Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks Fire and Fuels Management Plan 2014 Annual Update EA/FONSI completed in 2003 Updated 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 (5 year review) 2009 (National Policy Guidelines incorporated) 2010 2011 2012 2013 (Five Year Review) 2014 Table of Contents DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE OF CROSSWALK ................................................................. XI 1. Why Write a Plan? ........................................................................... 1-1 NEED FOR THIS PLAN .......................................................................................................... 1-1 POLICY................................................................................................................................... 1-1 LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY .................................................................................................... 1-2 PURPOSE OF SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS ................................... 1-2 RELATIONSHIP TO HIGHER-LEVEL PLANNING DOCUMENTS .......................................... 1-3 PARTNERSHIPS .................................................................................................................... 1-6 WHAT THIS PLAN WILL DO .................................................................................................. 1-6 2. Mission, Goals, and Objectives of Program ..................................... 2-1 MISSION STATEMENT .......................................................................................................... 2-1 GOALS ................................................................................................................................... 2-1 TARGET CONDITIONS .......................................................................................................... 2-5 TOOLS ................................................................................................................................... 2-6 3. Management Toolbox: Implementation Procedures ......................... 3-1 TOOL #1 – PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITIES ............................................................................ 3-2 TOOL #2 – RESPONSE TO WILDLAND FIRE ....................................................................... 3-6 TOOL #3 – PRESCRIBED FIRE ........................................................................................... 3-11 TOOL #4– MECHANICAL FUEL REDUCTION ..................................................................... 3-16 TOOL #5 – PUBLIC INFORMATION AND EDUCATION ...................................................... 3-20 TOOL #6 – MONITORING .................................................................................................... 3-26 TOOL #7 – RESEARCH ....................................................................................................... 3-27 TOOL #8— EVALUATION: ADAPTIVE FIRE MANAGEMENT ............................................. 3-29 4. Fire Management Units and the Planning Process .......................... 4-1 PROJECT PLANNING AND PRIORITIZATION ...................................................................... 4-1 UPDATE, CERTIFICATION, AND REVIEW ............................................................................ 4-2 FIRE MANAGEMENT ZONES AND UNITS ............................................................................ 4-9 5. Protection of Sensitive Values ......................................................... 5-1 GIANT SEQUOIA ISSUES: MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION .......................................... 5-1 TREES OF SPECIAL INTEREST............................................................................................ 5-4 ii Fire and Fuels Management Plan OTHER SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR GIANT SEQUOIA MANAGEMENT ................... 5-9 WILDERNESS ...................................................................................................................... 5-13 WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS ................................................................................................ 5-14 6. Organization and Responsibilities .................................................... 6-1 ORGANIZATION ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES .............................................................. 6-1 FIRE MANAGEMENT FUNDING ............................................................................................ 6-8 INTERAGENCY COORDINATION AND CONTACTS ............................................................. 6-8 7. Firefighter and Public Safety ............................................................ 7-1 FIREFIGHTER SAFETY ......................................................................................................... 7-1 PUBLIC AND EMPLOYEE SAFETY ....................................................................................... 7-3 8. Description of the Parks .................................................................. 8-1 LOCATION AND GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................. 8-1 GEOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY............................................................................................ 8-2 SOILS ..................................................................................................................................... 8-3 CLIMATE ................................................................................................................................ 8-3 VEGETATION ......................................................................................................................... 8-4 WILDLIFE ............................................................................................................................... 8-5 AQUATIC RESOURCES ........................................................................................................ 8-6 SENSITIVE SPECIES ............................................................................................................. 8-7 AIR RESOURCES .................................................................................................................. 8-8 CULTURAL RESOURCES...................................................................................................... 8-8 DEVELOPMENTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE RESOURCES ............................................... 8-10 9. Historic Role of Fire ......................................................................... 9-1 PRIOR TO EUROAMERICAN SETTLEMENT ........................................................................ 9-1 FIRE REGIMES ...................................................................................................................... 9-2 IGNITION SOURCES ............................................................................................................. 9-3 10. Wildland Fire Management Situation ............................................. 10-1 FIRE SEASON AND HISTORICAL WEATHER SUMMARY .................................................. 10-1 WILDLAND FUELS AND FIRE BEHAVIOR .......................................................................... 10-2 EFFECT OF FIRE SUPPRESSION ON WILDLAND FUELS ................................................. 10-3 FIRE MANAGEMENT HISTORY........................................................................................... 10-4 11. References .................................................................................... 11-1 Fire and Fuels Management Plan iii A - Five-Year Fuels Treatment Plan ........................................................ A-1 B - NEPA and NHPA Compliance ........................................................... B-1 INTERNAL AND PUBLIC SCOPING ....................................................................................... B-1 INTERAGENCY SCOPING ..................................................................................................... B-1 CULTURAL RESOURCES AND NATIVE AMERICAN CONSULTATION ............................... B-1 INTERDISCIPLINARY PLANNING TEAM MEMBERS (FROM 2003) ..................................... B-2 C - Fire Monitoring Plan and Target Conditions ...................................... C-1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... C-1 TARGET CONDITIONS & SPECIFIC MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES .................................... C-3 ENVIRONMENTAL & FIRE CONDITIONS .............................................................................. C-6 VEGETATION AND FUELS .................................................................................................... C-8 FIRE REGIME....................................................................................................................... C-24 CULTURAL RESOURCES.................................................................................................... C-29 FIRE MONITORING PROGRAM INTEGRATION ................................................................. C-32 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................... C-34 REVIEWERS ........................................................................................................................ C-34 ATTACHMENTS ................................................................................................................... C-36 D - Fire and Fuels Research Plan ........................................................... D-1 FIRE RESEARCH NEEDS