healthy forests initiative
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Healthy Forests Initiative
Al Murphy
BLM, NIFC
In August 2002, President Bush announced the “Healthy Forests Initiative for Wildfire Prevention and Stronger Communities.”
Outlines Administration’s plan to:
• Accelerate forest restoration
• Reduce long-term wildfire threat
Directs the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to:
• Expedite thinning projects
• Speed up the environmental assessment process
• Expedite the appeals process.
• Continue work on the ten-year Strategy Implementation Plan
A Collaborative Approach for Reducing Wildland Fire Risks to Communities and the Environment10-Year Comprehensive Strategy Implementation PlanMay 2002
The four goals of the 10-Year Comprehensive Strategy are:
1. Improve Fire Prevention and Suppression
2. Reduce Hazardous Fuels
3. Restore Fire-Adapted Ecosystems
4. Promote Community Assistance
Goal 2: Reduce Hazardous FuelsImplementation Outcome:
Hazardous fuels are treated, using appropriate tools, to reduce the risk of unplanned and unwanted wildland fire to communities and to the Environment.
Goal 2 Implementation Tasks
• Utilize as appropriate the Cohesive Strategy…
• Develop fire management template…
• Prepare Internet system for assistance…
• Establish a common Internet system for status…
• Develop a process for interagency selection of projects…
• Assess state and federal regulatory processes…
• Categorical Exclusions (DOI and FS)
• Model Project EA/NEPA Strike Teams (CEQ/DOI)
• Streamlining ESA Consultation (F&WS)
• Guidance on Short/Long-term Effects (F&WS)
• Fire Management Plan Template (DOI)
• Fixing Northwest Forest Plan Changes (DOI and FS)
Kremmling FO
Streamlining Efforts:
“Stewardship Contracts”
• Exchange of forest products for:– Thinning– Habitat restoration– Other services
Off-set costsSupport local economies
“In most of our forested areas, we have to look – not at what should be taken out of the forest – but at what the forest should look like when we’re finished doing the thinning.”
Rebecca Watson, assistant secretary for land and minerals management, DOI
HFI and Fire Management
• 12 million acres of restoration needed
• 5-yr average of 33,000 acres treated
• FY 2003 > 500,000 acres treated
Would have taken 500 years to treat BLM’s forest health
problems.
Role of Fire Management
• Reduce fuels
• Restore ecosystems damaged by invasive species
Active Forest Management includes:
• Meeting long-term ecological, economic and community objectives;• Forest thinning
• Commercial products
• Biomass utilization
• Prescribed fire
Gunnison FO
Active BLM Forest Management
Before
After
Durango FO
Active BLM Forest Management
Before
After
Active BLM Forest Management
Durango FO
The picture of unhealthy forests and rangelands must change.
Taos FO
Anchorage FO
Healthy Forests Initiative
www.whitehouse.gov
www.fireplan.gov
Al Murphy 208-387-5169
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