Geospatial Information: Technologies Hold Promise for Wildland Fire Management, but Challenges Remain
Published: 2003-08-28T00:00:00

Fast Facts:

Highlights:
section_title: Why GAO Did This Study
paragraphs: Over the past decade, a series of devastating and deadly wildland fires has burned millions of acres of federal forests, grasslands, and deserts each year, requiring federal and management agencies to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to fight them. GAO was asked to provide an interim update on key segments of an ongoing review of the use of geospatial information technologies in wildland fire management. Specifically, GAO was asked to provide an overview of key geospatial information technologies and their uses in different aspects of wildland fire management and to summarize key challenges to the effective use of these technologies. The final report is expected to be issued in September 2003. GAO's review focused on the five federal agencies that are primarily responsible for wildland fire management: the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service and the Department of the Interior's National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
section_title: What GAO Found
paragraphs: Geospatial information technologies--sensors, systems, and software that collect, manage, manipulate, analyze, model, and display information about locations on the earth's surface--can aid in managing wildland fires by providing accurate, detailed, and timely information to federal, state, and local decision makers, fire-fighting personnel, and the public. This information can be used to help reduce the risk that a fire will become uncontrollable, to respond to critical events while a fire is burning, and to aid in recovering from fire disasters. However, there are multiple challenges to effectively using these technologies to manage wildland fires, including challenges with data, systems, infrastructure, staffing, and the effective use of new products. Clearly, effective management of information technology and resources could help address these challenges. In our final report, due to be issued next month, we will further discuss geospatial information technologies, challenges to effectively using these technologies, and opportunities to improve the effective use of geospatial information technologies. We will also make recommendations to address these challenges and to improve the use of geospatial technologies in wildland fire management.

section_title: Letter
paragraphs: Geospatial information technologies—sensors, systems, and software that  collect, manage, manipulate, analyze, model, and display information about  locations on the earth’s surface—can aid in managing wildland fires by  providing accurate, detailed, and timely information to federal, state, and  local decision makers, fire-fighting personnel, and the public. This  information can be used to help reduce the risk that a fire will become  uncontrollable, to respond to critical events while a fire is burning, and to  aid in recovering from fire disasters. However, there are multiple challenges  to effectively using these technologies to manage wildland fires, including  challenges with data, systems, infrastructure, staffing, and the effective use  of new products. Clearly, effective management of information technology  and resources could help address these challenges. In our final report, due to  be issued next month, we will further discuss geospatial information  technologies, challenges to effectively using these technologies, and  opportunities to improve the effective use of geospatial information  technologies. We will also make recommendations to address these  challenges and to improve the use of geospatial technologies in wildland fire  management.
To view the full product, including the scope  and methodology, click on the link above. For  more information, contact David Powner at  (202) 512-9286 or pownerd@gao.gov.
Congressman Hefley and Congressman Udall:  We appreciate the opportunity to join in today’s forum to discuss  our ongoing work on geospatial information technologies that can  be used to aid in wildland fire management. At your request, we  will provide an overview of key geospatial information technologies  and their uses in different phases of wildland fire management. We  will also discuss key challenges to effectively using these  technologies. This statement provides an interim update on key  segments of our ongoing review of the use of geospatial  information technologies in wildland fire management. We expect  to issue our final report next month.
In brief, geospatial information technologies—sensors, systems,  and software that collect, manage, manipulate, analyze, model, and  display information about locations on the earth’s surface—can aid  in managing wildland fires by providing accurate, detailed, and  timely information to federal, state, and local decision makers, fire- fighting personnel, and the public. This information can be used to  help reduce the risk that a fire will become uncontrollable, to  respond to critical events while a fire is burning, and to aid in  recovering from fire disasters.
However, there are multiple challenges to effectively using  geospatial technologies—all complicated by the fact that wildland  fire management extends beyond a single agency’s responsibility  and requires a collaborative interagency approach. Key challenges  include issues with geospatial data, systems, infrastructure,  staffing, and the use of new products.
Clearly, effective interagency management of information  resources and technology could help address the challenges faced  by the wildland fire community in using geospatial information  technologies. The National Wildfire Coordinating Group— comprising representatives from the five land management  agencies and from other federal, state, and tribal organizations— has several initiatives planned or under way to address challenges  to effectively using geospatial technologies and to improve the  interagency management of information resources. However,  progress on these initiatives has been slow. In our report, due to be  issued in September 2003, we further discuss the use of geospatial  technologies in support of wildland fire management, challenges to  effectively using these technologies, and opportunities to address  key challenges and to improve the effective use of geospatial  technologies. We will also make recommendations to improve the  use of geospatial technologies in support of wildland fire  management. An overview of the approach we used to perform our  work—our objectives, scope, and methodology—is provided in  appendix I.
subsections: section_title: Background
paragraphs: Over the past decade, there has been a series of devastating and  deadly wildland fires on federal lands. These fires burn millions of  acres of forests, grasslands, and deserts each year, and federal land  management agencies spend hundreds of millions of dollars to  fight them. Wildland fires also threaten communities that are near  federal lands. During the 2002 fire season, approximately 88,458  wildland fires burned about 6.9 million acres and cost the federal  government over $1.6 billion to suppress. These fires destroyed  timber, natural vegetation, wildlife habitats, homes, and  businesses, and they severely damaged forest soils and watershed  areas for decades to come. The 2002 fires also caused the deaths of  23 firefighters and drove thousands of people from their homes.  Only 2 years earlier, during the 2000 fire season, approximately  123,000 fires had burned more than 8.4 million acres and cost the  federal government over $2 billion.
subsections: section_title: Wildland Fire Management Life Cycle: An Overview
paragraphs: Effectively managing wildland fires can be viewed in terms of a life  cycle—there are key activities that can be performed before a fire  starts to reduce the risk of its becoming uncontrollable; other  activities that can take place during a fire to detect the fire before  it gets too large and to respond to it; and still others that can be  performed after a fire has stopped in order to stabilize,  rehabilitate, and restore damaged forests and rangelands.
Pre-fire activities can include identifying areas that are at risk for  wildland fire by assessing changes in vegetation and the  accumulation of fuels (including small trees, underbrush, and dead  vegetation) as well as these fuels’ proximity to communities; taking  action to reduce fuels through a variety of mechanisms (including  timber harvesting, management-ignited or prescribed fires,  mechanical thinning, and use of natural fires); and monitoring fire  weather conditions. Other activities during this phase can include  providing fire preparedness training and strategically deploying  equipment and personnel resources to at-risk areas.
Activities that take place during a fire include detecting fires,  dispatching resources, planning the initial attack on the fire,  monitoring and mapping the fire’s spread and behavior, and  planning and managing subsequent attacks on the fire—if they are  warranted.
Post-fire activities can include assessing the impact of the fire,  providing emergency stabilization of burned areas to protect life,  property, and natural resources from post-fire degradation, such as  flooding, contamination of a watershed area, and surface erosion;  rehabilitating lands to remove fire debris, repair soils, and plant  new vegetation; and monitoring the rehabilitation efforts over time  to ensure that they are on track.
Other activities—such as enhancing community awareness—can  and should take place throughout the fire management life cycle.
Figure 1 depicts a fire management life cycle, with key activities in  each phase.
section_title: Federal Land Management Responsibilities
paragraphs: Five federal agencies share responsibility for managing the  majority of our nation’s federal lands—the Department of  Agriculture’s Forest Service (FS) and the Department of the  Interior’s National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Land Management  (BLM), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and Bureau of Indian Affairs  (BIA). While each agency has a different mission and responsibility  for different areas and types of land, they work together to address  catastrophic wildland fires, which often cross agency boundaries.  In addition, state, local, and tribal governments and private  individuals own thousands of acres that are adjacent to federal  lands and are similarly susceptible to wildland fires. Figure 2  shows the number of acres of land managed by each of the five  federal agencies.
section_title: The National Fire Plan
paragraphs: After years of catastrophic fires, in September 2000, the  Departments of Agriculture and the Interior jointly issued a report  on managing the impact of wildland fires. This report forms the  basis of what is now known as the National Fire Plan—a long-term  multibillion-dollar effort to address the nation’s risk of wildland  fires. The plan directs funding and attention to five key initiatives:
Hazardous fuels reduction—investing in projects to reduce the  buildup of fuels that leads to severe fires.
Firefighting—ensuring adequate preparedness for future fires by  acquiring and maintaining personnel and equipment and by placing  firefighting resources in locations where they can most effectively  be used to respond to fires.
Rehabilitation and restoration—restoring landscapes and  rebuilding ecosystems that have been damaged by wildland fires.
Community assistance—working directly with communities to  ensure that they are adequately protected from fires.
Accountability—establishing mechanisms to oversee and track  progress in implementing the National Fire Plan, which includes  developing performance measures, processes for reporting  progress, and budgeting information.
A key tenet of the National Fire Plan is coordination between  government agencies at the federal, state, and local levels to  develop strategies and carry out programs. Building on this goal of  cooperation, the five land management agencies have worked with  state governors and other stakeholders to develop a comprehensive  strategy and an implementation plan for managing wildland fires,  hazardous fuels, and ecosystem restoration and rehabilitation on  federal and adjacent state, tribal, and private forest and rangelands  in the United States. In developing these integrated plans and  initiatives, the land management agencies identified other federal  agencies that have roles in wildland fire management: agencies that  manage other federal lands, including the Department of Defense  and Department of Energy; agencies that research, manage, or use  technologies that can aid in wildland fire management, including  the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey, the  National Aeronautical and Space Administration, the Department  of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,  and the Department of Defense’s National Imagery and Mapping  Agency; and agencies with other fire-related responsibilities,  including the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal  Emergency Management Agency and the Environmental Protection  Agency. The integrated plans also identify key state and local  organizations that may collaborate on wildland fire management.
section_title: An Interagency Framework Supports the National Fire Plan
paragraphs: Over the past four decades, the Departments of Agriculture and the  Interior have established an interagency framework to handle  wildland fire management—a framework that currently supports  the National Fire Plan. In 1965, the Forest Service and the Bureau of  Land Management established the National Interagency Fire Center,  in Boise, Idaho. The fire center is the nation’s principal  management and logistical support center for wildland firefighting  and now includes the five land management agencies, the National  Weather Service, and the Department of the Interior’s Office of  Aircraft Services. The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal  Emergency Management Agency and the National Association of  State Foresters also have a presence at the center. Working  together, representatives from this mix of organizations exchange  fire protection information and training services and coordinate  and support operations for managing wildland fire incidents while  they are occurring, throughout the United States.
In 1976, the departments established the National Wildfire  Coordinating Group to coordinate government standards for  wildland fire management and related programs, in order to avoid  duplicating the various agencies’ efforts and to encourage active  collaboration among entities. This group comprises representatives  from the five land management agencies and from other federal,  state, and tribal organizations. Figure 3 identifies these member  organizations. The coordinating group seeks to foster more  effective execution of each agency’s fire management program  through agreements on common training, equipment, and other  standards; however, each agency determines whether and how it  will adopt the group’s proposals. The group is organized into 15  working teams, which focus on issues including information  resource management (IRM), fire equipment, training, fire weather,  and wildland fire education. Most recently, the coordinating group  established the IRM program management office to further support  the IRM working team by developing guidance and products. In  addition, the IRM working team has established two subgroups to  focus on specific issues involving geospatial information and data  administration.
In recent years, we have reported that despite these interagency  efforts, the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior had  not established clearly defined and effective leadership for  ensuring collaboration and coordination among the organizations  that respond to wildland fires. Further, the National Academy of  Public Administration recommended that the Secretaries of  Agriculture and the Interior establish a national interagency council  to achieve more consistent and coordinated efforts in  implementing national fire policies and plans. In response to these  concerns, in April 2002, the Secretaries of the two departments  established the Wildland Fire Leadership Council. This council  comprises senior members of both departments and of key  external organizations, and is supported by the Forest Service’s  National Fire Plan Coordinator and the Department of the Interior’s  Office of Wildland Fire Coordination. The Council is charged with  providing interagency leadership and oversight to ensure policy  coordination, accountability, and effective implementation of the  National Fire Plan and Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy.  Figure 4 identifies members of the Leadership Council.
section_title: Numerous Geospatial Technologies Can Be Used to Address Different Aspects of Wildland Fire Management
paragraphs: Geospatial information technologies—sensors, systems, and  software that collect, manage, manipulate, analyze, model, and  display information about positions on the earth’s surface—can aid  in managing wildland fires by providing accurate, detailed, and  timely information to federal, state, and local decision makers, fire- fighting personnel, and the public. This information can be used to  help reduce the risk that a fire will become uncontrollable, to  respond to critical events while a fire is burning, and to aid in  recovering from fire disasters.
Specific examples of geospatial technologies include remote  sensing systems, the Global Positioning System, and geographic  information systems. In addition, specialized software can be used  in conjunction with remote sensing data and geographic  information systems to manipulate geographic data and allow  users to analyze, model, and visualize locations and events. Table 1  describes key geospatial technologies.
While individual technologies can be used to obtain information  and products, the integration of these technologies holds promise  for providing even more valuable information to decision makers.  For example, remote sensing systems provide images that are  useful in their own right. However, when images are geo-referenced  and combined with other layers of data in a geographic  information system—and then used with specialized software—a  more sophisticated analysis can be performed and more timely and  sound decisions can be made. Figure 5 provides an overview of the  relationships among the different technologies and some resulting  products.
subsections: section_title: Federal Land Management Agencies Are Using Geospatial Technologies to Support Wildland Fire Management
paragraphs: The geospatial information technologies mentioned above—remote  sensing systems, the Global Positioning System, geographic  information systems, and specialized softwareare being used to  some extent in managing wildland fires. These technologies are  used throughout the wildland fire management life cycle. Key  examples follow.
Before a fire starts, local and regional land managers often use  vegetation and fuels maps derived from remote sensing data in  conjunction with a geographic information system to understand  conditions and to identify areas for fuels treatments. Some land  management offices have also developed software to help them  assess risk areas and prioritize fuels treatment projects. For  example, figure 6 depicts a vegetation map, and figure 7 depicts a  map showing areas with increased risk of fires. Interestingly, an  area that the map identified as being at high risk of fire later  burned during the Hayman fire of 2002.
Land management agencies also use geospatial products related to  the weather to aid in fire planning, detecting, and monitoring  activities. Weather-based products are derived from ground-based  lightning detection and weather observing systems as well as from  fire-related weather predictions from the National Weather Service.
Figure 8 depicts a seasonal fire outlook, and figure 9 depicts a fire  danger map that is based on daily weather predictions.
During a fire, some fire responders use satellite and aerial imagery,  in combination with Global Positioning System data, geographic  information systems, and specialized fire behavior modeling  software, to obtain information about the fire and to help plan how  they will respond to it. For example, the Forest Service uses  satellite data to produce images of active fires. Also, the National  Interagency Fire Center manages an aerial infrared program that  flies aircraft equipped with infrared sensors over large fires to  detect heat and fire areas. These images contribute to the  development of daily fire perimeter maps. Figure 10 depicts a  satellite image of active fires. Figure 11 depicts a satellite image of  a fire perimeter, and figure 12 depicts an aerial infrared image and  a fire perimeter map based on that image. Some incident teams  also use fire growth modeling software to predict the growth of  wildland fires in terms of size, intensity, and spread, considering  variable terrain, fuels, and weather. Using this information, incident  managers are able to estimate short- and long-term fire behaviors,  plan for potential fires, communicate concerns and needs to state  and local governments and the public, and request and position  resources. Figure 13 shows the output of a fire behavior model.
Geospatial technologies are also used to provide information on  active fires to the general public. The wildland fire community and  the U.S. Geological Survey established an Internet Web site, at  www.geomac.gov, to provide access to geospatial information  about active fires. This site allows visitors to identify the location  of wildland fires on a broad scale and then focus in to identify  information on the location and status of specific fires. Figure 14  shows images from the Web site.
It is important to note that there are many commercial products  and services available for use during a fire—ranging from high-  resolution aerial and satellite imagery, to handheld Global  Positioning System devices, to enhanced visualization models, to  on-site geographic information systems, equipment, and personnel.  Incident commanders responsible for responding to fires often  choose to purchase commercial products and services to  supplement interagency resources.
After a fire occurs, burned-area teams have recently begun to use  remote sensing data in conjunction with geographic information  systems to determine the extent of fire damage and to help plan  and implement emergency stabilization and rehabilitation efforts.  Typical products include burn severity and burn intensity maps.  Figure 15 depicts a satellite image and a burn severity map  showing areas that have a high priority for emergency stabilization  measures. Geospatial technologies also aid in monitoring  rehabilitation efforts for years after a fire to ensure that  restoration plans are on track.
section_title: New Uses of Geospatial Information Technologies to Aid in Wildland Fire Management Are under Development
paragraphs: The Forest Service and Interior are researching and developing new  applications of geospatial information technologies to support  business needs in wildland fire management. In addition, the Joint  Fire Science Program, a partnership of the five land management  agencies and the U.S. Geological Survey, funds numerous research  projects each year on fire and fuels management. Once again, these  initiatives vary greatly—ranging from research on remote sensing  systems to the development of interagency information systems  with geospatial components, to improvements in existing software  models. Examples of these efforts include the following:
Sensor research. Several new research projects are under way on  LIDAR and hyperspectral sensors. For example, a BLM state office  is researching the use of high-resolution hyperspectral and LIDAR  imaging technologies for improving the identification of vegetation;  planning hazardous fuels projects; and monitoring wildland urban  interface projects, the effects of wildland fires, and fire  rehabilitation efforts. Additionally, the Forest Service is exploring  the use of mobile LIDAR systems for assessing smoke plumes, and  it is conducting research on using LIDAR data, satellite data, and  modeling techniques to forecast air quality after a fire.
Vegetation data and tools. The five land management agencies and  the U.S. Geological Survey are working together to develop a  national geospatial dataset and a set of modeling tools for wildland  fire planning. This effort, called LANDFIRE, is to provide a  comprehensive package of spatial data layers, models, and tools  needed by land and fire managers. The system is expected to help  prioritize, plan, complete, and monitor fuel treatment and  restoration projects on national, regional, and local scales. A  prototype of the system covers central Utah and Northwestern  Montana and is expected to be completed by April 2005.
Interagency information systems. The five land management  agencies are developing information systems for use by Interior  and Forest Service offices to track efforts under the National Fire  Plan. The National Fire Plan Operations and Reporting System is an  interagency system designed to assist field personnel in managing  and reporting accomplishments for work conducted under the  National Fire Plan. It is a Web-based data collection tool with  geographic information system (GIS) support that locates projects  and treatments. It consists of three modules—hazardous fuels  reduction, restoration and rehabilitation, and community  assistance. While the agencies are currently using the system, it will  not be fully operational until 2004. Another information system,  the Fire Program Analysis system, is an interagency planning tool  for analysis and budgeting to be used by the five federal wildland  fire management agencies. The first module—preparedness—is  scheduled for implementation in September 2004 and will evaluate  the cost effectiveness of alternative initial attack operations in  meeting multiple fire management objectives. Additional system  modules are expected to provide geospatial capabilities and to  address extended attack, large fires and national fire resources,  hazardous fuels reduction, wildland fire use, and fire prevention.
Improvements in existing systems. There are multiple efforts  planned or under way to improve existing systems or to add  geospatial components to systems that are currently under  development. For example, researchers at a federal fire sciences  laboratory are exploring possible improvements to the Wildland  Fire Assessment System, an Internet-based system that provides  information on a broad area of national fire potential and weather  maps for fire managers and the general public. Specifically,  researchers are working to develop products that depict moisture  levels in live fuels, which will aid in assessing the potential for  wildland fires.
section_title: The Wildland Fire Community Faces Numerous Challenges in Using Geospatial Information Technologies Effectively
paragraphs: There are numerous challenges in using geospatial information  technologies effectively in the wildland fire community. Key  challenges involve data, systems, infrastructure, staffing, and the  effective use of new products and technologies—all complicated by  the fact that wildland fire management extends beyond a single  agency’s responsibility.
Data issues. Users of geospatial information have noted problems  in acquiring compatible and comprehensive geospatial data. For  example, GIS specialists involved in fighting fires reported that  they did not have ready access to the geospatial data they needed.  They noted that some local jurisdictions have geospatial data, but  others do not. Further, they reported that the data from  neighboring jurisdictions are often incompatible. Geospatial  information specialists reported that the first days at a wildland  fire are spent trying to gather the geospatial information needed to  accurately map the fire. While concerns with data availability and  compatibility are often noted during fire incidents, these issues are  also evident before and after fire incidents. For example, we  recently reported that the five land management agencies did not  know how effective their post-fire emergency stabilization and  rehabilitation treatments were because, among other reasons, local  land units do not routinely collect comparable information. As a  result of unavailable or incompatible data, decision makers often  lack the timely, integrated information they need to make sound  decisions in managing different aspects of wildland fire.
On a related note, the development of data standards is a well- recognized solution for addressing some of the problems  mentioned above, but there are currently no nationally recognized  geospatial data standards for use on fires. GIS specialists  frequently cited a need for common, interagency geospatial data  standards for use with fires. They noted that the land management  agencies and states do not record information about fires—such as  fire location, fire perimeter, or the date of different fire  perimeters—in the same way.
System issues. In 1996, NWCG reported that there was a  duplication of information systems and computer applications  supporting wildland fire management, noting that agencies were  using 15 different weather-related software applications, 9 logistics  applications, and 7 dispatch applications. Since that time, the  number of applications has grown—as has the potential for  duplication of effort. Duplicative systems not only waste limited  funds, but they also make interoperability between systems more  difficult.
This issue is complicated by the fact that there is no single,  comprehensive inventory of information systems and applications  that could be of use to others in the interagency wildland fire  community. A single comprehensive inventory would allow the  wildland fire community to identify and learn about available  applications and tools, and to avoid duplicating efforts to develop  new applications. We identified five different inventories of  software applications—including information systems, models, and  tools—that are currently being used in support of wildland fire  management. While these listings are not limited to geospatial  applications, many of the applications have geospatial components.  The most comprehensive listing is an inventory managed by NWCG.
This inventory identifies 199 applications used in support of  wildland fire, but even this inventory is not complete. That is, it did  not include 45 applications that were included in the other  inventories. Additionally, it did not include 23 applications that we  had identified.
Infrastructure issues. Many geospatial specialists noted that there  are problems in getting equipment, networking capabilities, and  Internet access to the areas that need them during a fire. For  example, at a recent fire in a remote location, geospatial specialists  reported that they were unable to produce needed information and  maps because they had problems with networking capabilities.  Again, this issue is critical during a fire, when incident teams try to  set up a command center in a remote location. However, it is also  an issue when federal regional managers try to obtain consistent  information from the different land management agencies’ field  offices before or after fires. The majority of local field offices have  equipment to support geospatial information and analysis, but  some do not.
Staffing issues. Geospatial specialists noted that the training and  qualifications of the GIS specialists who support fire incidents is  not consistent. Specifically, officials noted that skills and  qualifications vary widely among those who work with geographic  information systems. For example, some GIS specialists are capable  of interpreting infrared images as well as developing maps, but  others are not. Some have experience working with GIS applications  but are not specifically trained to develop GIS maps for fires.
Use of new products. While many commercial vendors are  developing geospatial products and services that could be of use to  the wildland fire community—including advanced satellite and  aerial imaging; GIS applications and equipment; and advanced  mapping products including analyses, visualization, and  modeling—many have expressed concern that the wildland fire  community is not aware of these advancements or has little  funding for these products. Land managers acknowledged the  value of many of these products, but noted that they need to be  driven by business needs.  Agency officials also expressed concern  that the cost of these products and services can be prohibitive and  that licensing restrictions would keep them from sharing the  commercial data and products with others in the wildland fire  community.
Clearly, effective interagency management of information  resources and technology could help address the challenges faced  by the wildland fire community in using geospatial information  technologies. Such an approach could address the implementation  and enforcement of national geospatial data standards for  managing wildland fires; an interagency strategic approach to  systems and infrastructure development; a plan for ensuring  consistent equipment and training throughout the wildland fire  community; and a thorough evaluation of user needs and  opportunities for meeting those needs through new products and  technologies.
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group—comprising  representatives from the five land management agencies and from  other federal, state, and tribal organizations—has several initiatives  planned or under way to address challenges to effectively using  geospatial technologies and to improve the interagency  management of information resources. However, progress on these  initiatives has been slow. In our report, due to be issued in  September 2003, we further discuss the use of geospatial  technologies in support of wildland fire management, challenges to  effectively using these technologies, and opportunities to address  key challenges and to improve the effective use of geospatial  technologies. We will also make recommendations to improve the  use of geospatial technologies in support of wildland fire  management.
In summary, the federal wildland fire management community is  using a variety of different geospatial technologies for activities  throughout the fire management life cycle—including identifying  dangerous fuels, assessing fire risks, detecting and fighting fires,  and restoring fire-damaged lands. These technologies run the  gamut from satellite and aerial imaging, to the Global Positioning  System, to geographic information systems, to specialized fire  models.
Local land managers and incident teams often acquire, collect, and  develop geospatial information and technologies to meet their  specific needs, resulting in a hodgepodge of incompatible and  duplicative data and tools. This problem is echoed throughout the  fire community, as those who work with different aspects of fire  management commonly cite concerns with unavailable or  incompatible geospatial data, duplicative systems, lack of  equipment and infrastructure to access geospatial information,  inconsistency in the training of geospatial specialists, and  ineffective use of new products and technologies. These challenges  illustrate the need for effective interagency management of  information technology and resources in the wildland fire  community. We will report on opportunities to improve the use of  these technologies in our final report.
This concludes my statement. I would be pleased to respond to any  questions that you may have at this time.
subsections: section_title: Contact and Acknowledgements
paragraphs: If you have any questions on matters discussed in this statement,  please contact David Powner at (202) 512-9286 or by E-mail at  pownerd@gao.gov, or Colleen Phillips at (202) 512-6326 or by E- mail at phillipsc@gao.gov. Individuals making key contributions to  this statement include Barbara Collier, Neil Doherty, Joanne  Fiorino, Chester Joy, Richard Hung, Anjalique Lawrence, Tammi  Nguyen, Megan Secrest, Karl Seifert, Lisa Warnecke, and Glenda  Wright.
section_title: Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology
paragraphs: Our objectives were to provide an overview of key geospatial  information technologies for addressing different aspects of  wildland fire management and to summarize key challenges to the  effective use of geospatial technologies in wildland fire  management. To accomplish these objectives, we focused our  review on five key federal agencies that are responsible for  wildland fire management on public lands: the Department of  Agriculture’s Forest Service and the Department of the Interior’s  National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and  Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
To identify key geospatial information technologies for addressing  different aspects of wildland fire management, we assessed  policies, plans, and reports on wildland fire management and  technical documents on geospatial technologies. We assessed  information on Forest Service and Interior efforts to develop and  use geospatial technologies. We also interviewed officials with the  Forest Service and the Interior, interagency organizations,  commercial vendors, and selected states to determine the  characteristics and uses of different geospatial technologies in  supporting different phases of wildland fire management. In  addition, we met with officials of other federal agencies, including  the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey, the  Department of Defense’s National Imagery and Mapping Agency,  the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the  Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric  Administration, and the Department of Homeland Security’s  Federal Emergency Management Agency, to identify their efforts to  develop geospatial information products in support of wildland  fire management.
To summarize key challenges to the effective use and sharing of  geospatial technologies, we reviewed key reports and studies on  these challenges. These include the following:  Burchfield, James A., Theron A. Miller, Lloyd Queen, Joe Frost,  Dorothy Albright, and David DelSordo. Investigation of Geospatial  Support of Incident Management. National Center for Landscape  Fire Analysis at the University of Montana. November 25, 2002.
Committee on Earth Observation Satellites, Disaster Management  Support Group. The Use of Earth Observing Satellites for Hazard  Support: Assessments & Scenarios. National Oceanic and  Atmospheric Administration, n.d.
Department of Agriculture (Forest Service) and Department of  Interior. Developing an Interagency, Landscape-scale Fire Planning  Analysis and Budget Tool. n.d. .
Fairbanks, Frank, Elizabeth Hill, Patrick Kelly, Lyle Laverty, Keith F.  Mulrooney, Charlie Philpot, and Charles Wise. Wildfire Suppression:  Strategies for Containing Costs. Washington, D.C.: National  Academy of Public Administration, September 2002.
Fairbanks, Frank, Henry Gardner, Elizabeth Hill, Keith Mulrooney,  Charles Philpot, Karl Weick, and Charles Wise. Managing Wildland  Fire: Enhancing Capacity to Implement the Federal Interagency  Policy. Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Public  Administration, December 2001.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Wildland Fire  Management: Some Information Needs and Opportunities. Working  paper, National Hazards Information Strategy, July 2002.
National Wildfire Coordinating Group.  Information Resource  Management Strategy Project: Wildland Fire Business Model.   National Interagency Fire Center. August 1996.
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