POLICY, PLANNING, & MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES S-244 Field Observer & Fire Effects Monitor Goals Objectives Monitoring

Objectives Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to: Describe the elements of monitoring required by the Interagency Prescribed Fire Implementation Guide Describe the rationale for monitoring on a wildfire Describe the relationship between goals and strategic objectives from management plans and the project objectives Describe the relationship between management objectives and monitoring protocols.

Tasks from FEMO/FOBS Taskbook 6. Review agency wildland fire procedures, policies, and regulations related to position. 11. Document first order fire effects related to fire treatment or management objectives and constraints. 15. Review the project objectives, monitoring plan, or management objectives as appropriate. Communicate concerns to supervisor.

Introduction We know what you’re thinking…

Introduction Understanding monitoring policy and the planning process will reduce your workload. Photo: Heather Heward

Introduction Fire monitoring doesn’t have to be complicated. Photo: Student Conservation Association

Policy Element 20. Monitoring Describe the monitoring that will be required to ensure that Prescribed Fire Plan objectives are met. Prescribed fire monitoring is defined as the collection and analysis of repeated observations or measurements to evaluate changes in condition and progress toward meeting a management objective. Describe the monitoring that will be required to ensure that Prescribed Fire Plan objectives are met. For the prescribed fire, at a minimum specify the weather (forecast and observed), fire behavior and fuels information and smoke dispersal monitoring required during all phases of the project and the procedures for acquiring it, including who and when.

Policy Focus on the objectives in the burn plan. Photo: Mammoth Fire Module

Policy Response to wildfires is based on ecological, social, and legal consequences of the fire…in other words, fire effects. 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. 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…and involvement of other governmental jurisdictions having different missions and objectives. 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. Land/Resource Management Plans and/or Fire Management Plans will address the location and conditions under which resource benefits and protection objectives can be met.

Policy Observations of FEMOs and FOBS help fire managers continually evaluate which strategies and tactics to use in managing a wildfire. Photo: National Park Service

Policy Agency-specific fire monitoring policies BIA Fuels Supplement to Interagency Rx Guide, Chap. 7 BIA FA IM & BLM Fire Planning Handbook BLM DO-18, RM-18, Chap. 8 NPS USFWS Fire Management Handbook USFWS Regional direction USFS

Monitoring evaluates management's progress toward meeting objectives. Policy Photo: Heather Heward

Agency-specific names for Land/Resource Management Plans Integrated Resource Management Plan BIA Resource Management Plan BLM Resource Management Plan ( transitioning to Resource Stewardship Strategies ) NPS Comprehensive Conservation Plan USFWS Forest or Grassland Management Plan USFS The Planning Process

Public land management programs are driven by the planning process. Prescribed Fire Plan/WFDSS Decision Project Objectives Fire Management Plan Strategic Objectives Land/Resource Management Plan Goals

Management Objectives Goals: The desired state or target condition that a resource management policy or program is designed to achieve. Goals

Management Objectives Objectives: Specific results to be achieved within a stated time period. Goals Objectives

Management Objectives Goals Strategic Objectives Project Objectives Prescribed Fire Plan WFDSS Decision

Goals Strategic Objectives Project Objectives Management Objectives “Objectives” describe what we want to achieve. “Constraints” or “Requirements” describe what we want to avoid.

Goals Strategic Objectives Project Objectives Management Objectives “Objectives” describe what we want to achieve. “Constraints” or “Requirements” describe what we want to avoid.

Goals Strategic Objectives Project Objectives The term “management objectives” is often used generically to refer to any of these more specific terms. Management Objectives

Eastern FMU Unit 43 Prescribed Fire Plan Treatment Objective : Consume 40-80% of understory vegetation within wet prairie and pine habitat during each treatment. Treatment Constraint: Keep flame lengths less than 10 feet to limit overstory mortality. Florida Panther Refuge Fire Management Plan Strategic Objective: Enhance deer forage using prescribed fire to create a mosaic pattern of burn severity on 6000 acres annually. Florida Panther Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan Goal: Provide optimum habitat conditions for the Florida Panther. Florida Panther Refuge (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Florida) Prescribed Fire Planning Photo: State of Florida Department of Lands

Castle Fire WFDSS Decision Incident Objective: Allow fire to consume heavy loading of dead and down 100-hour and 1000-hour fuels by 30-60%. Incident Requirement: Coordinate smoke management actions and reporting with Wyoming Air Quality Regulators. Shoshone National Forest Fire Management Plan Strategic Objective: Reduce the accumulation of natural fuels resulting from insect epidemics and lack of fire in the past 100+ years. Shoshone National Forest Forest Management Plan Goal: Both unplanned ignitions and prescribed fire are used as tools to achieve and maintain vegetation conditions and desired fuel levels. Shoshone National Forest (US Forest Service, Wyoming) Wildfire Planning Photo: Shoshone National Forest

Monitoring Protocols Monitoring is the orderly collection, analysis, and interpretation of environmental data to evaluate management's progress toward meeting objectives. Photo: Bandelier Fire Module

Monitoring Protocols Protocols are a set of instructions to follow to correctly perform a specific measurement.

Monitoring Protocols FEMOs and FOBS are assigned to make observations in support of fire behavior prediction, safety, and operational planning. Photo: Heather Heward

Summary Goals drive Objectives Objectives drive Monitoring Goals Objectives Monitoring

Summary The observations of FEMOs and FOBS play a vital role in fire management decision- making. Photo: Heather Heward

Comprehension Check #1 “Monitoring” in the context of fire observation and fire effects is a) driven by management objectives. b) the collection and analysis of repeated observations or measurements to evaluate changes in condition and progress toward meeting a management objective. c) essential to fire management decision making. d) all of the above

Comprehension Check #2 ___________ are the desired state or target condition that a resource management policy or program is designed to achieve. a) Goals b) Incident requirements c) Treatment constraints d) Strategic directions

Comprehension Check #3 ___________ are specific results to be achieved within a stated time period. a) Fire effects b) Treatment constraints c) Objectives d) Protocols