agents, and contractors of each party. This waiver shall not apply to 

intentional torts or acts of violence against persons or property. Furthermore, the requesting party agrees to 

save and hold harmless the responding party from and indemnify the responding party against any and all 

third party liability for or on account of any death or injury to a person, or damage to property arising out of 

any action by the personnel of the responding party excluding gross negligence or intentional torts. 

L. Agree that the officer-in-charge who arrives first at a wildfire burning on or near lands of both parties will 

act as Incident Commander (IC). When representatives of both parties have arrived at a fire, the officers-incharge for each party will mutually agree to designate an IC, provided that nothing shall prevent a party to 

whom a request is made from refusing to respond when the sole determination of that party’s commanding 

officer is that responding to the incident would create an unreasonable risk of danger to that party’s 

employees, equipment or a third party. 

M. Shall be responsible for the training and welfare of personnel they dispatch, including the treatment of any 

personal injuries which may result during any fire or en route to or from any fire as provided by the laws 

and regulations under which each party operates. 

N. Each party is responsible for operating, servicing, repairing and replacing their own equipment, except as 

agreed upon in writing by both parties in advance. 

O. Regardless of an incident’s location, employees of TVFR and the Service will be subject only to the laws, 

regulations, and rules governing their respective employers. No employee shall be entitled to compensation 

and/or benefits under this MOU except as specifically provided for under the terms of his or her 

employment with respective employer. 

VI. GENERAL PROVISIONS 

A. Neither party shall be required to incur expenses under the terms of this MOU, except as necessary to 

effectively implement this MOU. Additional expenditures and/or rates for equipment and/or personnel not 
Page 37 of 48

specified in Appendix C of the Oregon Fire Service Mobilization Plan shall be subject to reimbursement as 

agreed by the parties hereto and approved by appropriate Service fire management staff prior to submission 

for payment.

B. Parties shall provide upon request any maps, documents, instructions and law enforcement reports which 

either party considers necessary to conduct work associated with this MOU.

C. Both parties shall comply with all Federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination and all applicable 

requirements of other Federal laws, executive orders, regulations and policies, including but not limited to 

the following. 

i. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (USC 2000d) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of 

race, color, handicap or national origin;

ii. Title IX of the Education amendments of 1972, as amended (USC 1681-1683) which prohibits the 

discrimination on the basis of sex.

D. Either Party, through their authorized representatives, and after providing reasonable notice to the other 

party, shall have the right to obtain access to and examine all books papers or documents related to this 

MOU.

E. Modification of this MOU shall be made by mutual consent of both parties through the issuance of a 

written modification that is signed and dated by both parties prior to any changes being performed or taking 

effect.

F. Either party may terminate this MOU by providing 60 days written notice to the other.

G. Unless terminated by written notice, this MOU shall remain in effect for five years from the date of the last 

signature.

The party’s hereto have executed this Memorandum of Understanding by and through their authorized 

representatives on the day and year last written below. 

 

Michael R. Duyck, Fire Chief Date 

Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue 

 

Erin Holmes, Project Leader Date 

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge 

 
Page 38 of 48

Exhibit A. Principal Contacts 

TUALATIN RIVER NWR MOU 

PRINCIPAL CONTACT LIST 

NAME TITLE OFFICE CELL 

Erin Holmes Project Leader Tualatin River Refuge (503) 625-5944 (503) 816-1227

Greg 

Hagedorn 

Zone Fire Management Officer 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (541) 757-7236 (503) 913-2883

Michael 

Duyck Fire Chief, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue (503) 259-1500 (503) 302-7629

 
Page 39 of 48

Exhibit B. General Fire Suppression Guidelines 

Due to the urban nature of Tualatin River NWR any unwanted fires within the Refuge boundary will be fully 

suppressed. The appropriate Service personnel should be contacted immediately to assist with fire suppression 

strategies. In general, minimum suppression impact tactics (MIST) should be utilized to minimize resource damage 

due to suppression actions. Suppression actions would include using existing natural and human-made fire breaks to 

catch the fire at the smallest possible size. Unless there is an imminent threat to life or property, the use of heavy 

equipment should be avoided without consulting with Service personnel. Air resources can be utilized on Service 

lands. Water bucket drops are authorized; however, the use of retardant is prohibited without consulting with 

Service personnel. 
Page 40 of 48

Appendix F. Memorandum of Understanding, Gaston Rural Fire Department 

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING 

BETWEEN 

THE UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 

AND 

GASTON RURAL FIRE DISTRICT 

FOR 

TUALATIN RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE 

This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is made and entered into and between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge (Service) and Gaston Rural Fire District (GRFD), and is effective 

upon signing by both parties. 

I. AUTHORITIES 

The Service has entered into this MOU under the following authorities; 

A. Reciprocal Fire Protection Act of May 27th, 1955 (69 Stat. 66, 42 U.S.C 1856a-d) 

B. Economy Act of June 30, 1932, (31 U.S.C. 1535 as amended) 

C. Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, (Public Law 93-288, as amended, 42 

U.S.C. 5121-5207) 

II. PURPOSE 

The purpose of this agreement is to coordinate and provide cooperative fire protection between the Service and 

GRFD, in order to more efficiently and effectively suppress wildfires from damaging structures and lands managed 

by the Service. This MOU is consistent with the existing Master Cooperative Fire Protection Agreement (Service 

agreement #: 10132-9-J102) and further describes the working relationship, financial arrangements, and joint 

activities between the Service and GRFD not otherwise specified under the terms of the Master Cooperative Fire 

Protection Agreement. 

III. RECITALS 

A. Whereas, both parties have fire protection responsibilities upon lands of their respective jurisdiction, 

intermingles and adjoining fire protection responsibilities, and limited fire protection resources. 

B. Whereas, the Service is the jurisdictional agency responsible for fire protection on Service lands. 

C. Whereas, the Service has limited specialized equipment and qualified personnel required to fight structural 

and wild land fires. 

D. Whereas, GRFD can provide initial attack capability to support and supplement the Service’s and other fire 

protection cooperator’s resources. 

E. Whereas, GRFD can provide multiple engines and overhead for fire suppression activities within GRFD’s 

jurisdiction, including suppression of accessible wild land fires on Service lands within GRFD’s fire 

protection boundary. 

F. Whereas, if initial attack suppression actions by GRFD are unsuccessful and the fire will not be contained 

within the next burning period, dispatching and continued incident support services will likely be 

transferred to Columbia Cascade Communication Center (CCCC). CCCC will then provide extended 

attack dispatching support for the incident. This transfer will occur in consultation with the Service’s fire 

representative. 

Therefore, for the mutual consideration herein stated, the parties herby enter into this MOU. 
Page 41 of 48

IV. DEFINITION OF TERMS 

A. Principal Contacts. A list of appropriate contacts for GRFD and the Service. 

B. Direct Costs. Costs directly related to the suppression effort. These costs do not include dispatch or other 

administrative costs. 

C. Jurisdictional Agency. Agency which has overall land and resource management and/or protection 

responsibility as provided by Federal or State law. 

D. Overhead Costs. Costs not directly chargeable to suppression efforts, but which are part of the overall cost 

of operation. 

E. Suppression Work. All work of confining and extinguishing a fire beginning with its discovery. 

F. Reimbursable Work. Providing monetary compensation at the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Standardized 

Costs Schedule, Fire Service Mobilization Plan hourly reimbursement rate table, as updated annually for 

the use of any fire engines, fire support vehicles or equipment, and wages for qualified wildland fire 

personnel and support staff responding to wildfires on Service lands. 

G. Appropriate Charges. Comprises all charges related to direct fire suppression, initial attack, fire control 

and mop up. Appropriate charges include: personnel charges and equipment operating costs (per Oregon 

State Fire Marshal Rate Schedule). The following charges are excluded from reimbursement and are not 

considered Appropriate Charges: 

i. Backfill for station personnel engaged in fire suppression on Service lands for period of less than 8 

hours. 

ii. Replacement of equipment damaged during initial or extended attack not pre-approved by the Service. 

iii. Billing for services that are outside of the Oregon State Fire Marshals Rate Schedule and not preapproved by Service officials prior to submission for billing. 

H. Multijurisdictional Incident. An incident requiring action from multiple agencies that each have 

jurisdiction to manage certain aspects of an incident. In ICS, these incidents will be managed under 

Unified Command. 

I. Unified Command. An application of ICS used when there is more than one agency with incident 

jurisdiction or when incidents cross political jurisdictions. Agencies work together through the designated 

members of the Unified Command to establish their designated Incident Commanders at a single ICP and 

to establish a common set of objectives and strategies and a single Incident Action Plan. 

V. FIRE PROTECTION 

The Service shall: 

A. Reimburse GRFD for all direct costs, overhead costs, suppression work, and reimbursable work as defined 

in article IV. 

B. Reimburse GRFD under the provisions within this MOU no less frequently than every 30 days. 

Reimbursement shall be at the rates identified by the sources listed under Section IV-F. Reimbursement for 

costs not specified in in the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Standardized Cost Schedule must be pre-approved 

by appropriate Service fire management staff prior to submission for reimbursement. 

C. Annually provide GRFD with an updated principal contact list. 

GRFD shall: 

D. Upon request by the Service, conduct initial attack on structural and/or wildland fires occurring on Service 

lands. 
Page 42 of 48

E. Provide resources as current conditions permit. Assistance will only be provided when GRFD determines, 

in its sole discretion that the resources are available and can be committed without jeopardizing GRFD’s 

ability to protect its own jurisdiction. 

F. Follow all fire suppression guidelines addressed in Exhibit D of this MOU. 

G. Report fires promptly to the Principal Contacts (Exhibit AC) for the Service upon discovering or receiving 

reports of structural and/or wildland fire on Service lands. 

H. Forward the necessary fire report data to the responsible Service representative identified in the Principal 

Contact list (Exhibit AC) when GRFD suppresses structural and/or wildland fires burning wholly or in part 

on Service lands. 

I. Dispatch only personnel who meet or exceed the minimum training requirements of the GRFD when 

responding pursuant to this MOU. 

Both the Service and GRFD shall: 

J. The parties will provide Principal Contact information annually prior to the initiation of fire season. The 

information will include protection area maps for any new lands acquired by the Service, names and 

numbers for principle contacts (Exhibit AC), and the updated Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Standardized 

Costs Schedule, Fire Service Mobilization Plan hourly reimbursement rate table. These rates can be found 

in Appendix C of the Oregon Fire Service Mobilization Plan available at 

http://www.oregon.gov/osp/SFM/docs/emergency_mobilization/mobplan2012.pdf. 

K. Waive all claims between and against each other which may arise from the performance of work under this 

MOU, including compensation for loss or damage to each party’s property and personal injury, including 

death of employees, agents, and contractors of each party. This waiver shall not apply to intentional torts 

or acts of violence against persons or property. Furthermore, the requesting party agrees to save and hold 

harmless the responding party from and indemnify the responding party against any and all third party 

liability for or on account of any death or injury to a person, or damage to property arising out of any action 

by the personnel of the responding party excluding gross negligence or intentional torts. 

L. Agree that the officer-in-charge who arrives first at a wildfire burning on or near lands of both parties will 

act as Incident Commander (IC). When representatives of both parties have arrived at a fire, the officersin-charge for each party will mutually agree to designate an IC, provided that nothing shall prevent a party 

to whom a request is made from refusing to respond when the sole determination of that party’s 

commanding officer is that responding to the incident would create an unreasonable risk of danger to that 

party’s employees, equipment, or a third party. 

M. Shall be responsible for the training and welfare of personnel they dispatch, including the treatment of any 

personal injuries which may result during any fire or en route to or from any fire as provided by the laws 

and regulations under which each party operates. 

N. Each party is responsible for operating, servicing, repairing, and replacing their own equipment, except as 

agreed upon in writing by both parties in advance. 

O. Regardless of an incident’s location employees of GRFD and the Service will be subject only to the laws, 

regulations and rules governing their respective employers. No employee shall be entitled to compensation 

and/or benefits under this MOU except as specifically provided for under the terms of his or her 

employment with respective employer. 

VI. GENERAL PROVISIONS 

A. Neither party shall be required to incur expenses under the terms of this MOU, except as necessary to 

effectively implement this MOU. Additional expenditures and/or rates for equipment and/or personnel not 

specified in Appendix C of the Oregon Fire Service Mobilization Plan shall be subject to reimbursement as 
Page 43 of 48

agreed by the parties hereto and approved by appropriate Service fire management staff prior to submission 

for payment.

B. Parties shall provide upon request any maps, documents, instructions, and law enforcement reports which 

either party considers necessary to conduct work associated with this MOU.

C. Both parties shall comply with all Federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination and all applicable 

requirements of other Federal laws, executive orders, regulations, and policies, including but not limited to 

the following. 

i. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (USC 2000d) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of 

race, color, handicap or national origin.

ii. Title IX of the Education amendments of 1972, as amended (USC 1681-1683) which prohibits the 

discrimination on the basis of sex.

D. Either Party, through their authorized representatives, and after providing reasonable notice to the other 

party, shall have the right to obtain access to and examine all books papers or documents related to this 

MOU.

E. Modification of this MOU shall be made by mutual consent of both parties through the issuance of a 

written modification that is signed and dated by both parties prior to any changes being performed or taking 

effect.

F. Either party may terminate this MOU by providing 60 days written notice to the other.

G. Unless terminated by written notice, this MOU shall remain in effect for five years from the date of the last 

signature.

The party’s hereto have executed this Memorandum of Understanding by and through their authorized 

representatives on the day and year last written below. 

 

Roger Mesenbrink, Fire Chief Date 

Gaston Rural Fire District 

 

Erin Holmes, Project Leader Date 

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge 

 
Page 44 of 48

Exhibit C. Principal Contacts 

TUALATIN RIVER NWR MOU 

PRINCIPAL CONTACT LIST 

NAME TITLE OFFICE CELL 

Erin Holmes 

Project Leader Tualatin River 

Refuge (503) 625-5944 (503) 816-1227

Greg Hagedorn Zone Fire Management Officer 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(541) 757-7236 (503) 913-2883

Roger Mesenbrink Fire Chief, Gaston Rural Fire District (503) 985-7575 (971) 645-0804

 
Page 45 of 48

Exhibit D. General Fire Suppression Guidelines 

Due to the urban nature of Tualatin River NWR any unwanted fires within the Refuge boundary will be fully 

suppressed. The appropriate Service personnel should be contacted immediately to assist with fire suppression 

strategies. In general, minimum suppression impact tactics (MIST) should be utilized to minimize resource damage 

due to suppression actions. Suppression actions would include using existing natural and human-made fire breaks to 

catch the fire at the smallest possible size. Unless there is an imminent threat to life or property, the use of heavy 

equipment should be avoided without consulting with Service personnel. Air resources can be utilized on Service 

lands. Water bucket drops are authorized; however, the use of retardant is prohibited without consulting with 

Service personnel. 

 
Page 46 of 48

Appendix G. Example: Delegation of Authority to Incident Commanders 

Subject: Delegation of Authority to Manage Type VI and Type V Incidents 

To: ICT5, ICT5(T), ICT4, ICT4 (T) Fill in Name 

From: ********, Project Leader, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tualatin River National 

Wildlife Refuge 

You are delegated authority to manage the suppression of Type V Incidents to which you are 

assigned and qualified as Incident Commander, in accordance with the following guidelines, 

priorities, and constraints, until such time as you are relieved of command by my representative 

or me. 

Goals and constraints for managing Type V Incidents are as follows: 

 Ensure the safety of firefighters and the public. 

 Adhere to the 10 Standard Fire Orders, LCES, and 18 Situations at all times. 

 Protect life and property. 

 Be cost efficient when ordering resources. 

 Follow all guidelines that pertain to the use of retardants and foam. 

 Maintain communication with (insert dispatch center here) and Complex Duty Officer at 

all times. 

 Be considerate of cooperating agency policies when assisting in fire suppression on nonService lands. 

 Use appropriate management response suppression tactics as defined in the Fire 

Management Plan. 

 Maintain accurate records for fire reporting and documentation. 

 Protect fire origin and order an investigator on fires where cause may be other than 

lightning. 

 Conduct regular tailgate safety sessions to discuss job hazards and what measures are 

necessary to mitigate accidents to injuries. Document, as needed and submit any safety 

records to Zone FMO or his/her acting. 

 Utilize information/processes in the “Incident Response Pocket Guide” and “Wallet 

Card.” 

Fire Management Officer, Greg Hagadorn, or his designee have been assigned as my 

representative. He, or his acting, is authorized to make decisions and recommendations regarding 

the management of Type V and Type VI Incidents within the level of authority delegated to me. 

/s/****** 

Project Leader 

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge 
Page 47 of 48

Appendix H. Annual Review Check List 

Element Yes No Comment 

1. Date FMP was approved ___________ 

 Annual Review years 1-4 by Refuge Manager 

 Year 5 of Plan, Contact Complex FMO. FMP requires revision and 

Regional Director approval. 

 

2. Will the FMP continue to adequately provide for firefighter and public 

safety as the first priority in every fire management activity this year? 

3. Does this FMP continue to support land and resource management plans? 

 Completion of CCP or new habitat management plan might require 

more extensive FMP revision. 

 

4. Were there any significant fire management activities from the previous 

year that were not adequately addressed within the scope of this FMP? 

5. Does the direction in this FMP remain economically viable given the 

values needing protection, and the costs to administer? 

6. Does this FMP continue to be based on best available science? 

7. Does the FMP provide for adequate response to wildland fire (wildfire) and 

prescribed fire (if applicable)? 

 Directories/Contact List(s) updated. 

 Agreements and Operating Plans current. 

 Staffing/equipment meet Service policy and ready. 

 Annual work and Prescribed Burn Plans completed. 

 Seasonal Assessment made by Complex FMO. 

 

8. Were there additional lands added to the Refuge last year? 

 Total acres to amend ___________ 

 Burnable acres ______________ 

 

9. If additional lands were added, will environment compliance requirements 

(EA for this FMP) adequately allow for fire management program activities 

to be conducted if appropriate? 

 

10. Based on FMO advice, are there changes in national fire policy or 

direction that now conflict with direction within the FMP? 

 Policy changes warrant an amendment. 

 Policy changes are significant – need for immediate revision. 

 Policy changes can be incorporated within the 5-year revision. 

 

11. Considering the responses above, can this FMP be amended without 

further review? 

 If yes, attach amended information, including maps. Refuge 

Manager approval. Notify the Complex FMO. 

 If no, most likely the FMP and/or environmental compliance require 

Plan revision and Regional Director approval. Contact Complex 

FMO for assistance. 

 
Page 48 of 48

Appendix I. Zone FMO Area of Responsibility