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