Community-based, ecologically appropriate fire management programs

Abstract

In two of the last three years, The United States has had some of the most severe fire seasons since the 1950s. When we needed help, we’ve been able to count on wildland firefighters from around the world. We are grateful for the support. We have learned that just getting help on large fires is not the answer; to find the answer, we must look at the underlying causes – the health of the forests. Today I will share some of my perspectives on wildland fire management in the United States—where we are and where I think we’re going. I will also share some thoughts on what we can do to adapt what we have learned in the United States and how we can work together to develop a stronger global fire management community. The U.S. Forest Service is one of the five federal agencies with wildland fire responsibilities in the United States. The Federal agencies protect the National Forests, National Parks, and other Federally managed lands. In addition, each of the 50 States and the several territories have fire protection responsibility on millions of acres of land, and there are counties, cities, and other local jurisdictions all working together to provide fire protection for the forests and grasslands and to protect the life, property, and natural resources of our citizens. While this may appear to be a very complicated system with so many different agencies, there are good reasons to have a system where local interests are a key factor in the fire management program.