Final Olym Fmp 11212005

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN FINAL VERSION NOVEMBER 2005 U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service page intentionally left blank ii Prepared by: _____________________________________________ ____________ Fire Planner Date Janet Kailin Prepared by: _____________________________________________ ____________ Fire Management Officer Date Larry Nickey Concurred by: _____________________________________________ ____________ Chief Ranger Date Tim Simonds Concurred by: _____________________________________________ ____________ Chief of Resources Management Date Catherine Hoffman Concurred by: _____________________________________________ ____________ Chief of Cultural Resources Management Date Paul Gleeson Approved by: _____________________________________________ ____________ Superintendent, Olympic National Park Date William G. Laitner iii Table of Contents Item___________________________________________________________Page Table of Contents iv List of Tables ix List of Figures x Chapter I - Introduction 1 A. Reasons for Developing This Plan B. Collaborative Process C. Federal Fire Management Policies D. Requirements of NEPA and NHPA E. Authorities Chapter II - Relationship to Land Management Planning and Fire Policy 5 A. NPS Management Policies B. Enabling Legislation and the Purpose of this NPS Unit C. Desired Conditions D. Resources Management Plan E. Meeting the Objectives of the Master Plan, Statement for Management and Resource Management Plan Chapter III - Wildland Fire Management Strategies 8 A. General Management Considerations B. Fire Management Goals For Olympic National Park C. Range of Wildland Fire Options (Strategies) C.1. Wildland Fire Suppression C.2. Prescribed Fire and Debris Burning C.3. Wild land Fire Use C.4. Non -Fire Applications: Manual/Mechanical Treatment D. Description of Fire Management Units D.1. Fire Management Units: Overview D.2. Vegetation and Fire Regime Information Applicable to All FMUs a. Vegetation b. Fire R egimes D.3. The Exclusion Unit a. Physical and Biotic Characteristics b. Fire Management Objectives c. Management Considerations to Operational Implementation d. Historic Role of Fire e. Wildland Fire Management Situation iv D.4. T he Conditional Unit a. Physical and Biotic Characteristics b. Fire Management Objectives c. Management Considerations to Operational Implementation d. Historic Role of Fire e. Wildland Fire Management Situation D.5. The Wildland Fire Use Unit a. Physical and Biotic Characteristics b. Fire Management Objectives c. Management Considerations to Operational Implementation d. Historic Role of Fire e. Wildland Fire Management Situation Chapter IV - Wildland Fire Management Program Components 38 A. General Implementation Procedures B. Wildland Fire Suppression B.1. Range of Potential Fire Behavior B.2. Preparedness Actions a. Fire Prevention Activities b. Annual Training, Medical Standards and Drug Testing c. Readiness of Equipment and Supplies d. Fire Weather and Fire Danger e. Step -Up Staffing Plan B.3. Pre -Attack Plan B.4. Initial Attack a. Information Sources b. Criteria for the Appropriate Initial Attack Response c. Confinement as an Initial Attack Suppression Strategy d. Typical Fire Response Times e. Restrictions and Special Concerns f. Local Issues B.5. Extended Attack and Large Fire Suppression a. Extended Attack Needs b. Implementation Plan Requirements – WFSA Development c. Complexity Decision Process from Initial Attack to Extended Attack d. Project Fire Delegation of Authority B.6. Exceeding WFIP – Selecting a New Strategy B.7. Minimum Requiremen t Process and Minimum Impact Tactics B.8. Short and Long Term Rehabilitation Guidelines and Procedures B.9. Records and Reports v C. Wildland Fire Use C.1. Wildland Fire Use: Objectives and Management Considerations a. Objectives b. Management Considerations C.2. Decision Making C.3. Pre -Season Implementation Procedures a. Agreements b. Weather/Severity Data c. Training Needs d. Pre -Planned Maximum Manageable Areas (MMAs) C.4. Wildland Fire Use Implementation Procedures a. Detection b. Initial Report of Fire c. WFIP Stage 1: Initial Fire Assessment and OLYM Decision Chart d. WFIP Stage II: Short -Term Implementation Actions e. WFIP Stage III: Long -Term Assessment and Impl ementation Actions f. Periodic Assessment of Wildland Fire Use Applications g. Wildland Fire Use Program Oversight h. Wildland Fire Situation Analysis C.5. Potential Impacts of Plan Implementation and Mitigation Measures a. Potentia l Impacts b. Mitigation C.6. Key Staff Positions For Wildland Fire Use C.7. Public Information and Interpretation of Wildland Fire Use a. Provisions b. Key Contacts C.8. Permanent Project Record C.9. Funding/Fiscal Tracking F or Wildland Fire D. Prescribed Fire D.1. Planning and Documentation a. Annual Preparation b. Long -Term Prescribed Fire Strategy c. Personnel Requirements d. Monitoring e. Critique of Prescribed Fire Projects f. Require d Reports and Documentation g. Historic Fuel Treatment Map h. Prescribed Fire Burn Plan i. Debris Disposal D.2. Exceeding Existing Prescribed Fire Plan D.3. Air Quality and Smoke Management E. Non -Fire Fuel Treatment Program E.1 Hazard Fuel Reduction a. Annual Preparation b. Equipment and Seasonal Use Restrictions c. Effects Monitoring d. Critiques of Manual/Mechanical Treatment Projects e. Cost Accounting f. Required Reports and Documentation g. Annual Project List vi F. Short and Long Term Rehabilitation Guidelines and Procedures F. Key Interagency Contacts G. Fire Related Agreements Chapter V – Fire Management Organization and Responsibilities 93 A. Fire Management Organizational Structure B. FIREPRO Funding C. Park Organizational Structure D. Signature Authority E. Interagency Coordination F. Key Interagency Contacts G. Fire Related Agreements Chapter VI - Monitoring 102 A. Short and Long Term Programs B. NPS Fire Monitoring Handbook C. Fire Monitoring Plan Chapter VII – Fire Research 104 A. Previous Fire Research B. On -Going Fire Research C. Needed Research Chapter VIII - Public Safety 114 A. Public Safety Issues and Concerns B. Procedures for Mitigating Safety Issues Chapter IX - Public Information and Education 118 A. Capabilities and Needs B. Step -Up Public Information Activities Chapter X - Protection of Sensitive Resources 121 A. Archeological /Cultural / Historic Resources B. Natural Resources or Features B.1. Wilderness Resources B.2. Special Category Plants and Animals B.3. Soil and Water Resources a. Soils b. Rivers and Streams c. Floodplains, Wetlands and Lakes vii B.4. Air Resources a. Class I Area b. OLYM Air Quality c. Monitoring Sites and Studies d. Visibility e. Designated Areas and Smoke Sensitive Areas B.5. Research Natu ral Areas and Elk Exclosures C. Developments and Other Improvements Chapter XI - Fire Critiques and Annual Plan Review 139 Chapter XII - Consultation and Coordination 140 Appendices Appendix A. Maps Appendix B. References App endix C. Definitions Appendix D. NEPA and NHPA Compliance Appendix E. Minimum Requirement Process Appendix F. Olympic National Park Minimum Impact Tactics Appendix G. Cultural Resource Fire Protection Matrix Appendix H. Fire Monitoring Plan Outline Appendix I. Local and Sub -Geographic Agreements Appendix J. Treatment Categories Appendix K. Five Year Project Plan Appendix L. Open Burning Rules Appendix M. Sample Prescribed Burn Plan Appendix N. Fire Prevention Plan App endix O. Sample Delegation of Authority Appendix P. Sample Burn Ban Notices Appendix Q. Commonly Used Forms Appendix R. Dispatcher/Chief of Party Checklists Appendix S. Cache Inventories Appendix T. Park Organization Appendix U. Job Hazar d Analyses (JHA’s) Appendix V. Pre -Attack and Mobilization Plan viii List of Tables Item___________________________________________________________Page Table 3.1 Fire Management Units: Elevation, Range and Acreage 13 Table 3.2 Fire Manageme nt Units: Slope Range and Acreage 13 Table 3.3 Vegetation Zones, Corresponding Dominant Tree Species, and Typical 14 Elevation in Olympic National Park Table 3.4 Vegetation Zones and FMUs; Acreage and Percent of Vegetation Type in 16 Each Fire Management Unit Table 3.5 Fire History: East -Side versus West -Side 19 Table 3.6 Fire History of Fire Management Units 20 Table 3.7 Number of Fires by Size Class and Cause (1977 -2001) 20 Table 3.8 NFDRS Indices: Average 1991 -2000 21 Table 4.1 Number of Fires by Size Class and Cause (1977 -2001) 39 Table 4.2 Fire Weather Stations 41 Table 4.3 OLYM Decision Chart 72 Table 4.4 Recommended Frequency for Periodic Fire Assessment in Olympic N ational Park 76 Table 4.5 Potential Impacts of Wildland Fire Use and Suppression Actions 78 ix List of Maps (Appendix A) Item___________________________________________________________Page Map 1. Olympic National Park Location A-2 Map 2. Fire Management Units A-3 Map 3. Fire Detection Flight Pattern: Alpha A-4 Map 4. Fire Detection Flight Pattern: Bravo A-5 Map 5. Fire Detection Flight Pattern: Simplex A-6 Map 6. Cultural Resource Sites A-7 Map 7. Designated Wilderness A-8 Map 8. Smoke Management Designated Areas and Sensitive Areas A-9 Map 9. Olympic National Park and Surrounding Land Ownership A-10 x CHAPTER I Introduction This Olympic National Park Fire Management Plan is programmatic in nature and establishes specific procedures for implementing National Park Service and Federal wildland fire policy in Olympic National Park. A. REASONS FOR DEVELOPING THIS PLAN The Fire Management Plan, based on land management plans and supported by operational plans, is essential

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