Burning Issues: Fires from A to Z. STAPPA & ALAPCO 2004 Fall Membership Meeting

Transcription

1 Burning Issues: Fires from A to Z STAPPA & ALAPCO 2004 Fall Membership Meeting

2 PETE LAHM USDA, Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management Fax

3 The Quick Tour Agency Fuel Management Plans / Healthy Forest Restoration Act Fire Consortia for Advanced Modeling of Meteorology and Smoke (FCAMMS) / BlueskyRAINS PNW National Fire and Air Issues Coordination Group (NFAICG) Forest Service PM2.5 Monitoring Cache Regional, State and Local Efforts

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9 Annual Wildland Fire Acres

10 Total FS Acres Treated by Fiscal year 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000, ,

11 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000, ,000 0 Comparison of Fuels and Wildfire Acres * Year FS Wildfire Acres Haz Fuel Treated Acres 1992 FS Acres

12 Forest Service *2005 only Hazardous Fuel Reduction Program. 700,000 acres of other projects will improve fuel condition classes. FS Wildfire Acres Haz Fuel Treated Acres Year , , , , ,476, , , , ,092, , ,571 1,097, ,943 1,489, ,642 1,385, ,204, , ,408 1,361, ,571,488 1,351, ,428,283 1,453, ,681 1,600, * 1,800,000 Average 871, ,122

13 Forest Service Regions

14 Forest Service Combined Accomplishments (WFHF + FNOther) Totaling 2.2 Million Acres NFPORS Data 10/1/2004 % of Acre Goal Complete 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% 140% FS Region Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 Region 5 Region 6 Region 8 Region 9 Region 10 % of Target % Above Target

15 FNOther Acres Accomplished as of 8/30/ ,000 40,000 60,000 80, ,000 FS Regions NE ,834 49,684 43,294 23,724 39,321 37,704 44, ,754 FNOther WFU

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17 FS Fuels Program FY million acres treated (112% of target) to reduce fuels/restore fire adapted ecosystems 3.8 million acres by all FLM s 29% accomplished concurrent with other objectives (wildlife, WFU,etc.) 66% of treatment accomplished in Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Annual goal is 60% in WUI 30% of treatments are mechanical

18 FS Fuels Program cont. Mechanical treatment percent slated to grow Need to build commercial infrastructure 37% of mechanically treated areas utilize woody byproducts (277,000 ac as of 8/30) Overall FS fuels treatment program increasing into the future Budget will not allow addressing all acres FS will optimize effective treatments for reducing catastrophic & problem fires (watershed, ESA, property) Wildland Fire Use (WFU) increasing

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21 Smoke Modeling Efforts Daily computer simulated prediction of wildland fire smoke effects (Bluesky) utilizing an ARCIMS GIS ((RAINS) Rapid Access Information Systems) web-based display system in PNW. Tool for fire managers, air quality agencies, and general public. Operational system for the Pacific Northwest at Beta version operating using ICS-209 information for daily wildfire simulations in West.

22 Fire Consortia for Advanced Modeling of Meteorology and Smoke (FCAMMS) at PNW, SE, PSW, RM and EA Experiment Stations Further joint efforts between FS, DOI and EPA under consideration. FS objectives: Develop a comprehensive business plan assess long-term goals/utility prescribed fire (smoke) other fire-related needs (weather information/nfdrs/spot forecasts).

23 fs.fed.us/fcamms Fire Consortia for Advanced Modeling of Meteorology and Smoke (FireCAMMS)

24 Burn Emissions Meteorology Model Air Quality Dispersion/Trajectory Models Smoke Impact Forecast Web-based Automated GIS Interface

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26 BlueSky Output Products 60 hr Forecast Animations

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28 BlueSkyRAINS: Quantitative Impacts

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31 Purpose: National Fire/Air Issues Coordination Group To provide leadership, coordination and consistency among federal agencies on key fire/air issues Chartered by the Wildland Fire Leadership Council, Summer 2003 A Department-level effort Participants: BIA, BLM, FS, FWS, NPS, and NASF.

32 Priority Issues Development of Consistent Fire/Air Policies as Appropriate Coordination among Agencies/Bureaus Development of a Consistent Wildland Fire Activity Tracking System Support Development of Fire EI Development of Strategy to Address Air Quality Regulatory Requirements

33 Priority Issues Coordination with RPOs, EPA, Tribes, State and Local Air Regulators and State Foresters Facilitation of the Resolution of Air Quality Legal Questions that Impact Agency Fire Programs Identification of Time, Staff, Skills, Training and Budget Needs to Appropriately Address Fire Related Air Quality Issues Development of Consistent Guidance on Planning and NEPA Issues

34 Priority Issues Development of Real-time Fine Particulate and Other Air Quality Monitoring Strategies Identification of Research Priorities to Meet Smoke Management Needs Development of Consistent Information for the Public on the Benefits of Smoke Management and the Air Quality Tradeoffs between Wildfire and Prescribed Fire Identification of needs for Smoke Model Development and Support for Modeling Centers (FCAMMS)

35 Development of Fire Emission Inventory Sparse & Infrequent Observation Management Decision Observational Errors Theoretical Misunderstandings Oversimplified Models Incorrect Interpretation Computer Models Controversy Further Refinement of Unimportant Details Unrealistic Assumptions Crude Diagnostic Tools Confusion Coincidental Agreement Between Theory & Observation Further Understandings Publication

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39 FS PM2.5 Monitoring Equipment Cache Cache of 12 PM-2.5 non-reference method monitoring units (DataRAM) available by FS call. For deployment on wildfires, Basecamp, Wildland Fire Use and prescribed fires. Data retrievable real-time via satellite. Supports health warning issuance by air quality and/or public health officials. Gain better understanding of FS impacts. New (3) systems (EBAM with meteorology packages) planned in FY05.

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41 PM 10 Bayfield, CO 15 miles Downwind of the Missionary Ridge Fire 2002

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44 FS Cooperative Efforts Regional and Forest Personnel Coordination with RPOs, EPA, Tribes, State and Local Air Regulators and State Foresters Development of Strategies to Address Air Quality Regulatory Requirements

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47 Regional Planning Organizations

48 Western Regional Air Partnership

49 Fire Emissions Joint Forum Develop data set and tracking system Recommend strategies and methods to manage emissions

50 Low moisture High moisture PM25 Emission Rate (grams/second) Underburn with low fuel moisture Underburn with high fuel moisture Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

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