National Fire Plan of Work, USDA Forest Service

National Fire Plan of Work, USDA Forest Service

The Impacts of Wildfires on Communities and the Environment

A Report to the President

In Response to the

Wildfires of 2000

USDA Forest Service

October 5, 2000

Managing the Impacts of Wildfire on Communities and the Environment: A Report to the President In Response to the Wildfires of 2000 (The National Fire Plan)

Plan of Work October 5, 2000

Foreword. The following is the Plan of Work for the National Fire Plan, USDA Forest Service. This report includes:

The Key Points of the National Fire Plan.

The Operating Principles for the USDA Forest Service.

The Management Structure for the USDA Forest Service, including the Program Coordinators.

The role of the Program Coordinators.

The Planned Tasks by Program Area.

The Regional Point of Contacts (A-1)

The Management Structure graphic (A-2).

Nation Fire Plan Key Points. The following are the five Key Points (KP) of the National Fire Plan:

KP No. 1. Firefighting. Continue to fight the fires for the rest of this fire season and be adequately prepared for next year.

KP No. 2. Rehabilitation and Restoration. Restore landscapes and rebuild communities damaged by the wildfires of 2000.

KP No. 3. Hazardous Fuel Reduction. Invest in projects to reduce fire risk.

KP No. 4. Community Assistance. Work directly with communities to ensure adequate protection.

KP No. 5. Accountablity. Be accountable and establish adequate oversight, coordination, program development, and monitoring for performance.

Operating Principles. The following are the nine Operating Principles (OP) to guide our work as we implement the National Fire Plan:

OP No. 1. Firefighting Readiness. Increase firefighting capability and capacity for initial attack, extended attack, and large fire support that will reduce the number of small fires becoming large, to better protect natural resources, to reduce the threat to adjacent communities, and reduce the cost of large fire suppression.

OP No. 2. Prevention Through Education. Assist state and local partners to take actions to reduce fire risk to homes and private property through programs such as FIREWISE.

OP No. 3. Rehabilitation. Focus rehabilitation efforts on restoring watershed function including, protection of basic soil, water resources, biological communities, and prevention of invasive species.

OP No. 4. Hazardous Fuel Reduction. Assign highest priority for hazardous fuels reduction to communities at risk, readily accessible municipal watersheds, threatened and endangered species habitat, and other important local features, where conditions favor uncharacteristically intense fires.

OP No. 5. Restoration. Restore healthy, diverse, and resilient ecological systems to minimize uncharacteristically intense fires on a priority watershed basis. Methods will include removal of excessive vegetation and dead fuels through thinning, prescribed fire, and other treatment methods.

OP No. 6. Collaborative Stewardship. Focus on achieving the desired future condition on the land in collaboration with communities, interest groups, and state and federal agencies. Streamline process, maximize effectiveness, use an ecologically conservative approach, and minimize controversy in accomplishing restoration projects.

OP No. 7. Monitoring. Monitor to evaluate the effectiveness of various treatments to reduce unnaturally intense fires while restoring forest ecosystem health and watershed function.

For More Information: Please contact:

Michael T. Rains, Interim National Fire Plan Implementation Coordinator @ (610) 557-4103;

(610) 557-4177 (Fax);e-mail:; or, Denny Truesdale @ (202) 205-1588; (202) 205-1174 (Fax); e-mail:

OP No. 8. Jobs. Encourage new stewardship industries and collaborate with local people, volunteers, Youth Conservation Corps members, service organizations, and Forest Service work crews, as appropriate.

OP No. 9. Applied Research and Technology Transfer. Focus research on the long-term effectiveness of different restoration and rehabilitation methods to determine those methods most effective in protecting and restoring watershed function and forest health. Seek new uses and markets for byproducts of restoration.

Management Structure. The following is the Management Structure at the national level for the USDA Forest Service to help coordinate the goals and objectives of the National Fire Plan. Michael T. Rains will serve as interim National Fire Plan Coordinator until a full-time coordinator can be named. Denny Truesdale will serve as the Deputy National Fire Plan Coordinator at the national level. Mary Farnsworth will act as the Executive Assistant.

The Regional Foresters, with assistance from other partners, will develop Regional or multi-Regional teams to implement the National Fire Plan. The composition and specific functions of the Regional teams will be decided at the local level. Each Region or multi-Regional team includes a Point of Contact. Appendix A-1 of this paper includes these names.

The Management Structure at the national level is as follows. Appendix A-2 provides a graphic illustration of the Management Structure for the National Fire Plan:

Fire Plan Key Point / KP No. 1: Firefighting / KP No. 2: Rehabilitation and Restoration / KP No. 3: Hazardous Fuel Reduction / KP No. 4:
Community Assistance / KP No. 5:
Accountability
Program Name / Firefighting / Rehabilitation and Restoration / Hazardous Fuel Reduction / Community Assistance / Planning and Analysis
Program Coordinator / Harry Croft / Sally Collins / Mike Dudley / Janet Anderson-Tyler / Hank Kashdan
Program Components /

• Preparedness
• Suppression
• Emergency Contingency

/

• Rehabilitation and Restoration
• Forest Health
• Invasive Species Management

/

• Fuels Management

/

• State Fire Assistance
• Cost-share Incentives
• Volunteer Fire Assistance
• Economic Action Programs

/ All, with a specific focus on Information Management and Budget and Program Development
Important Roles and Other Tactical Components to Consider /

• Workforce Development and Maintenance
• New Technology Development

/

• Economic Impact Analysis
• Priority with Key Watersheds

/

• Analysis, monitoring, and planning for NEPA
• Applied research and development
• Joint Fire Science Program

/

• Firewise
• Other fire prevention education programs
• Fuels Management
• Defensible space

/

• Required information
• Database management
• Communication products
• Status reports
• Planning
• Allocations, including criteria
• Out year program integration

The Program Coordinator. The Program Coordinator is responsible for the overall coordination of the program and its components in order to achieve the goals and objectives of the National Fire Plan. In addition, the Program Coordinator will:

Coordinate the development of a Program of Work for the assigned program (see following framework).

Have input into budget planning and execution.

Provide required information, including accomplishments, to the Information Management Coordinator as needed.

Ensure Operating Principles are followed.

Plan of Work. The following are the specific tasks for the National Fire Plan, Plan of Work at the national level. Regional or multi-Regional work plans will also be required at a level of detail determined by local conditions. The five Programs illustrate the national level Plan of Work:

Program: Firefighting

Program Coordinator: Harry Croft

Planned Actions:

Task / Who / When / Product or Outcome

Brief the US DOI on Management Structure and Plan of Work

/ Rains / September 20, 2000

Develop criteria and allocations for funding by Program and Program Component – Assign Regional targets at MEL

/ Harry Croft / October 1, 2000 / Criteria and allocation

Develop a short and long-term workforce strategy to support the National Fire Plan

/ Gloria Manning / October 25, 2000 / Workforce strategy/hiring plan
Identify changes in National Shared Resources / Dennis Pendleton / October 15, 2000 / Increased number of NSR
Identify national capital investments (special projects) / Stew Lundgren / October 1, 2000 / Revised Net to field/SP list
Develop Large Fire Organization Proposal / Tom Harbour / March 1, 2001 / Report/New LFO concept
Develop training strategy and direction / Billy Terry / January 1, 2001 / National Training Plan
Finalize development of GPRA trend indicators / Erv Schuster / March 1, 2001 / A suite of outcome measures
Develop/improve oversight for Preparedness implementation / Buck Latapie / January 1, 2001 / Increased Oversight/Accountability

Program: Rehabilitation and Restoration

Program Coordinator: Sally Collins

Planned Actions:

Task / Who / When / Product or Outcome
Develop criteria and allocations for funding by Program and Program Component. / Sally Collins / October 1, 2000 / Criteria and allocation
Evaluate opportunities and acquire funding for rehabilitation needs / CFO Craft / completed / Submit for supplemental budget request
Prepare budget initiative to continue to fund post fire restoration / CFO Craft / Part of the rework associated with the FY02 budget request
How do we address restoration activities by budget line item within the confines of 30-day report to the President / CFO Craft
Contact DOI and Commerce on strategy for consultation needs, including funding. / Chief Hilda / ongoing / Update; this is at the staff level tied to another action item
Working with other agencies and states, provide direction on setting priorities for all activities / Michael Reins / A series of official letters to communicate direction
Provide direction on early identification of resource restoration needs, including cultural clearance, facilities, including recreation, etc / NFS Collins / Planned / Identify responsibility, problem and actions by Engineering, Recreation, Vegetation Management, and Wildlife and Watershed. Conference call set for 9/20 with Regional and WO program directors
Provide current and future direction on the treatment of noxious weeds resulting from the fire activity outside of BAER direction. / NFS Wade Evans / National Weed Coordinators Meeting Oct. 10-15.
Develop inter-deputy key messages for meetings focused on the National Invasive Species Management Plan relative to Fire Action Plan noxious weeds and invasive species work. Currently the plan is out for notice and comment. Multi-agency and departmental meetings to be held Oct. 10 and Oct 23-24.
Make Natural Resource Information System (NRIS) and IFORMS available to field units to assist in assessments and project planning and decisions to support post-fire activities / NFS Bradford & Solem / Discussion is completed 9/21/00 / 1) Discuss with R1&4 installation of NRIS modules-FSVEG, WATER, & TERRA, also INFORMS. 2) NRIS Branch Chief evaluate priorities for installations. 3) Post link to NRIS web site on NEPA web site for emergencies
Provide direction on NEPA with CEQ, guidance on alternative arrangements. / NFS Carbone / completed / Clarify what is and what is not available under this option.
Reiterate direction on requesting exemption from stay (36 CFR 215.10). / NFS Carbone / completed 9/22/00 / Conference call with Regional Envi. Coordinators. Post Q&As.
Coordinate with Project Implementation Strike Team / NFS Collins
A memo is needed to insure that restoration and BAER efforts are tied to GPRA goals and objectives / NFS Cross / ongoing / Guidance memo and have signed by 9/22/00
Develop direction on setting priorities for post-fire treatments w/in burned areas beyond BAER / NFS Cross / ongoing / Contact Regions to clarify problem & define needed WO actions
Develop strategy for Hill briefings on post fire treatments, timber harvest to support restoration / NFS Cross & Copenhagen / Talking Points distributed 10/4 for review
Develop Consultation agreement with regulatory agencies on Section 7. / NFS Deputy Chief NFS/WFRP / ongoing
Identify needs and plan for protection, restoration and inventory of historic and cultural sites / NFS Kaczor / Provide consistent direction on what will be included under BAER
Incorporate work on Small Diameter Utilization and research to assist communities in utilizing thinning material / NFS Len Research Hamilton / Information to field units on opportunities to utilize small diameter material.
Develop direction for use of service contracts / NFS Maldonado, Hooper / Oct. 11, 2000 / Desk Guide on Contracts
Develop direction for addressing targets that will not be accomplished in FY 2000. / NFS Newman / Guidance to RFs on FY 2000 expectations that were not accomplished and FY 2001 priorities.
Guidance on roads in inventoried roadless areas and unroaded areas / NFS Stokes/Conroy / Guidance memo
Guidance on timber sale contract modification for catastrophic damages in burned areas / NFS Timko / completed / Direction is provided on FM Web Site
Develop guidance on harvesting burned trees in roadless and unroaded areas without roads, including temporary roads / NFS Timko / 9/29/00 / Guidance memo
Guidance on use of salvage sale fund. / NFS Timko / 9/29/00 / Release FSM 2435
Develop strategy to build public trust for active management of fire adaptive ecosystems / Office of Communications / Define specific actions
Review key messages that the Chief will be using / Office of Communications / Key messages
Design and develop a web site / Office of Communications / Strategy to disseminate info.
Develop communication plan for post fire treatments, normal program of work, and cohesive strategy / Office of Communications / Communication plan
Collect anecdotal evidence of successful fuels treatments / Office of Communications
Explore need and opportunities to rehire retirees for rehabilitation and recovery / Operations / Ron Hooper
Develop testimony for hearings on fire / P&L DeCoster / P&L reacts to requests from the Hill
Develop summary of the state of scientific knowledge about fuel treatment effectiveness and effects / Research Cleaves & Conrad / Assemble group of scientists to assess the literature and provide guidelines
Develop internal support for "event-based" teams to conduct research and to provide science-based assessments & interpretation of major disturbance events / Research Cleaves & Conrad / planned / Incorporate concept into implementation of the National Fire Report, present to JFSP Governor's Board for adoption
Disseminate video that illustrates home design and siting to ensue safety of residences in wildland urban interface / Research Cleaves & Conrad / out for review / develop video and communication pkge for prevention
Provide direction for coordinated post fire efforts with the states / S&PF Anderson / completed / Develop & incorporate specific language to be included in letters of direction
Implement and Allocate dollars for Forest Health Monitoring – Aerial Detection Survey - $2 mill / S&PF Stolte / Add 14 states
Implement and Allocate dollars for Forest Health Monitoring – Evaluation Monitoring Component - $2 mill / S&PF Stolte / Complete evaluation across all lands
Identify and allocate funds for suppression and prevention projects on native and nonnative pests that are invasive - $8 mill / S&PF Mangold / Jan 1, 2001 / Identified projects
Provide direction for implementing cohesive fire strategy including wildland-urban interface fuels treatment. / S&PF Hilbruner / completed / ·Regions to respond with a list of projects by 9/30/00, conf call with Regional fuel specialists on 9/18.
·Develop a transmittal letter from Chief's Office for release of the Cohesive Strategy once approved for release to Congress by NRE.
Direction on incorporating restoration needs with reforestation, including restoration of larch and white pine. / S&PF Samman & Burch / Completed 9/21/00 / Samman working with Burch to identify the action
Develop coordination agreement with EPA to ensure coordination for Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act / NFS Copenhagen / Planned / MOU or other document stipulating coordination agreement
Develop direction to protect Strategic assets & Improvements – Nurseries, seed banks, tree improvement stands, disease resistance centers / NFS & FHP
Bartuska & Mangold / Ongoing, pending funds / Reforestation, restoration of species at risk, T&E species recovery needs are considered
Information Support & management – Remote Sensing and GIS Support, Data Inventory, Project Tracking / NFS &FHP (FHTET)
Risbrudt/Stokes/Mangold / Ongoing, pending funds / Standardized data and analysis
Develop citizen volunteer forces, " the Forest Healers" for restoration and monitoring activities. Identify suitable projects and improve internal capacity for volunteer and partnership management. Network with national and community based organizations to leverage skills and resources. / NFS-Collins / Regional plan of work, unified goals and objectives, workforce hiring, integrated communication plan.

Program: Hazardous Fuel Reduction

Program Coordinator: Mike Dudley

Planned Actions:

Task / Who / When / Product or Outcome
Develop criteria and allocations for funding by Program and Program Component. / Mike Dudley / October 1, 2000 / Criteria and allocation
Provide a list of NEPA ready projects by region, costs, and acreage (see partial listing for Region 3, below). / Joe Cruz; Mike Dudley / October 10, 2000 / Listing
Finalize the “Cohesive Strategy” and provide to the Department. / Janice McDougle; Phil Janik / October 13, 2000 / Final report
Provide letter of direction to the field on prescribed fire implementation standards as a result of the Cerro Grande Report. / Mike Dudley / October 13, 2000 / Letter of Direction
Select a list of research capability building projects to support the Fire Plan.

• Elicit Proposals from research stations
• Evaluate and select proposals with input from Deputy Areas

/ Dave Cleaves / October 25, 2000 / Portfolio of Research and Development activities by station, research work unit, location. Development and transfer of existing research and new R&D originated.
Develop a system to track projects from inception through NEPA to accomplishment / Mike Dudley / January 1, 2001 / Accomplishment reporting system
Continue work on setting standards for thinning as hazard reduction techniques. / Mark Beighley / On-going / Hazard reduction thinning prescriptions.
Work with the regions in in preparing the FY02 progrm of work. / Mike Hilbruner, Dave Bunnell / On-going / FY02 program of work.
Implement the 30m standard for fire regime mapping. / Mike Hilbruner / October 1, 2001 / Fire Regime data
Continue working with NFS to ensure close coordination in developing NEPA projects. / Mike Dudley / On-going / FY02 program of work
Develop a set of performance elements and link Fire Plan, Strategic Plan goals and selected capability building projects (see above) / Dave Cleaves / November ?? / Suggested performance elements

Program: Community Assistance

Program Coordinator: Janet Anderson-Tyler

Planned Actions:

Task / Who / When / Product or Outcome
Brief NASF Economic Action Committee on allocation and plans / Steve Yaddof / October 2, 2000 / Agreement on allocation and plans
Brief NASF Executive Committee on report and confer on allocations for geographic areas. / Janet Anderson-Tyler / October 2, 2000 / Agreement on distribution of allocations
Develop criteria and allocations for EAP funding by Program and program Component / Steve Yaddof/John Sebelius / October 3, 2000 / EAP Criteria and allocation
Develop workforce strategy for implementing EAP funding / Steve Yaddof/John Sebelius / October 3, 2000 / EAP Workforce Strategy
Develop criteria and allocations for funding by Program and Program Component. / Janet Anderson-Tyler / October 6, 2000 / Coop Fire criteria and allocation
Add outcome questions into existing RCA tracking system / Steve Yaddof / October 6, 2000 / RCA tracking system for fire outcomes
Brief Regional Coop Fire Coordinators on implementation and finalize process for 2001 / Janet Anderson-Tyler / October 12,2000 / Common understanding and readiness to implement
Modify performance standards for all programs to reflect emphasis / Janet Anderson-Tyler / October 16, 2000 / Oversight/Accountability
Develop guidance for program components and initiate implementation of the competitive grant process / Janet Anderson-Tyler / October 20, 2000 / Program guidance
Review the high priority market opportunities for use of small diameter wood as value added opportunities for removed fuel / Susan Levan-FPL / November 1, 2000 / Marketing Strategy
Review high priority technology applications to stimulate use of small diameter wood / Susan Levan- FPL / November 1, 2000 / Technology strategy
Review, prioritization, and selection of WUI projects from states / Regional Coordinators / December, 2000 / Project selection and implementation
Finalize development of GPRA long term trend indicators / Janet Anderson-Tyler / March, 2001 / Increased program accountability

Program: Planning and Analysis