1D-01-P101-EP

National Fire Plan Update

• Objectives

• Identify which year the fire season helped change the “fire world?”

• List two keys to the success of the National Fire Plan.

1D-02-P101-EP

National Fire Plan UpdateIntroduction

1D-03-P101-EP

National Fire Plan (NFP)

1D-04-P101-EP

Background

• 2000 Changed The Wildland Fire World

– Unhealthy ecosystems

– Created crowded, overgrown conditions

– Extensive wildland urban interface (WUI)

1D-05-P101-EP

Background

• 2000 Fire Season – 122,827 fires

• 8.4 million acres burned

• 861 structures lost

• Local economies suffered

• Suppression cost of $1.3 Billion dollars

1D-06-P101-EP

Background

• Wildland fires in the West got attention

• $1 Billion ‘invested’ into the ‘new’ fire program

• New land management objective:

To reduce the risk and consequences of To reduce the risk and consequences of catastrophic wildfire on the landscape catastrophic wildfire on the landscape and to communitiesand to communities

1D-07-P101-EP

Background

• “National Fire Plan”

• 10-year Comprehensive Strategy and Implementation Plan

• Guidebook and map for how we move forward

1D-08-P101-EP

NFP Keypoints

1. Improve Fire Prevention and Suppression

2. Reduce Hazardous Fuels

3. Restore Fire-Adapted Ecosystems

4. Promote Community Assistance

1D-09-P101-EP

It’s Making a Difference

• Interagency cooperation and collaboration

• Bipartisan support from elected officials

• Numerous programs improved landscape and helped communities

1D-10-P101-EP

Programs and Overall Accomplishments

1D-11-P101-EP

Hazardous Fuel Reduction

• NFP funding pushed program into high gear

• By 2004, funding was 250 percent more than before the NFP

Before

After

1D-12-P101-EP

Hazardous Fuel Reduction

• 13 million acres treated

• Land is healthier and more resistant to severe fire activity

1D-13-P101-EP

Hazardous Fuel Reduction

• Focus on WUI areas

• 2001 ~ One million acres treated in the WUI

• Since 2001 federal agencies have treated over six million acres

1D-14-P101-EP

Hazardous Fuel Reduction

• Prescribed and mechanical methods

• 50+ percent of work is contracted

– Helps local economies

– Creates healthy land

1D-15-P101-EP

Hazardous Fuel Reduction

• Efforts and funding for high-priority WUI

• Total acres treated may decline

• Treated areas will protect communities and local economies

1D-16-P101-EP

Healthy Forest Initiative & Healthy Forest Restoration Act

• Healthy Forests Initiative (HFI)

• Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA)

1D-17-P101-EP

Stewardship Contracting & Biomass Utilization

• Partnership to restore land health

• Gives contractors ability to invest in equipment and infrastructure to:

– Make wood products

– Produce biomass energy

1D-18-P101-EP

Stewardship Contracting & Biomass Utilization

• Facilitate hazardous fuels removal

• Create new products

• Contribute to local economy

• Maintain healthy landscapes

• Save tax dollars

1D-19-P101-EP

Community Assistance

• Better protect communities and local economies from impacts of wildland fire

• 2001 – more than 11,000 communities-at-risk identified

1D-20-P101-EP

Community Assistance

• New partnerships

• Collaboration, cooperation, consultation

1D-21-P101-EP

Community Assistance

• Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP)

– Collaboration

– Identify fire threats and mitigation projects

– Federal funding and local contracting

– Boosts local economy

1D-22-P101-EP

Community Assistance

• Over 3,000 CWPPs produced since 2001

• 150,000 people participated

1D-23-P101-EP

Firewise Communities Program

• Successful part of community fire hazard mitigation efforts

• Encourages homeowners to take responsibility

1D-24-P101-EP

Firewise Communities Program

• 30 national-level FIREWISE workshops

– 3,500 people from 2,000 communities in 48 states

• 500 state and local workshops

– 5,000 community leaders in 1,000 communities

1D-25-P101-EP

Community Assistance

• Cooperation and partnerships help create

fire-resistant communities

1D-26-P101-EP

State Fire Assistance Programs

• Goals

– Educate communities about wildfire threats

– Aid in mitigating threats

1D-27-P101-EP

State Fire Assistance Programs

• Achieve education campaigns

• Create thousands of local fire management plans

• Conduct projects

– 4,500 mitigation projects treated 135,000 non-federal acres

1D-28-P101-EP

DOI Rural Fire Assistance

• Creates partnerships

• Provides wildland fire equipment, training, prevention programs

• DOI provided $10 million each year to rural and community fire departments (2001-2005)

1D-29-P101-EP

DOI Rural Fire Assistance

• Departments that serve population base of less than 10,000

• Wildlands within response area

• Eligible for up to $20,000

1D-30-P101-EP

DOI Rural Fire Assistance

• DOI and FEMA facilitate funding through the Assistance to Firefighters grant program

• DOI hosts grant writing workshops

1D-31-P101-EP

USDA Forest ServiceVolunteer Fire Assistance Program

• Provides training/equipment to volunteer fire departments

– Small population base

– Wildlands within their jurisdiction

1D-32-P101-EP

Suppression and Preparedness

• NFP enhances preparedness and response capabilities

– larger, better trained workforce

– new and improved equipment

1D-33-P101-EP

Suppression and Preparedness

• Initial attack success rate = 96 percent

• Better skills and increased capabilities of local firefighters contribute to this success

1D-34-P101-EP

NFP and the Future

• Collaboration

• Cooperation

• Partnerships

1D-35-P101-EP

NFP and the Future

2000 fire season and the NFP have

forever changed the way we do

business. It has changed the way

both resources and fire are managed.

1D-36-P101-EP

National Fire Plan Update

Summary & Review Lesson Objective

Identify which year the fire season helped change the ‘fire world.’

List two keys to the success of the National Fire Plan.

1D-37-P101-EP