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Annual Emission Goal For Fire

Introduction

As required by 40 CFR 51.309(d)(6)(v), an Annual Emission Goal will be established yearly to 

minimize emission increases from fire, excluding emissions from wildfire. The emissions goal 

will be determined by quantifying the emission reductions obtained through the use of emission 

reduction techniques (ERT) on a burn project specific basis. The emission goal will be 

established for the planned burn projects for the upcoming year at the beginning of the calendar 

year. In addition, the emission goal will be established in cooperation with federal, state and 

private land managers and landowners.

The Annual Emission Goal is based on the use of ERT(s) to minimize emissions from fire, in 

accordance with the WRAP Policy on Annual Emission Goals for Fire. An ERT is a technique 

for controlling emissions from fires to minimize the amount of emissions produced per acre or 

unit burned. Research has shown that fire emissions can be minimized through the use of ERT(s) 

that increase combustion efficiency and reduce the smoldering stage of burning. There are six 

general categories of ERT(s): reduce the area burned, reduce fuel load, reduce fuel production, 

reduce fuel consumed, schedule burning before new fuels appear, and increase combustion 

efficiency. 

Information on available ERT(s) will be gathered from the National Wildfire Coordination 

Group’s (NWCG) Smoke Management Guide for Prescribed and Wildland Fire1, Environmental 

Protection Agency’s (EPA) Prescribed Burning Background Document and Technical 

Information Document for Prescribed Burning Best Available Control Measures2, documents 

issued by Western Regional Air Partnership, and related field experience. Where the emissions 

reduced or averted through the use of ERT(s) cannot be quantified with confidence due to the 

current state of the science, the State of Wyoming commits to participate in the development of 

further refinements in such calculation methodologies.

Annual Emission Goal Process

To establish the Annual Emission Goal, the State of Wyoming will follow the process described 

below. The WDEQ will organize a meeting at the beginning of the calendar year with land 

managers and landowners and will work collaboratively to establish the annual goal. 

The planned burn projects for the upcoming year will be reviewed based on the burn project 

registration form, a requirement of WAQSR Chapter 10, Section 4. The burn project registration 

form will include identification of the ERT(s) to be implemented, based on consideration of the 

feasibility criteria listed below. 

 

1 National Wildfire Coordination Group, Smoke Management Guide For Prescribed and Wildland Fire, 2001 

Edition.

2 U.S. EPA, Prescribed Burning Background Document and Technical Information Document for Prescribed 

Burning Best Available Control Measures, September 1992.
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The benefit from using the ERT(s) will be quantified either by quantifying the emissions averted 

through the use of ERT(s) using available emission factors or quantifying the percent of total 

acres on which ERT(s) are applied for all planned burn projects. The quantification of the 

emission reductions achieved through the use of the ERT(s) constitutes the emissions goal. 

The planning and reporting of ERT(s) is a minimum element of the quantifiable Annual 

Emission Goal. The Annual Emission Goal should utilize the total planned burn project 

emissions such that the effect of planned ERT(s) or percent use of ERT(s) are shown in relation 

to total planned burn project emissions. Should total planned burn project emissions not be 

available, the State of Wyoming will identify a timeline to develop such an emissions inventory.

The ERT(s) applied per burn project during the previous year will be identified on the burn 

project reporting form, a requirement of WAQSR Chapter 10, Section 4. An assessment of the 

burn project reporting form information will be conducted to verify application and to improve 

the information base.

Feasibility Criteria

The following feasibility criteria will be used to evaluate ERT(s) for potential use: economic, 

safety, technical, environmental, and land management objectives. Examples of how to apply the 

feasibility criteria are listed below.

Economic: What are the economic costs of applying a certain ERT? Is a specific ERT more 

economical than others? Any ERT that significantly reduces crop yields or exceeds the cost of a 

crop is not likely to be accepted by farmers or growers. The same concern is relevant to the 

application of ERT(s) on wildlands.

Safety: Are certain ERT(s) not feasible due to public and firefighter safety concerns? Are certain 

ERT(s) not feasible due to concerns related to containment of the fire, i.e. keeping the fire within 

certain boundaries? Do certain ERT(s) minimize the possibility of nuisance and hazard smoke?

Technical: Are the equipment and resources available to utilize a specific ERT? Are sufficient 

training programs available in the use of ERT(s) for the Land Managers? 

Environmental: Are there specific air quality and non-air quality environmental limitations (e.g., 

vegetation/crop type, fire type, time of year, area in State, soil compaction, water quality, etc.) 

that influence the use of certain ERT(s)?

Land Management Objectives: Is a certain ERT not feasible due to conflicts with land 

management objectives? Do certain ERT(s) maximize the likelihood of achieving the land 

management objective of the burn?