Cohesive Strategy News
Archive
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, December 14, 2015
The Western Regional Strategy Committee meets in San Diego to set an aggressive, three-year work plan. Photo: Kate Lighthall.
Posted December 28, 2015
The Decemeber 14, 2015, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about the WRSC setting an aggressive 3-year plan, assessing mitigation effectiveness in the New Mexico WUI, prescribed fire reducing risk in Nebraska, partnerships leading to great success in North Central Idaho, counties a valuable asset in mitigating wildfire risk, losing homes to wildfire is a sociopolitical problem, innovative approach helping communities in New Mexico, and wew Quick Guides to help communities.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, October 20, 2015
Jim Wills and Rick O'Rourke participate in the 2015 Klamath River Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (TREX) in northern California. Photo: Mid Klamath Watershed Council.
Posted October 30, 2015
The October 20, 2015, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about the Wildland Fire Leadership Council meeting in Washington DC, collaboration pays off, Nevada Stakeholders create statewide Cohesive Strategy effort, Fires of Change, fire adapted communities in Colorado, multi-county Cohesive Strategy Initiative in Oregon, and from adversaries to believers.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, September 14, 2015
Posted September 15, 2015
The September 14, 2015, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about every fire put out is a problem put off, a Cohesive Strategy for the future, CWPP incorporates Cohesive Strategy, WRSC partners testify at U.S. Senate committee hearing, updated After the Wildfire guide, and fire provides lessons on value of landscape treatments.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, August 5, 2015
Ashland Mayor John Stromberg shares valuable lessons learned from Cohesive Strategy implementation. Photo: Kate Lighthall.
Posted August 14, 2015
The August 5, 2015, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about the WFLC Meets to Discuss National Priorities, Resilience - A New Approach to Fighting Fire, Raising Wildfire Awareness by Marathon, Timber Industry and Environmentalists Agree, Fire Science Exchange Network, and ipcoming Learning Opportunities.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, July 7, 2015
Commissary Fire on the Santa Fe National Forest. Source: US Forest Service.
Posted July 16, 2015
The July 7, 2015, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about using fire when you can, solving fire response challenges the Cohesive Strategy Way, 25 Projects selected for $3 million in grants, Western Governors talk drought, wildfire and sage-grouse, and the West Fork Fire Tour.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, June 17, 2015
Oregon Department of Forestry fire engine working a fire in eastern Oregon.
Posted June 18, 2015
The June 17, 2015, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about improving initial attack, $10 Million for Resilient Landscape Projects, Utah Adopts Goals of Cohesive Strategy, FWPP Wins Solutions Search Contest, Using Traditional Native Techniques to Combat Wildfire and Drought, and Meaningful Measures of FAC Success.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, May 29, 2015
Sagebrush fire in Northern Great Basin. Source: USGS.gov.
Posted June 1, 2015
The May 29, 2015, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about the Western Region Engages Senior Regional Leadership, Final DOI Rangeland Strategy Announced, Making a Difference on Colorado's Front Range, FireFree a HUGE PILE of Success, Cost Share Partnerships Working Towards Resilient Landscapes, Reduce Wildfire Risks or We'll Continue to Pay, and the Quadrennial Fire Review Released.
Download Resources for Your Preparedness Activity
Posted May 4, 2015
A new season brings new hazards and new opportunities to improve your community’s preparedness. Join America’s PrepareAthon! in helping thousands of families, organizations and communities across the country become more aware of what hazards may affect them and take action to become better prepared before a disaster strikes. [Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) bulletin.]
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, April 13, 2015
Low intensity activity on the Skunk Fire, Arizona, 2014. Source: Inciweb.
Posted April 16, 2015
The April 13, 2015, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about Managing a Wildfire and Prescribed Fires Together, Model Program in Oregon, Community Wildfire Preparedness Day on May 2nd, The Fire Next Time, Secret Society of Cooperative Extension, Successful Chipping Program in Big Bear, Two Goats Watershed Restoration, and upcoming learning opportunities.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, March 18, 2015
Lake Tahoe.
Posted March 20, 2015
The March 18, 2015, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about the Ambitious New Partnership in California, Key Environmentalists Support Largest Restoration Effort in History, National Park Service Finalizes Five-Year Wildland Fire Plan, Post-Fire Logging to Biomass in Hawaii, New Study Reveals Benefit of Post-Fire Logging, Joint Chiefs Chose Projects to Fund in 2015, and Upcoming Learning Opportunities.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, February 11, 2015
Plumas National Forest. Source: ADV Rider.
Posted February 11, 2015
The February 11, 2015, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about the Plumas Fire Safe Council and National Forest aim for new collaborative; empowering communities to become more fire adapted; Utah BLM fuels treatments work to save sage-grouse habitat; community assistance grants align with Cohesive Strategy; and recovery and restoration in Colorado.
Fuels Management Benefits toward Sage-Grouse Habitat (PDF, 1.1 MB)
Posted January 30, 2015
One of the greatest single threats to the survival of the Greater Sage-Grouse is fire and invasive plant species. If the Sage-Grouse is listed, protection measures and recovery efforts will impact all public lands users and most citizens in the western United States. The physical and economic impacts of a listing at this magnitude would be unprecedented for western rangelands. The Utah Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Fuels Management Program has played and continues to play a key role in the conservation, maintenance, and restoration of sagebrush landscapes on public lands as a primary means of preventing the Sage-Grouse listing. The BLM fuels management program involvement with Sage-Grouse spans all three National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy goals: Restoring and Maintaining Fire Resilient Landscapes, Creating Fire Adapted Communities, and Responding to Wildfire.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, January 15, 2015
Posted January 20, 2015
The January 15, 2015, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about Secretary Jewell signing the Order for New Sagebrush and Rangelands Strategy, long-term thinning pays off in Arizona, preparing for next fire season in North Central Washington, and the University of Alaska sponsors new hand crews.
Secretary Jewell Launches Comprehensive Strategy to Protect and Restore Sagebrush Lands Threatened by Rangeland Fire
Posted January 7, 2015
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell issued a Secretarial Order calling for a comprehensive science-based strategy to address the more frequent and intense wildfires that are damaging vital sagebrush landscapes and productive rangelands, particularly in the Great Basin region of Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Oregon and California.
Read the U.S. Department of the Interior press release…
See Rangeland Fire Prevention, Management, and Restoration…
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, December 12, 2014
Posted December 12, 2014
The December 12, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about the 2014 fire season, using cameras to spot wildfires around Lake Tahoe, Hawaii updates Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) to create fire adapted communities, the "Emissions and Smoke" web portal and videos, and the Council of Western State Foresters 2014 Accomplishment Report.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, November 24, 2014
Greater sage grouse.
Posted November 24, 2014
The November 24, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about strategizing to protect sage grouse habitat, the Western Regional Strategy Committee meets and agrees to aggressive implementation plans, a study shows avoided costs of wildfires, the U.S. Forest Service exceeds restoration goals, and exploring the true costs of wildfire.
Regional Transition Plan 2014-2015 From Planning to Implementation
Posted November 21, 2014
The Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC) is currently transitioning to a more involved, transformational and broadened leadership to promote greater collaboration, flexibility and continuity leading to the social, political and cultural change necessary to leverage success and achieve the three goals of the Cohesive Strategy: Resilient Landscapes, Fire Adapted Communities, and Safe, Effective and Efficient Wildfire Response.
The Southeast, Northeast and Western Regional Strategy Committees (RSCs) recognize the completion of the National Strategy and the National Action Plan and the subsequent transition at the national level to implementation across the nation.
The RSCs are committed to providing the strategic leadership, the collaborative structure and environment, strategic communications and facilitating the tactical actions necessary to achieve meaningful, on-the-ground results.
- Regional Transition Plan 2014-2015 From Planning to Implementation (PDF, 430 KB)
- Executive Summary (PDF, 108 KB)
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, October 29, 2014
Tripod Fire.
Posted October 30, 2014
The October 30, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about the Tripod Fire Study findings about fuel treatments affect upon wildfire severity, the Lake Tahoe Basin fuel reduction and wildfire prevention strategy, dealing with the emotional impacts of wildfire, Prescribed Fire Councils promote use of prescribed fire and host TREX, the Karuk Tribe returns fire to the land, and the Tribal Relations Partnership Guide.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, October 15, 2014
Prescribed Fire TRaining EXchanges (TREX) are held in high risk areas across the country to mitigate wildfire risk around communities and provide prescribed fire training to interested participants.
Posted October 15, 2014
The October 15, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about TREX Spells Success for Resilient Landscapes and Fire Adapted Communities; Snag Canyon Shows Logging Can Help; Wildfire Impacts Hawaiian Coral Reefs; and Wildfire Partners Create Defensible Space in Boulder County.
Braids of Truth: A three part video series
Posted September 30, 2014
A Joint Fire Science Program "Friday Flash from FireScience.Gov" newsletter presents a video series and accompanying paper that resulted from a workshop, "Returning Fire to The Land - Celebrating Traditional Knowledge and Fire", sponsored by Firescience.gov, the Northern Rockies Fire Science Network, Salish Kootenai College, University of Idaho, University of Washington, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Participants examined how fire management practices can help to perpetuate important landscapes that support both natural and cultural resources.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, September 24, 2014
Condition of a Colorado forest in 1896 and in 2000.
Posted September 30, 2014
The September 24, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about "Colorado's Forests: Challenges and Opportunities" video series; motivating homeowners to reduce fuels; a fire adapted community: Weaverville, California and the Oregon Fire; Oregon offers innovative citizen fire academy; new hospital liaison program; CWPP study suggests reducing structural ignitability; and upcoming learning opportunities.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, September 10, 2014
Posted September 10, 2014
The September 10, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about a web portal for Colorado Westwide Risk Assessment Info, New Mexico protects watersheds and water, Utah develops catastrophic wildfire reduction strategy, Keep Oregon Green campaign, Arizona wildfires managed for forest health, and San Diego utility pays for helicopters.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, August 27, 2014
Posted August 27, 2014
The August 27, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about A Day in the Life of a Smokejumper, Military Surplus Equipment Program Reinstated, the 2013 Communities at Risk Report, How National Fire Policy Impacts the Small Woodland Owner, the Wildland Urban Interface Wildfire Mitigation Desk Reference Guide, and a Climate Change and Wildfires Video.
Wildland Urban Interface Wildfire Mitigation Desk Reference Guide (PDF)
Posted August 26, 2014
The Wildland Urban Interface Wildfire Mitigation Desk Reference Guide has been published. It is FULL of great information and resources that will help communities and agency personnel as they embark upon or revise their Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) and develop other mitigation efforts.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, August 8, 2014
Posted August 11, 2014
The August 8, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about California Adds National Guard Resources, Videos on Prescribed Fire Benefit, the "Box and Burn" Paradigm, SAF Position on Wildland Fire Management, and the San Juan Fire Proves Forest Thinning Works.
Fire Management Today - Being Prepared (PDF)
Posted August 1, 2014
Fire Adapted Communities Fuels treatments on public property around at-risk communities will be of limited value if private property owners do not create defensible space or use fire-resistant building materials. See this as well as other fire management stories in the latest Fire Mangement Today.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, July 25, 2014
Posted July 25, 2014
The July 11, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about the Emergency declaration for Washington Fires; satellites, lasers, and drones gather information about wildfires; landscape resiliency; juniper wood industry; "After Wildfire" Guide; and the 2015 Backyards & Beyond Conference.
Guide to Fire Adapted Communities
Posted July 17, 2014
The Fire Adapted Communities Coalition has published the “Guide to Fire Adapted Communities”. This is a go-to reference that explains the concept of fire-adapted communities, and draws from experiences of real communities and from wildfire science to explain the steps to wildfire preparedness. Adapting a community to wildland fire requires deliberate and sustained collaboration among community and fire management leaders. Collaboration can build partnerships, solve difficult problems, and resolve conflicts. Chapter 5 clearly explains how the groups in a fire-adapted community can work collectively to reduce ignition risks to landscapes and the built environment.
After Wildfire, A Guide for New Mexico Communities
Posted July 17, 2014
Communities prepare for wildfire, but how prepared are they to deal with the after effects of wildfire - such as post-fire flooding and erosion - which can cause more destruction than the fire itself? New Mexico State Forestry and partner agencies have created an online guide that offers information on mobilizing the community, agencies and organizations to contact for help, the effectiveness and application of post-fire land stabilization treatments, flood information, and more. The Guide is designed to be used as a website (each page is printable) and has hyperlinks to many additional resources. Much of the Guide, particularly the section on post-fire stabilization techniques, is useful information for people in other western states.
See the "After Wildfire Guide"…
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, July 11, 2014
Posted July 11, 2014
The July 11, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about the East Face Forest Restoration Project, New Mexicon creates "After Wildfire" Guide, memories of South Canyon and Yarnell hill Fires, and California facing driest fire season.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, June 27, 2014
Posted June 27, 2014
The June 27, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about new air tankers, sage-grouse habitat policy, prescribed burning video, funds for prevention, and the recent Fire Adapted Communities meeting in Colorado Springs.
COMMUNITY LIAISON PROGRAMS, What They Are and How They Work
Will Harling, Salmon River Community Liaison coordinating with Adrienne Harling, Community Member, Butler Incident, August 2013. Photo by Al Storey.
Posted June 24, 2014
The latest Cohesive Strategy Digest and Quick Guide are available. The Cohesive Strategy Digest brings together lessons learned from similar projects, identifying themes common to success.The Quick Guide summarizes what those who have “been there and done that” learned and want to pass on to other people working on similar Cohesive Strategy projects.
The first issue of the Digest and the Quick Guide features Community Liaison Programs (CLPs), formal arrangements between communities and wildland fire management agencies.
- Cohesive Strategy Digest - 2014 Issue 1 (PDF, 691 KB)
- Quick Guide - 2014 Issue 1 (PDF, 171 KB)
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, June 14, 2014
Posted June 18, 2014
The June 14, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about the recent Western Governors Association meeting, social media, Clearwater Basin Collaborative, and the National Bronze Smokey Bear Award.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, May 30, 2014
Posted June 2, 2014
The May 30, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about restoration how forest thinning part of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4 FRI) is enabled firefighters to construct a line around the Slide Fire on the Coconino Forest; new recommendations to protect homes from wildfire; wolf pups saved from Funny River Fire; Colorado approves firefighting fleet; visualizing fire; and new videos explaining the Cohesive Strategy.
National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy Trifold Brochure (PDF, 6.1 MB)
Posted May 28, 2014
“To safely and effectively extinguish fire when needed; use fire where allowable; manage our natural resources; and as a Nation, live with wildland fire.”
In the past 20 years, American wildfires have grown bigger and more extreme. The Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement (FLAME) Act of 2009 directed the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior to develop a cohesive wildland fire management strategy (Cohesive Strategy).
See the brochure (PDF, 6.1 MB)…
The Importance and Implementation of the National Cohesive Strategy
Posted May 20, 2014
Two videos have been posted on YouTube featuring leaders from the U.S Department of the Interior and the Forest Service.
- The Importance of the National Cohesive Strategy (YouTube Video)
Jim Douglas, Director, Office of Wildland Fire, Department of the Interior, describes the importance of Cohesive Strategy goals to collectively organize around landscapes, communities, and response. - The Implementation of the National Cohesive Strategy (YouTube Video)
Tom Harbour, Forest Service Director of Fire and Aviation Management, discusses the Strategy as a framework that sets the tone and provides guidance on how to build strong connections to implement projects on the ground without being prescriptive.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, May 16, 2014
Posted May 16, 2014
The May 16, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about Oregon's 2013 fire season, a Lake Tahoe biomass plant, spring prescribed fire training in Nebraska, nation-wide wildfire occurrence, insurance discounts for Firewise communities, and Wildfire Preparedness Day photos.
Western Regional Strategy Committee 2013 Year in Review (PDF, 4.5 MB)
Posted April 22, 2014
A YEAR OF PROGRESS
The Western Regional Strategy Committee (WRSC) entered 2013 with significant goals - complete the Western Regional Action Plan and begin implementation of the highest priority actions. With a new Regional Coordinator on board and a fierce commitment to leveraging collaborative behaviors, the remainder of 2013 saw tremendous advances in institutionalizing a culture of “working better together.”
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, April 18, 2014
Posted April 22, 2014
The April 18, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about air resources in Colorado, the release of the National Cohesive Strategy, assessing the value of fuel treatments, community liaisons during a fire, and fire adapted committees.
Secretaries Jewell and Vilsack signed “The National Strategy: The Final Phase in the Development of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy”
Posted April 9, 2014
The National Strategy: The Final Phase in the Development of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (PDF, 3.8 MB) represents the culmination of the three-phased Cohesive Strategy effort initiated in 2009. The National Strategy establishes a national vision for wildland fire management, defines three national goals, describes the wildland fire challenges, identifies opportunities to reduce wildfire risks, and establishes national priorities focused on achieving the national goals.
New Online Resource for Fire Adapted Community Practitioners
Posted March 31, 2014
The Watershed Research and Training Center and The Nature Conservancy are pleased to announce the launch of a new online resource for those working to help communities live safely with wildland fire: the Fire Adapted Communities (FAC) Learning Network blog www.FACNetwork.org.
Public Service Announcement (PSA) Showcases the Power of Resident Actions to be Fire Adapted
Posted March 21, 2014
The Hero In You is a Public Service Announcement (PSA) aimed at empowering residents to take appropriate action to prepare themselves and property against the threat of wildland fire. Pre-fire mitigation helps improve the safety of not only civilians, but firefighters themselves.
The PSA is produced by the International Association of Fire Chiefs' Ready, Set, Go! Program.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, March 14, 2014
Posted March 14, 2014
The March 14, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about the Rio Grande Water fund protecting water and forests; the success of the McGinnis Cabin Stewardship Project; Colorado using woody biomass to generate electricity; the Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is on May 3, 2014; and Payton, Arizona, is not ready for a WUI building code.
Meade County FireWise Program "Hire a Veteran Initiative"
Posted March 14, 2014
"Veteran in the Woods" is an innovative partnership between Meade County, South Dakota and the Bureau of Land Management combines on the job training to veterans while mitigating wildfire threats to the community through its Firewise program.
McGinnis Cabin Stewardship Project Deemed a Success
Posted March 5, 2014
Following a rash of wildfires, the Flathead Indian Reservation reported success with the McGinnis Cabin Stewardship Project. The McGinnis Cabin Stewardship Project began in 2009 as a joint project between the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the Lolo National Forest. The project entailed thinning trees, road maintenance, road construction, and road decommissioning near the border of the Lolo National Forest - Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger district and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Reservation.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, February 14, 2014
Posted February 17, 2014
The February 14, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about How Risk Management Can Prevent Future Wildfire Disasters in the WUI; the future of the ecology, fire, and humans in the West; the Northern Cheyenne Tribe's thinning forests to improve forest health; the Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service partnering to improve forest health; and a YouTube video teaching Firewise principles using Legos.
2014 Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, Saturday, May 3, 2014
Posted February 13, 2014
Join communities throughout the United States on Saturday, May 3, 2014, as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) launches its first national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day!
Commit a couple of hours, or the entire day, and watch as your actions positively contribute to reducing your community's wildfire risk. Challenge your friends, your family, relatives, faith-based group or youth organization to develop a project and join others throughout the nation in making big changes. Your efforts will help raise wildfire awareness, promote collaboration and bring neighbors together to work on projects that can help protect homes, neighborhoods and entire communities from future wildfire risk or current post-fire impacts.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, January 17, 2014
Posted January 21, 2014
Lolo Creek flows through a charred landscape where the fire came down to U.S. Highway 12, Montana. Photo: Kurt Wilson, Missoulian.
The January 17, 2014, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about Safety First in Lewis and Clark County, Montana; studies providing insight for protecting homes; "The Fire Line: Wildfire in Colorado", a new video; Fiscal Year 2014 appropriations include provisions for wildfire; and the National Cohesive Strategy 2013 year in review.
Congressional Roundtable: Wildfire Ember Storm Test Demonstration
Posted January 13, 2014
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) studied wildfire effects on structures to highlight actions consumers can take to lower the risk of their home or business igniting during an ember attack. Ember attacks can occur when a wildfire is within a mile or so upwind of the property and generally become most intense when the wildfire approaches the property. Ember attacks involve small burning embers or firebrands driven by wind. These embers can penetrate attic vents, soffits and other openings, collect on complex roof surfaces and start spot fires that lead to flame impingement on the building. Embers can smolder, undetected, and can eventually cause buildings to burn from the inside out or the outside in.
The Cohesive Fire Strategy: 2013 Year in Review (PDF)
Posted January 7, 2014
Photo credit: The Nature Conservancy.
In 2013, the Cohesive Strategy effort achieved many major milestones. Working together, we have built a National Strategy, Regional Action Plans, and initiated implementation efforts. We have strengthened our relationships with stakeholders across communities affected by wildland fire and have taken action to promote collaborative wildland fire management.
National Park Service Wildland Fire Management Program Seeking Input on its Future
Posted December 16, 2013
If you live, work, or play in an area which has the potential to be affected by wildland fire activity, then the National Park Service Wildland Fire Management program invites you to review and comment on the National Park Service Wildland Fire Strategic Plan, 2014-2019. At 12 pages, the plan is open for review.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, December 13, 2013
Clear Creek in Lassen County, California
Posted December 14, 2013
The December 13, 2013, edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about the Clear Creek Watershed and Meadow Restoration Project in California; the Karuk Tribe is Ready for Wildfire in California; the Falls Creek Ranch Project in Colorado; collaboration in open space planning in Marin County, California; and a report form the Idaho Forest Restoration Partnership.
Tribal Wisdom and Western Science: A Holistic Approach to Conservation
Posted December 5, 2013
The S'Klallam Tribe mans a traditional canoe. Photo credit: Jonathon Ratcliff.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative are learning how Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) can inform our collective understanding of climate change and how communities in the Pacific Northwest can adapt. Check out this recently published article that highlights how they are using TEK to inform resource management.
Return to Tradition (YouTube video)
Posted December 2, 2013
The Okmulgee Agency and Eastern Oklahoma Region, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) produced a fire safety video. A Return to Tradition introduces the historical Native use of fire, ecology of local fire adapted ecosystems, fire adapted communities, and current practices of the BIA in conducting fuels management activities with an emphasis on the use of prescribed fire. The video will be used for educational outreach activities targeting public schools, homeowner associations, Tribal housing meetings, and other events.
Smoke Signals, September 2013 (PDF)
Posted November 13, 2013
Prescribed fire used to consume strategically placed and piled fuels on Tribal Trust Lands in Tecumseh, Oklahoma.
“Smoke Signals” is a quarterly newsletter published by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Branch of Wildland Fire Management at the National Interagency Fire Center. It is written by authors from across Indian Country highlighting activities and accomplishments taking place in the forestry and wildland fire management programs. The latest edition highlights fuels treatment on Tribal Trust lands in Tecumseh, Oklahoma; a new Fire Interpretive and Mitigation Specialist at Standing Rock Agency; the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission celebrates 10 years of incorporating educational presentations about wildland fire prevention and conservation for youth; training; and Blacksnake's Corner.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, October 28, 2013
Posted October 28, 2013
The fifth edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about the Island Park Sustainable Fire Community Project in Idaho, the Sage Grouse Initiative, a new guide to collaboration and NEPA, motivating homeowners to reduce fuels and harden their homes to wildfire, and 21st century technology for fire spotting.
Post Fire Seeding Saves Dollars, Habitat from Black Mountain Fire
View of the Black Mountain Fire burn area stopped at the 2002 seeding area.
Posted October 25, 2013
On Tuesday, July 2, 2013, the lightning caused Black Mountain Fire generated a large smoke column north of Cedar City and south of Minersville, Utah. The fire moving primarily south, made significant runs through the rolling hills of Iron and Beaver Counties until it met the Maple Springs fire rehabilitation reseeding from 2002. Fire fighters took advantage of the reduced flame lengths in the reseeding by quickly suppressing the head of the fire after establishing a safe place to work. In places, the fire suppressed itself in the flame resistant vegetation, seeded to prevent cheat grass invasion and restore a more resilient landscape of perennial vegetation following the 2002 fire.
Firewise in the New Jersey Pine Barrens: Barnegat Township’s Community Approach
Horizons at Barnegat Firewise Committee.
Posted September 18, 2013
Barnegat Township, New Jersey, is a community prepared for wildland fire. After back to back evacuations and they now have a flourishing peer to peer network of Firewise collaborators, cooperating government agencies, and volunteer fire department professionals, and have laid out and tested a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) based on lessons learned since 2007. How did they do it?
Formal Where? Agreements among South Florida’s Interagency Cooperators
A prescribed burn adjacent to an urban area.
Posted September 18, 2013
From the city of Miami with its challenging airflow to the parks and refuges and preserves around it – Everglades, Big Cypress, Loxahatchee, and Ding Darling – managing the lands in South Florida’s fire prone landscape requires constant cooperation. Find out how the U.S. Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Service, and Florida Forest Service work together to tackle the task of restoring ecosystems and maintaining resilient landscapes. “I think we will be able to take this model of learning the lessons and jumping through some hoops to other areas of the Southeast.”
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, September 13, 2013
Burned area in central Oregon.
Posted September 13, 2013
The fifth edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about the Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project in central Oregon; fuel treatments to protect homes in Chumstick, Washington; "Science Friday with Steve Pyne, Fire Historian; and a story about fire fighting tactics.
Smoke Signals: A Story of Initiative, Responsibility, Community and Resilience (PDF, 532 KB)
Posted September 9, 2013
The Chumstick Wildfire Stewardship Coalition, a grassroots collaborative dedicated to fire resilience and forest restoration, was formed in 2008. The Coalition's mission is simple: to protect lives, property, and infrastructure in the Chumstick Watershed from wildfire. They use collaborative partnership, including outreach and strategic planning, to encourage actions on public and private lands that benefit people, wildlife, forest health, and the community.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, September 4, 2013
U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell met with firefighters at the Rim Fire on Wednesday, August 28, 2013. Photo: USDA Forest Service.
Posted September 6, 2013
The fourth edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about cooperation and collaboration with a national wildland fire qualifications system, the Anchor Forest Pilot Project in Washington, fuels treatment effectiveness, and upcoming conferences.
Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project
Posted September 4, 2013
Made up of representatives of various environmental groups, timber interests and government agencies including the US Forest Service and the City of Bend, the group seeks to agree on the best way to restore and rehabilitate forests to the west of Bend, Oregon, by logging and thinning. This YouTube video was produced by the City of Bend Oregon.
The Fire Adapted Communities Infographic (PDF, 10.1 MB)
Posted August 21, 2013
The Fire Adapted Communities Infographic is an excellent visual tool to learn what it takes to make your community fire adapted. Know your role, know your region, protect what matters, and find out more with this Fire Adapted Communities Infographic. Visit the Fire Adapted Communities website…
How Fire Can Restore a Forest (Time Lapse Video)
Posted August 19, 2013
Rich Reid, an outdoor photographer based in Ojai, California, on an assignment for Nature Conservancy magazine documented the regrowth of a forest using time-lapse photography after a controlled burn, on the 4,000-plus-acre Moody Forest Natural Area, in southern Georgia.
The Northeast Identifies Opportunities for Partners to Improve Response to Wildfire
Posted August 14, 2013
With the landownership in the Northeast Region overwhelmingly in private ownership and the nation's greatest number of both human-caused fires and communities, the Northeast has historically required full suppression as the response to all wildfires. While most state forestry agencies have the legal responsibility for the suppression of wildfires, local fire departments play a key role in initial attack success in the Northeast. The Northeast Regional Action Plan considers these challenges and includes actions, which are intended to improve response capacity as well as the efficient use of wildland and local fire resources.
The Southeast Coordinates Ongoing Discussion about Air Quality
Posted August 14, 2013
We can all breathe a little easier for the work of the Southeastern Regional Strategy Committee (SE RSC). For those states represented by this RSC the enduring issues of prescribed fire and air quality are being treated with careful consideration.
Standards and Qualifications a Priority in the West
Posted August 14, 2013
The Western United States has been inundated with large wildfires all summer, and their Regional Strategy Committee has risen to the occasion. One of the priority actions in the Western Regional Action Plan addresses how fire professionals maintain their qualifications.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, August 12, 2013
The Blue Mountain Pilot Project is one of three pilot projects in the West that will lead the way to deal with wildfire issues recognizing the need for active forest management in reducing fire extent, severity, and hazards across all ownerships. Photo credit: Blue Mountain Pilot Project.
Posted August 13, 2013
The third edition of the Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter is posted! This edition features stories about collaboration with the Blue Mountain Cohesive Strategy Project (Oregon), a new website with wildfire information, an initial study of the Yarnell Hill Fire (Arizona), voters approved funds for forest treatments with the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project, and a reference to a story in the Bureau of Indian Affair's newsletter, "Smoke Signals" about the Karuk Tribe's traditional use of fire.
Bringing People to the Table: Highlights of Local Partnership Building for Wildfire Preparedness (PDF, 2.8 MB)
Posted August 12, 2013
Whether you are at the town, county, or regional level, identifying, and bringing together the proper players in wildland fire preparedness can be a challenge. View this presentation from the "Ready, Set, Go!" 2013 Webinar Series of June 18, 2013.
Fire-Adapted Communities Video
Posted August 8, 2013
The National Fire Protection Association has produced a video aimed at Volunteer Fire Departments and small municipal fire departments, "Before the Smoke! Preparing Your Community for Wildfire." The half hour video introduces fire-adapted community concepts and Fire Adapted Community tools like Firewise and Ready, Set, Go!, and using case studies from Lake Hamilton (Arkansas), Rist Canyon (Colorado), Itasca County (Minnesota). The overall message for this audience is helping to make the small-department math work: how to protect numerous structures with few resources.
Building Partnerships Among Diverse Interests
Posted August 8, 2013
The 2011 report from Oregon State University, "Collaborating for Healthy Forests and Communities: A Guide for Building Partnerships Among Diverse Interests" provides some good guidance for getting started on building the partnerships that are the foundation for successful collaborative work.
Draft National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy and Risk Analysis Phase III Report
Posted August 2, 2013
Cohesive Strategy Pilot Project, Forest Collaboration, Wallowa Whitman National Forest. Photo credit: Mark Jacques, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy and Risk Analysis Report (National Strategy) is the third and final national report of the three-phased National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy development. The report provides a comprehensive, science-based cohesive strategy to address the significant wildfire challenges facing the Nation. Feedback and public comments are being solicited.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, July 24, 2013
Posted July 24, 2013
The Western Regional Strategy Committee has posted its second online newsletter! This edition features stories about being proactive with communities to protect them before the fire starts, working with Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to increase biomass utilization, a review of defensible space regulations, and Western Governors simplifying land exchange processes.
CAP bolsters Air Force firefighting role
Posted July 23, 2013
The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is providing communications support to Air Force National Guard and Reserve units when they are engaged in fighting forest fires in the western United States. The Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, or MAFFS, Program provides emergency capability to supplement existing commercial tanker support on wildland fires.
The Department of the Interior joins USDA and Colorado state officials to help mitigate wildfire risks to forest lands and water supplies
Posted July 19, 2013
This Week at Interior Video - July 19, 2013. Here are some of the things that happened this week at Interior. The Department of the Interior joins USDA and Colorado state officials to help mitigate wildfire risks to forest lands and water supplies; Secretary Jewell testifies on Capitol Hill; the Secretary will mark her 100th day on the job at the Outdoor Nation Summit in Seattle; and volcano scientists from around the world learn how to limit volcanic threats to life and property.
Western Regional Strategy Committee eNewsletter, July 10, 2013
Posted July 11, 2013
The Western Regional Strategy Committee is starting an online newsletter during the fire season to stay in touch with our partners and the public. In this edition, we recognize and pay tribute to the 19 firefighters who were lost in Arizona's Yarnell Hill Fire, as well as other Cohesive Strategy news.
An Innovative Approach to NEPA on the Black Hills National Forest
Posted July 1, 2013
Tailoring NEPA for adaptive management, cost-savings, and time-sensitive response, The Black Hills National Forest's Mountain Pine Beetle Response Project demonstrates that NEPA processes can be improved significantly while preserving sound environmental analysis.
U.S. Forest Service and Ad Council urge Americans to adapt to wildfire through new Public Service Announcements
Posted July 1, 2013
With nearly 70,000 U.S. communities at risk as wildfire season approaches, the Forest Service and Ad Council have released a new Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign to engage the public. The TV, radio, print, outdoor and Web PSAs direct audiences to FireAdapted.org where they can find a host of information and resources to help them prepare for the threat of wildfire.
The Cohesive Strategy for Better Wildland Fire Planning and Response
Posted June 27, 2013
National management strategy attacks the growing Wildland-Urban-Interface (WUI) fire problem through common goal-setting, implementing agency diversity.
Cohesive Strategy Collaboration, The Development of Regional Action Plans (YouTube video)
Posted June 20, 2013
In this short video (2:45 minutes), Jim Douglas, Acting Director of the Office of Wildland Fire, describes the Cohesive Strategy. “What different values and cultures have come to the table from whether we sit as a federal perspective with land to manage, or whether we sit as a community with homes to protect, and families to provide for, or whether we're talking about communities that are looking at recreational opportunities, hunting and fishing and so on. So, all of these are different perspectives, different values that come together in a collaborative way to say what's the best way to live with, and use, and protect ourselves from wildland fire.”
WILDFIRE: At the boundary between wilderness and civilization, the danger increases
Posted June 18, 2013
This story is part of an occasional special series, Line of Fire, by Environment and Energy Publishing about the increasing risks of wildfires as forests become drier and more fire-prone in the West, where more people want to live in them.
Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Research Needs, Workshop Summary Report (PDF, 11.6 MB)
Posted June 18, 2013
The "Workshop on Wildland-Urban-Interface Fire Research Needs," held August 15–16, 2012, in Boulder, Colorado, provided a forum for Wildland-Urban-Interface (WUI) experts to discuss challenges, identify research needs, and establish research priorities to improve the fire resistance of WUI communities.
The Fire Adapted Communities Brochure
Posted June 13, 2013
Every year wildfires burn across the United States. Learn what it takes to make your community fire adapted! Request a printed version of the brochure (25 per order).
Visit Fire Adapted Communities…
Cohesive Strategy Digest, June 2013 (PDF, 173 KB)
Posted June 11, 2013
The National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy's June digest emphasizes summer fire season preparedness, critical research regarding human communities' fire risk in the wildland urban interface, and news that affects citizens participating in implementing the Cohesive Strategy, from the layperson to the professional in fire science.
Final Regional Action Plans
Posted April 18, 2013
The Wildland Fire Executive Council (WFEC) accepted the final Regional Action Plans for each of the Cohesive Strategy Regions.
Ashland Forest Resiliency (AFR) Stewardship Project: It's All About the Watershed!
Posted March 6, 2013
The Ashland Forest Resiliency (AFR) Stewardship Project in the Ashland Watershed is designed to reduce fire danger, promote forest health, protect the community and older forest habitat in the forests in the source of the City's municipal water supply. The project engages many stakeholders and uses an energetic, continuing community education approach.
Fuels Reduction Pays Off, Cloverdale Fire Department, Oregon
Posted February 12, 2013
Late Sunday evening, August 5, 2012, a large storm cell moved across central Oregon, laying down over 3,300 lightning strikes. Seventeen fires were reported overnight and several more "sleeper fires" were discovered the next morning on August 6. "The flames were only about 6" tall when I arrived and my first thought was, 'the fire is doing just what we expected!'" says Cyrus referring to the area he previously treated specifically to reduce the rate of fire spread and increase the chance of suppression when a fire occurred.
Community Responses to Wildland Fire Threats in New Mexico, Case Study: Ruidoso
Posted February 21, 2013
The Village of Ruidoso is located in Lincoln County in south central New Mexico. Located at 7,000 feet elevation in the Sacramento Mountains, Ruidoso is a typical mountain community in the west. Dense stands of Ponderosa pine and other mixed conifers intermix with this growing, tourism based community. The Lincoln National Forest and Mescalero Apache Reservation surround Ruidoso along with other Federal and State lands. Ruidoso has a permanent population of 8,500 with an additional 40% absentee landowners residing within an area encompassing more than 8,000 acres. In addition, Ruidoso has almost 800 acres of public land in the form of parks and green space. In 1998, Ruidoso began to formally address forest health and wildfire hazard reduction challenges.
Fire in the forest: What Impact?
Posted July 12, 2011
The view from the Los Alamos municipal airport during the fire, June 2011.
Historically, wildfires have been usually battled as threats to life, limb and property. Scientists and land managers now see them as a part of nature that can be postponed but not denied. This edition of “The Why Files” examines the ecology of fire in the forest. The feature is full of useful information for fire educators working in fire-adapted communities.