National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy

1. National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy Background and Progress Update Name of Presenter Date Conference or Audience

2. What is the Cohesive Strategy? A national, collaborative approach to addressing wildland fire across all lands and jurisdictions Developed with input from wildland fire organizations, land managers and policy-making officials representing all levels of governmental and non-governmental organizations

3. Why is it Important? • Wildland fire management is complex and involves a wide range of stakeholders • Risks to communities and firefighters are increasing • Decreasing financial and human resources to manage wildland fire • Effectively addressing these issues requires a united, comprehensive effort

4. Background • 2009 Federal Land Assistance Management (FLAME) Act: • Directs Departments of Agriculture and the Interior to develop Cohesive Wildfire Management Strategy • Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommendations: • Articulate potential approaches • Estimate costs of each approach • Describe trade-offs associated with each approach

5. Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC) • WFLC leads and governs the Cohesive Strategy effort • Intergovernmental committee of federal, state, tribal, county and municipal government officials

6. Foundational Documents • A Call to Action • 2009 Quadrennial Fire Review • Mutual Expectations for Preparedness and Suppression in the Interface • Wildland Fire Protection and Response in the United States: The Responsibilities, Authorities and Roles of Federal, State, Local and Tribal Governments • Available at www.forestsandrangelands.gov

7. WFLC Members

8. Cohesive Strategy Oversight Committee (CSOC) • Appointed by WFLC to support completion of tasks assigned under FLAME Act • Membership includes federal, state, local, tribal and non-governmental representatives

9. CSOC Members

10. Vision “Safely and effectively extinguish fire, when needed, use fire where allowable; manage our natural resources; and as nation, live with wildland fire.”

11. Cohesive Strategy Principles • Engages stakeholders, managers, and scientists • Based on best available science, knowledge and experience • Emphasis on partnerships and collaboration • Balances long-term goals and near-term outcomes • Approach needs to be a “from-the-ground up” effort

12. Cohesive Strategy Focus Areas: • Restore and maintain resilient landscapes • Fire adapted communities • Response to wildfire

13. A Phased Approach

14. Phase I – National Strategy • Fourteen forums were held nationwide with 400+ participants • Developed foundational documents: • A National Cohesive Wildfire Management Strategy • Report to Congress: The Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act of 2009 • Documents approved by WFLC, OMB and signed by Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior

15. Phase II – Develop Regional Goals, Objectives, Actions and Activities • Three regions have been identified • Northeast • Southeast • West • Regional Strategy Committee • Implement a collaborative planning process and analytical protocol

16. Basic Principles of Phase II • Collaborative • Engages stakeholders, managers, and analysts • Shared responsibility and ownership of process and results • Rigorous • Adopts a formal definition of risk • Uses scientifically credible data and analyses • Transparent • All steps are documented and shared

17. Intent and Deliverables • Define regional goals and objectives and portfolio of actions and activities • Complete qualitative analysis of goals and objectives and portfolio of actions and activities • Develop protocol and guidance to complete quantitative analysis in Phase III (National Tradeoff Analysis) • Conceptual models, analytical models • Local and national data

18. Four Step Planning and Analysis Process Specify Objectives Design Alternatives Model Effects Synthesize Results

19. Role of Different Groups Analysts & Scientists Specify Objectives Design Alternatives Model Effects Managers & Stakeholders Synthesize Results

20. Tools • CRAFT: Comparative Risk Assessment Framework and Tools • A structured approach for making complex decisions • “Wizard”—a guide through the planning process and GIS Viewer • Probability modeling software and support for a range of ancillary models and datasets

21. Governance Science and Analysis Team

22. Phase III – National Risk Trade-Off Analysis & Execution • Phase III will build on Phase II. • Regional goals, objectives, and portfolio of actions and activities will be used to perform a national-level trade-off risk analysis. • Trade-off risk analysis will inform a national strategy to mitigate wildland fire risks to communities and landscapes. • Implement National Cohesive Strategy

23. Timeline • Phase I: Completed March 2011 • WFLC agreement on documents (March 2011) • Secretary signatures process, (March 2011) • Phase II: Present - September 30, 2011 • WFLC agreement on process, deliverables and timeline (March 2011) • Regional Strategy Committee members appointed (March 2011) • Phase III: September 30,2011- September 30, 2012

24. Resources • Continued Cohesive Strategy updates available at: www.forestsandrangelands.gov • Comparative Risk Assessment Framework and Tools (CRAFT): http://www.forestthreats.org/current-projects/project-summaries/CRAFT

25. Questions