Guidance 

for 

Implementation 

of 

Federal 

Wildland Fire Management 

Policy 

—————————————————————— Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 

Page 1 

February 13, 2009
Foreword 

The Review and Update of the 1995 Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy (January 2001)

is the primary interagency wildland fire policy document. The Interagency Strategy for the 

Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy (June 20, 2003) was developed 

and approved under the authority of the Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC) to set forth 

direction for consistent implementation of the federal fire policy. It has been used since that time. 

On May 2, 2008, the WFLC issued a memorandum entitled Modification of Federal Wildland 

Fire Policy Guidance. This memorandum directed federal agencies to test and implement new 

guidelines for wildland fire management. The modifications were tested in a number of field 

units in the 2008 fire season. 

In 2009 the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) issued a memorandum to the 

NWCG executive board (NWCG#001-2009, January 7, 2009) that 1) affirms the soundness of 

the Review and Update of the 1995 Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy (January 2001), 

2) reiterates the policy changes stated in the May 2, 2008 WFLC memorandum entitled

Modification of Federal Wildland Fire Policy Guidance, 3) states that the Wildland Fire 

Decision Support System (WFDSS) will replace existing analysis and decision processes, and 4) 

confirms that the Interagency Strategy for the Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire 

Management Policy (June 20, 2003) will be replaced in 2009. 

This document, Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 

(February, 2009), is that replacement. 

________________________ 

The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U. S. Department of the Interior (USDOI) prohibit 

discrimination in all of their programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, 

age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital and family status. (Not all prohibited bases 

apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of 

program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 

720-5964 (voice and TTY) and/or the USDOI at (202) 652-5165. 

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten 

Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and 

TTY). Or write to the Director, Office for Equal Opportunity, U. S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, 

NW, MS-5221, Washington, DC 20240. 

USDA and USDOI are equal opportunity providers and employers.

________________________ 

—————————————————————— Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 

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Fire Executive Council 

—————————————————————— Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 

Page 3 

February 13, 2009 

Memorandum 

To: Chief, USDA Forest Service 

Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs 

Director, Bureau of Land Management 

Director, Fish and Wildlife Service 

Director, National Park Service 

From: Chair, Fire Executive Council 

Subject: Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Policy 

On February 13, 2009, the Fire Executive Council (FEC) approved Guidance for the 

Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy. This Guidance provides for 

consistent implementation of the 1995/2001 Federal Fire Policy, as directed by the Wildland Fire 

Leadership Council. 

Successful implementation of the Guidance requires that each of the federal wildland fire 

agencies work together through development of unified direction and guidance for 

agency/bureau manuals, directives, handbooks, guidebooks, plans agreements and other pertinent 

documents to complete final implementation of this guidance. 

In approving the Guidance the FEC: 

• directs the National Wildfire Coordinating Group to adopt the guidance and review and 

revise, as appropriate, all interagency training courses, operational guides, standards, 

terminology, reporting requirements, skill/competency/qualification/certification 

requirements and other pertinent documents. 

• directs the federal fire directors to work collaboratively with state, local and tribal fire 

managers and public and nongovernment organizations to communicate direction stated 

in the guidance with internal and external audiences to foster understanding and support 

for the complexity of wildland fire management. 

• directs the federal fire directors to revise or develop accountability standards, 

performance measures and tracking systems to assess if resource and protection 

objectives are met during the course of management on all wildland fires. 

We thank the interagency team that produced this implementation guidance and extend special 

appreciation to the National Association of State Forest, International Association of Fire Chiefs, 

National Association of Counties, The Wilderness Society, and The Nature Conservancy for the 

support and commitment in completing the document. 
APPROVAL 

The Guidance for Implementation of the Federal Wildland Fire Policy (February, 2009) is 

hereby approved by the Fire Executive Council. Implementation actions are to begin 

immediately. 

U.S. Department of Agriculture Date 

Forest Service, Fire & Aviation Management 

Tom Harbour, Director 

Department of the Interior Date 

Office of Wildland Fire Coordination 

Kirk Rowdabaugh, Director

Bureau of Land Management Date 

Fire and Aviation Management Directorate 

Jim Douglas, Assistant Director 

National Park Service Date 

Visitor and Resource Protection 

Karen Taylor-Goodrich, Associate Director

Fish and Wildlife Service Date 

National Wildlife Refuge System 

Division Natural Resource and Conservation 

Planning 

Andy Loranger, Chief 

Bureau of Indian Affairs Date 

Trust Services 

Vicki Forrest, Deputy Director

Department of the Interior Date 

National Business Center – 

Aviation Management Directorate 

Mark Bathrick, Associate Director 

National Wildfire Coordinating Group Date 

Ex officio 

Brian McManus, Chair

—————————————————————— Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 

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Table of Contents 

Foreword ..........................................................................................................................................2

Introduction ......................................................................................................................................6

Guidance for Implementation ..........................................................................................................7

Implementation ................................................................................................................................7

Federal Wildland Fire Policy - Guiding Principles and Policy Statements .....................................8

Guiding Principles ...............................................................................................................8

Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy .........................................................................9

Appendices .....................................................................................................................................16

Appendix A: Glossary........................................................................................................16

Appendix B: Wildland Fire Flowchart ..............................................................................18

Appendix C: What Changed 2004 to 2009 ........................................................................19

—————————————————————— Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 

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Introduction 

The Review and Update of the 1995 Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy (January 2001)

remains sound and presents a single cohesive federal fire policy for the Departments of the 

Interior and Agriculture. However, some issues associated with implementation of this policy 

need closer attention and clarification to fully achieve the intent of the policy. 

One such policy area is the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). WUI is more complex and 

extensive than previously considered in the 1995 and 2001 Federal Fire Policy reviews. Fire 

management activities affecting WUI areas require closer coordination and more engagement 

between with federal, state, local and tribal land and fire managers to ensure firefighter and 

public safety and mitigate property loss from wildland fire. 

A key finding of the 2001 review of the 1995 policy was that “multiple terms for various 

management options to respond to wildland fire have confused agency managers and employees, 

operators, partners, and the public, and have perpetuated multiple fire management program 

elements”. This important communications issue will be resolved only through federal, state, 

local and tribal engagement in building a foundation for common terms (see Appendix A) with 

understanding and support by all. 

The current policy clearly states that wildland fire analysis will carefully consider the long-term 

benefits in relation to risks both in the short and long term: 

“Fire, as a critical natural process, will be integrated into land and resource management 

plans and activities on a landscape scale, and across agency boundaries. Response to 

wildland fire is based on ecological, social, and legal consequences of fire. The 

circumstances under which a fire occurs, and the likely consequences on firefighter and 

public safety and welfare, natural and cultural resources, and values to be protected 

dictate the appropriate management response to fire.” 

1995/2001 Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 

The intent of this framework is to solidify that the full range of strategic and tactical options are 

available and considered in the response to every wildland fire. These options are to be used to 

achieve objectives as described in Land and Resource Management Plans and/or Fire 

Management Plans, subject to clear processes defined to manage fire that crosses jurisdictional 

boundaries. Mutually developed objectives with adjoining jurisdictions for managing fires that 

crosses jurisdictional boundaries will also be recognized. 

This guidance also calls for increased dialogue and collaboration between federal agencies and 

tribal, local, and state agencies as plans are updated and implemented to manage wildfires in 

order to accomplish resource and protection objectives. 

This document, Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 

(February 2009), replaces the Interagency Strategy for the Implementation of Federal Wildland 

Fire Management Policy (June 20, 2003). This updated guidance consolidates and clarifies 

—————————————————————— Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 

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changes that have occurred since the 2003 strategy document was issued, and provides revised 

direction for consistent implementation of the Review and Update of the 1995 Federal Wildland 

Fire Management Policy (January 2001)

Guidance for Implementation 

The following guidelines should be used to provide consistent implementation of federal 

wildland fire policy. Further guidance is provided in the Federal Wildland Fire Management 

Policy section Table 1. 

1. Wildland fire management agencies will use common standards for all aspects of their 

fire management programs to facilitate effective collaboration among cooperating 

agencies. 

2. Agencies and bureaus will review, update, and develop agreements that clarify the 

jurisdictional inter-relationships and define the roles and responsibilities among local, 

state, tribal and federal fire protection entities. 

3. Responses to wildland fire will be coordinated across levels of government regardless of 

the jurisdiction at the ignition source. 

4. Fire management planning will be intergovernmental in scope and developed on a 

landscape scale. 

5. Wildland fire is a general term describing any non-structure fire that occurs in the 

wildland. Wildland fires are categorized into two distinct types: 

a. Wildfires – Unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires 

b. Prescribed Fires - Planned ignitions. 

6. A wildland fire may be concurrently managed for one or more objectives and objectives 

can change as the fire spreads across the landscape. Objectives are affected by changes in 

fuels, weather, topography; varying social understanding and tolerance; and involvement of 

other governmental jurisdictions having different missions and objectives.

7. Management response to a wildland fire on federal land is based on objectives 

established in the applicable Land/ Resource Management Plan and/or the Fire 

Management Plan. 

8. Initial action on human-caused wildfire will be to suppress the fire at the lowest cost 

with the fewest negative consequences with respect to firefighter and public safety. 

9. Managers will use a decision support process to guide and document wildfire 

management decisions. The process will provide situational assessment, analyze hazards 

and risk, define implementation actions, and document decisions and rationale for those 

decisions. 

Implementation 

Each of the departments or agencies participating in the review will adopt the Guidance for 

Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy (February 2009) and review and 

revise, as appropriate, all manuals, handbooks, guidebooks, plans, agreements and other 

pertinent documents. 

—————————————————————— Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 

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The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) will adopt the Guidance for 

Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy (February 2009) and review and 

revise, as appropriate, all interagency training courses, operational guides, standards, 

terminology, reporting requirements, skill/competency/qualification/certification requirements 

and other pertinent documents. 

The federal fire directors, in collaboration with state, local and tribal fire managers and public 

and nongovernment organizations, will communicate direction stated in the Guidance for 

Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy (February 2009) with internal and 

external audiences to foster understanding and support for the complexity of wildland fire 

management. 

The federal fire directors will revise or develop accountability standards, performance measures 

and tracking systems to assess if resource and protection objectives are met during the course of 

management on all wildland fires. 

Federal Wildland Fire Policy - Guiding Principles and Policy 

Statements 

The following guiding principles and policy statements are excerpted from the Review and 

Update of the 1995 Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy (January 2001). These remain 

the foundational principles for Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy. 

Guiding Principles 

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

activity. 

2. The role of wildland fire as an essential ecological process and natural change 

agent will be incorporated into the planning process. Federal agency land and 

resource management plans set the objectives for the use and desired future condition 

of the various public lands. 

3. Fire Management Plans, programs, and activities support land and resource 

management plans and their implementation. 

4. 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. Net gains to the public benefit will be an important component of 

decisions. 

—————————————————————— Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 

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5. Fire management programs and activities are economically viable, based 

upon values to be protected, costs, and land and resource management 

objectives. Federal agency administrators are adjusting and reorganizing programs to 

reduce costs and increase efficiencies. As part of this process, investments in fire 

management activities must be evaluated against other agency programs in order to 

effectively accomplish the overall mission, set short- and long-term priorities, and 

clarify management accountability. 

6. Fire Management Plans and activities are based upon the best available 

science. Knowledge and experience are developed among all federal wildland fire 

management agencies. An active fire research program combined with interagency 

collaboration provides the means to make these tools available to all fire managers. 

7. Fire Management Plans and activities incorporate public health and 

environmental quality considerations. 

8. Federal, State, tribal, local, interagency, and international coordination and 

cooperation are essential. Increasing costs and smaller work forces require that 

public agencies pool their human resources to successfully deal with the everincreasing and more complex fire management tasks. Full collaboration among 

federal wildland fire management agencies and between the federal wildland fire 

management agencies and international, State, tribal, and local governments and 

private entities result in a mobile fire management work force available for the full 

range of public needs. 

9. Standardization of policies and procedures among federal wildland fire 

management agencies is an ongoing objective. Consistency of plans and operations 

provides the fundamental platform upon which federal wildland fire management 

agencies can cooperate, integrate fire activities across agency boundaries, and provide 

leadership for cooperation with State, tribal, and local fire management organizations. 

Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 

Each of the seventeen policy areas are assessed in depth in the following table (Table 1). The 

policy area’s guiding principle is restated first. The left column provides statements to help 

clarify the Management Intent of the policy statement. The right column specifies actions 

needed to implement the policy statement. 

—————————————————————— Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 

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Table 1 – Policy Clarification of Management Intent and Implementation Actions 

Policy Statement

Management Intent Implementation Actions

1. Safety

Firefighter and public safety is the first priority. All Fire Management Plans and activities must reflect 

this commitment.

No natural or cultural resource, home, or item of 

property is worth a human life. All strategies and tactics 

should seek to mitigate the risk to firefighters and the 

public. 

Agency administrators will develop and establish 

process, procedures and objectives that ensure 

firefighter and public safety. 

Incident Commanders will develop and establish 

incident objectives, strategies and operational tactics 

that ensure firefighter and public safety. 

2. Fire Management and Ecosystem Sustainability

The full range of fire management activities will be used to help achieve ecosystem sustainability, 

including its interrelated ecological, economic, and social components.

 “Full range of fire management activities” may include 

any vegetative management treatment tool. 

Ecosystem sustainability provides a supply of goods, 

services, social values, and natural processes in 

perpetuity. 

Economic intent is to provide for sustainable supplies of 

goods, services, and social values through 

implementation of appropriate fire management 

activities. 

Land/Resource Management Plan’s (L/RMP) will be 

developed consistent with both ecological conditions, 

and fire regime dynamics, and consider the short and 

long term effects of both action and no action 

alternatives for planned vegetation management 

activities as well as responses to wildfire. 

Agencies will exploit the full range of fire management 

options to sustain healthy ecosystems within acceptable 

risk levels as identified in the L/RMP, or Fire 

Management Plan (FMP). 

Fire management activities will be based on planning 

and decision analysis processes that address current and 

anticipated situational conditions. 

3. Response to Wildland Fire 

Fire, as a critical natural process, will be integrated into land and resource management plans and 

activities on a landscape scale, and across agency boundaries. Response to wildland fires is based on 

ecological, social and legal consequences of the fire. The circumstances under which a fire occurs, and 

the likely consequences on firefighter and public safety and welfare, natural and cultural resources, and, 

values to be protected, dictate the appropriate response to the fire.

The L/RMP will define and identify fire’s role in the 

ecosystem. The response to an ignition is guided by the 

strategies and objectives outlined in the L/RMP and/or 

the Fire Management Plan. 

Values to be protected from and/or enhanced by 

wildland fire are defined in the L/RMP and/or the Fire 

Management Plan. 

L/RMP and fire management planning is coordinated 

across jurisdictional boundaries. 

FMP’s assist in developing the management response to 

meet L/RMP objectives in designated Fire Management 

Units (FMU). 

Fire management strategies will consider current 

landscape conditions and spatial and temporal 

components of the fire regime. 

Responses to wildland fires will be coordinated across 

jurisdictional boundaries. 

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Policy Statement

Management Intent Implementation Actions

4. Use of Wildland Fire

Wildland fire will be used to protect, maintain, and enhance resources and, as nearly as possible, be 

allowed to function in its natural ecological role. Use of fire will be based on L/RMP and associated Fire 

Management Plans and will follow specific prescriptions contained in operational plans.

Use planned and unplanned ignitions to achieve land 

and resource management goals. Fire management is 

one tool in the restoration process and should be 

integrated with other land management activities. 

Preference will be given for natural ignitions to be 

managed in meeting the role of fire as an ecological 

process. 

Decision support process encourages strategies to 

manage fire to restore and maintain the natural fire 

regime where safe and possible. 

Incident objectives will identify resource objectives for 

wildfires managed to achieve resource objectives. 

Beneficial accomplishments will be measured through 

specific quantified objectives.

5. Rehabilitation and Restoration 

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

and safety, and to help communities protect infrastructure.

Conduct emergency stabilization of burned areas such 

that no further harm is done. 

Probability of success will be evaluated for 

rehabilitation and restoration efforts. 

Burned areas will be assessed to determine suitable and 

effective emergency stabilization and rehabilitation 

needs to meet current and anticipated environmental 

conditions. 

Rehabilitation and restoration activities will be 

evaluated to assess effectiveness of treatments. 

6. Protection Priorities

The protection of human life is the single, overriding priority. Setting priorities among protecting human 

communities and community infrastructure, other property and improvements, and natural and cultural 

resources will be done based on the values to be protected, human health and safety, and the costs of 

protection. Once people have been committed to an incident, these human resources become the highest 

value to be protected.

Resources are allocated nationally, geographically, and 

locally based on protection priorities. 

Protection of human life overrides all other priorities 

should response capability limits be reached. 

Local protection priorities are established in the L/RMP 

and/or FMP. 

NMAC establishes national protection priorities 

considering maintenance of initial attack capability; 

protection of communities, infrastructure, property, 

cultural and natural resources; costs; local agency 

objectives; and national response framework and 

tasking. 

Geographic and local area coordination groups will 

establish a process to set protection priorities. 

The Agency Administrator will convey protection 

priorities, based on the L/RMP and FMP, to the 

geographic and national groups through an incident 

status report and ensure that protection priorities are 

known and carried out by the incident commander(s). 

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Policy Statement

Management Intent Implementation Actions

7. Wildland Urban Interface

The operational roles of federal agencies as partners in the Wildland Urban Interface are wildland 

firefighting, hazard fuels reduction, cooperative prevention and education, and technical assistance. 

Structural fire suppression is the responsibility of tribal, state, or local governments. Federal agencies 

may assist with exterior structural protection activities under formal Fire Protection Agreements that 

specify the mutual responsibilities of the partners, including funding. (Some federal agencies have 

structural protection authority for their facilities on lands they administer and may also enter into formal 

agreements to assist state and local governments with structural protection).

Prevent the movement of wildfires from the wildlands 

into the WUI area, out of the WUI area into the 

wildlands, and improve efficiency of wildfire 

suppression in WUI situations. 

The primary responsibility for protecting private 

property and rural communities lies with individual 

property owners and local governments. 

Recognize that many states have wildland fire 

responsibility while rural fire districts have structural 

responsibility. 

Agreements will be developed to clarify jurisdictional 

inter-relationships and define roles and responsibilities 

among local, state, tribal, and federal fire protection 

entities, based on each organization’s enabling 

protection authorities and assistance/mutual aid 

responsibilities. 

Agencies will support the development and 

implementation of Community Wildfire Protection 

Plans (CWPP). 

The Federal wildland agencies will collaborate with 

tribal, state and local fire management organizations to 

identify and reconcile gaps in protection responsibility. 

8. Planning

Every area with burnable vegetation must have an approved Fire Management Plan. Fire Management 

Plans are strategic plans that define a program to manage wildland fires based on the area's approved land 

management plan. Fire Management Plans must provide for firefighter and public safety; include fire 

management strategies, tactics, and alternatives; address values to be protected and public health issues; 

and be consistent with resource management objectives, activities of the area, and environmental laws 

and regulations.

Promote interagency and inter-governmental planning. 

Encourage landscape scale planning across jurisdictional 

boundaries. 

The FMP should be interagency or intergovernmental in 

scope and developed on a landscape scale, where 

practical to take advantage of efficiency, reduce conflict 

and provide understanding and cooperation. 

L/RMP and/or FMPs will address the location and 

conditions under which resource benefits and protection 

objectives can be met. 

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Policy Statement

Management Intent Implementation Actions

9. Science

Fire Management Plans and programs will be based on a foundation of sound science. Research will 

support ongoing efforts to increase our scientific knowledge of biological, physical, and sociological 

factors. Information needed to support fire management will be developed through an integrated 

interagency fire science program. Scientific results must be made available to managers in a timely 

manner and must be used in the development of land management plans, Fire Management Plans, and 

implementation plans.

Increase the body of scientific knowledge and 

understanding about fire management programs through 

the development of management tools and transfer of 

knowledge to practitioners and decision makers. 

Social sciences are a part of the research need. 

Agencies will integrate science in planning and 

monitoring processes. 

Agencies will coordinate fire-related research to 

improve fire management program capability. 

Agencies will emphasize applied science including fire 

and fuels, physics, social science, and operations 

research areas. 

Agencies will seek to improve decision support tools 

through updated data sets and advances in technology. 

10. Preparedness

Agencies will ensure their capability to provide safe, cost-effective fire management programs in support of land 

and resource management plans through appropriate planning, staffing, training, equipment, and management 

oversight.

Recognize that particular budget processes and external 

influences will affect capability and capacity. 

Size the organization to meet realistic and sustainable 

management objectives by effective preparedness 

planning on an interagency basis. 

Realize efficiencies by incorporating other federal, 

tribal, state, and local agencies and nongovernmental 

organizations to meet peak demands for resources. 

Preseason agreements are an integral part of 

preparedness. 

Agencies will identify and realign organizational 

staffing and equipment mixes to implement a safe and 

cost effective fire management program that meets the 

fire management guidance identified in the L/RMP. 

Agencies will develop a common process for 

determining budget needs and cost sharing for all 

aspects of fire management operations. 

Implement training program to meet staffing levels 

(qualification requirements) with the emphasis on 

managing fires for both protection and resource 

management objectives. 

Agencies will develop agreements to efficiently utilize 

other federal, state, local, and non governmental 

resources. 

—————————————————————— Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 

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Policy Statement

Management Intent Implementation Actions

11. Suppression

Wildland fires are suppressed at minimum cost, considering firefighter and public safety, benefits, and 

values to be protected, consistent with resource objectives.

Suppression considerations will be addressed in L/RMP 

and FMP's. 

Notwithstanding protection of life, the cost of 

suppression, emergency stabilization and rehabilitation 

must be commensurate with values to be protected. 

Use a decision support process to assess conditions, 

analyze risk and document decisions. 

Predictive services products will be used to support prepositioning resources. 

Agencies will coordinate staffing levels through 

common trend analysis of environmental indicators 

12. Prevention

Agencies will work together and with their partners and other affected groups and individuals to prevent 

unauthorized ignition of wildfires.

Prevention focuses on the activities needed to reduce 

human-caused ignitions. 

Prevention includes mitigating risks and loss to 

ecosystems and communities. 

Agencies will work with all partners to develop and 

implement risk assessment, prevention, and mitigation 

plans to reduce the frequency of wildfires due to 

human–caused ignitions.. 

13. Standardization

Agencies will use compatible planning processes, funding mechanisms, training and qualification 

requirements, operational procedures, values-to-be- protected methodologies, and public education 

programs for all fire management activities.

All processes are compatible and transparent so that 

individuals from cooperating agencies (federal, tribal, 

state, and local) can more effectively work together. 

Enhance public and cooperator understanding of 

wildland fire management processes. 

To the extent possible, agencies will use common 

standards in all aspects of fire management programs so 

that planning and budgeting methodologies applied in 

one situation will provide the same results in similar 

circumstances. 

Agencies will develop and implement common 

operational field guidance and operational procedures to 

deal with all aspects of fire management operations. 

Agencies will streamline interagency transfer of funds to 

reduce fiscal inconsistencies. 

14. Interagency Cooperation and Coordination

Fire management planning, preparedness, prevention, suppression, fire use, restoration and rehabilitation, 

monitoring, research, and education will be conducted on an interagency basis with the involvement of 

cooperators and partners.

Involve all participating agencies, federal, tribal, state, 

local, and non-governmental organizations in fire 

management activities. 

Get everyone working in concert, rather than in 

opposition to each other. 

Ensure that fire management program actions are 

implemented in collaboration with cooperators and 

affected partners with due consideration of all 

management objectives. 

Agencies will engage cooperators and affected partners 

at the strategic, and program planning levels, as well as 

the tactical, program implementation level. 

—————————————————————— Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 

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Policy Statement

Management Intent Implementation Actions

15. Communication and Education 

Agencies will enhance knowledge and understanding of wildland fire management policies and practices 

through internal and external communication and education programs. These programs will be 

continuously improved through the timely and effective exchange of information among all affected 

agencies and organizations.

Knowledge and understanding reach all personnel in the 

field, across agencies. 

Develop and provide consistent communication, 

education and outreach with shared messages for the 

public and internal staff. 

Have a public that understands the risk, benefits and 

complexity of wildland fire management. 

Develop a consistent and uniform message using 

common terminology on importance and role of 

wildland fire in natural resource management. 

Develop understanding with the public on what we’re 

trying accomplish with fire management. 

Build understanding with the public on their role when 

living and recreating in fire prone ecosystems. 

16. Agency Administrator and Employee Roles

Agency administrators will ensure that their employees are trained, certified, and made available to 

participate in the wildland fire program locally, regionally, and nationally as the situation demands. 

Employees with operational, administrative, or other skills will support the wildland fire program as 

necessary. Agency administrators are responsible and will be held accountable for making employees 

available.

Employees participate in wildland fire operations to 

obtain understanding, expand capabilities, and increase 

organizational capacity. 

Assure that we maximize use of the local workforce for 

efficiencies of knowledge, cost and involvement. 

Maintain a competent and capable workforce to 

implement the wildland fire management program to 

include fuels, aviation, suppression, planning, 

monitoring, research, communication, finance, etc. 

Agency administrators will train, qualify, and certify 

available personnel for local fire needs and interagency 

fire management priorities. 

Agencies will consider adjustment of annual 

performance expectations based on employee and 

program contribution to the fire effort. 

17. Evaluation

Agencies will develop and implement a systematic method of evaluation to determine effectiveness of 

projects through implementation of the 2001 Federal Fire Policy. The evaluation will assure 

accountability, facilitate resolution of areas of conflict, and identify resource shortages and agency 

priorities.

Use adaptive management process to evaluate and 

improve the fire management program at all levels. 

Provide a formal review process to monitor and evaluate 

performance, suggest revisions, and make necessary 

adaptations to the implementation guidance at all 

organizational levels on a regular basis. 

Conduct interagency, internal and periodic reviews of 

the fire management program (all agencies) to 

determine: 1) consistency of policy implementation; 2) 

effectiveness of interagency coordination; 3) progress 

towards ecosystem sustainability; 4) cost management; 

5) safety. 

—————————————————————— Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 

Page 15 
Appendices 

Appendix A: Glossary 

The hierarchy of terminology will be those defined in law, those defined in policy, those defined 

in this guidance and then all other agency and interagency documentation. The NWCG Glossary 

of Wildland Fire Terminology will be maintained as the source of record. 

Controlled burn – synonymous with Prescribed Fire. 

Escaped Prescribed Fire – a prescribed fire that has exceeded or is expected to exceed 

prescription parameters or otherwise meets the criteria for conversion to wildfire. Criteria is 

specified in “Interagency Prescribed Fire – Planning and Implementation Procedures Reference 

Guide”. 

Fire Management Plan (FMP) – a plan that identifies and integrates all wildland fire 

management and related activities within the context of approved land/resource management 

plans. It defines a program to manage wildland fires (wildfire and prescribed fire). The plan is 

supplemented by operational plans, including but not limited to preparedness plans, preplanned 

dispatch plans, prescribed fire burn plans and prevention plans. Fire Management Plan’s assure 

that wildland fire management goals and components are coordinated. 

Initial Action – the actions taken by the first resources to arrive at a wildfire. 

Land/Resource Management Plan (L/RMP) – a document prepared with public participation 

and approved by an agency administrator that provides general guidance and direction for land 

and resource management activities for an administrative area. The L/RMP identifies the need 

for fire’s role in a particular area and for a specific benefit. The objectives in the L/RMP provide 

the basis for the development of fire management objectives and the fire management program in 

the designated area. 

Planned Ignition –the intentional initiation of a wildland fire by hand-held, mechanical or aerial 

device where the distance and timing between ignition lines or points and the sequence of 

igniting them is determined by environmental conditions (weather, fuel, topography), firing 

technique, and other factors which influence fire behavior and fire effects (see prescribed fire). 

Prescribed Fire—is a wildland fire originating from a planned ignition to meet specific 

objectives identified in a written, approved, prescribed fire plan for which NEPA requirements 

(where applicable) have been met prior to ignition (see planned ignition). 

Protection - the actions taken to limit the adverse environmental, social, political, and 

economical effects of fire (FEC Briefing Paper, 3/14/2008). 

Response to wildland fire - the mobilization of the necessary services and responders to a fire 

based on ecological, social, and legal consequences, the circumstances under which a fire occurs, 

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and the likely consequences on firefighter and public safety and welfare, natural and cultural 

resources, and values to be protected. 

Suppression - all the work of extinguishing a fire or confining fire spread. 

Unplanned Ignition – the initiation of a wildland fire by lightning, volcanoes, unauthorized and 

accidental human-caused fires (see wildfire). 

Use of Wildland Fire - management of either wildfire or prescribed fire to meet resource 

objectives specified in Land/Resource Management Plans. 

Wildfire – unplanned ignition of a wildland fire (such as a fire caused by lightning, volcanoes, 

unauthorized and accidental human-caused fires) and escaped prescribed fires. 

 (See unplanned ignition and escaped prescribed fire). 

Wildland Fire – a general term describing any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. 

Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) – The line, area, or zone where structures and other human 

development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetation fuels. 
Appendix B: Wildland Fire Flowchart 

This chart depicts, in general, the process to be taken given an ignition, regardless of source. Management actionprovisions in the approved Land, Resource and Fire Management Plan and/or Fire Management Plan for an area. generally applicable to most agencies’ fire management programs. However, specific exceptions may exist. 

Wildland Fire 

Ignition Situation/Objectives 

Identify 

Strategic 

Response 

Implementation Outcome 

Unplanned 

Ignition 

“Wildfire” 

L/RMP or 

FMP allows 

resource and 

protection objectives 

L/RMP or 

FMP allows 

protection objectives 

only 

Prescribed 

Fire Plan 

Implement 

Response to 

Wildland 

Fire 

Objectives 

Achieved 

Objectives 

Achieved 

Objectives 

Not Met 

Preplanned 

Response 

Develop 

Response 

through 

decision 

support 

process 

Implement 

Prescribed 

Fire Plan 

Implement 

Response to 

Wildfire 

Implement 

Prescribed 

Fire Plan 

Planned 

Ignition 

“Prescribed 

Fire” 

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Appendix C: What Changed 2004 to 2009 

The following provide some of the significant modifications that were made to the guidance in 

the “Interagency Strategy for the Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 

(2004)” in drafting the “Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management 

Policy (2009).” To simplify the discussion the “Interagency Strategy for the Implementation of 

Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy (2004)” will be referred to as “Strategy” and the 

“Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy (2009)” will be 

referred to as “Guidance”. 

Strategy: Provided seven operational clarification statements 

Guidance: Provides nine statements of guidance for implementation. 

Strategy: Operational Clarification statement 1) “Only one management objective will be applied 

to a wildland fire. Wildland fires will either be managed for resource benefits or suppressed. A 

wildland fire cannot be managed for both objectives concurrently. If two wildland fires 

converge, they will be managed as a single wildland fire.” 

Guidance: “A wildland fire may be concurrently managed for one or more objectives and 

objectives can change as the fire spreads across the landscape. Objectives are affected by 

changes in fuels, weather, topography; varying social understanding and tolerance; and 

involvement of other governmental jurisdictions having different missions and objectives.”

Strategy: Operational Clarification statement 2) “Human caused wildland fires will be 

suppressed in every instance and will not be managed for resource benefits. 

Guidance: “Initial action on human-caused wildfire will be to suppress the fire at the 

lowest cost with the fewest negative consequences with respect to firefighter and public 

safety.” 

Strategy: Operational Clarification statement 3) “Once a wildland fire has been managed for 

suppression objectives, it may never be managed for resource benefit objectives.” 

Guidance: “A wildland fire may be concurrently managed for one or more objectives and 

objectives can change as the fire spreads across the landscape. Objectives are affected by 

changes in fuels, weather, topography; varying social understanding and tolerance; and 

involvement of other governmental jurisdictions having different missions and objectives.”

Strategy: Operational Clarification statement 4) “The Appropriate Management Response 

(AMR) is any specific action suitable to meet Fire Management Unit (FMU) objectives. 

Typically, the AMR ranges across a spectrum of tactical options (from monitoring to intensive 

management actions). The AMR is developed by using FMU strategies and objectives identified 

in the Fire Management Plan.” 

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Guidance: The term Appropriate Management Response is removed from 

implementation guidance with “Response to Wildland Fire” as the policy area defining 

the actions for managing a wildland fire. 

Strategy: Operational Clarification statement 5) “The Wildland Fire Situation Analysis process is 

used to determine and document the suppression strategy from the full range of responses 

available for suppression operations. Suppression strategies are designed to meet the policy 

objectives of suppression.” 

Guidance: “Managers will use a decision support process to guide and document wildfire 

management decisions. The process will provide situational assessment, analyze hazards 

and risk, define implementation actions, and document decisions and rationale for those 

decisions. 

Strategy: Operational Clarification statement 6) “Wildland fire use is the result of a natural 

event. The Land/Resource Management Plan, or the Fire Management Plan, will identify areas 

where the strategy of wildland fire use is suitable. The Wildland Fire Implementation Plan 

(WFIP) is the tool that examines the available response strategies to determine if a fire is being 

considered for wildland fire use.” 

Guidance: “Managers will use a decision support process to guide and document wildfire 

management decisions. The process will provide situational assessment, analyze hazards 

and risk, define implementation actions, and document decisions and rationale for those 

decisions.” 

Strategy: Operational Clarification statement 7) “When a prescribed fire or a fire designated for 

wildland fire use is no longer achieving the intended resource management objectives and 

contingency or mitigation actions have failed, the fire will be declared a wildfire. Once a 

wildfire, it cannot be returned to a prescribed fire or wildland fire use status.” 

Guidance: “Managers will use a decision support process to guide and document wildfire 

management decisions. The process will provide situational assessment, analyze hazards 

and risk, define implementation actions, and document decisions and rationale for those 

decisions.” 

Strategy: Policy Implementation Flowchart 

Guidance: Updated Appendix F: Wildland Fire Flowchart from Review and Update of 

the 1995 Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy (2001) to reflect implementation 

terminology of planned and unplanned ignitions. (See Appendix B)