National Park Service U.S. Department of Interior Grand Portage National Monument Grand Portage, Minnesota Grand Portage National Monument Final Wildland Fire Management Plan and Environmental Assessment Grand Portage National Monument Final Wildland Fire Management Plan and Environmental Assessment Prepared by Resource Management Division Grand Portage National Monument Grand Marais, MN Midwest Region National Park Service September 2004 Submitted by: s/ L. Suzanne Gucciardo 14 September 2004 Resource Assistant Date Grand Portage National Monument Reviewed by: s/ Dave Soleim Sept. 15, 2004 Border Waters Fire Management Officer Date Voyageurs National Park Concurred by: Fred Bird, Fire Management Officer Date Midwest Regional Office, National Park Service Approved by: s/ Timothy Cochrane Sept. 14, 2004 Superintendent Date Grand Portage National Monument U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN NATIONAL PARK SERVICE GRAND PORTAGE NATIONAL MONUMENT (This page is intentionally left blank.) FINAL (GRPO-FMP-2004.DOC) ii SEPTEMBER 2004 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN NATIONAL PARK SERVICE GRAND PORTAGE NATIONAL MONUMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 1 A. REASONS FOR DEVELOPING THIS PLAN ........................................................................................... 1 B. CONTRIBUTIONS TO FMP DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION ......................................................... 1 C. IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL AND NPS FIRE MANAGEMENT POLICIES............................................... 3 D. COMPLIANCE ........................................................................................................................... 4 E. AUTHORITIES FOR IMPLEMENTING THIS PLAN.................................................................................... 4 II. FMP RELATIONSHIP TO NPS POLICY AND MONUMENT PLANS .......................................... 6 A. NPS MANAGEMENT POLICIES CONCERNING FIRE ............................................................................. 6 B. ENABLING LEGISLATION AND PURPOSE OF GRAND PORTAGE NATIONAL MONUMENT ............................... 6 C. GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN AS IT RELATES TO WILDLAND FIRE ....................................................... 7 D. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN AS IT RELATES TO WILDLAND FIRE...................................................... 7 E. HOW THE WILDLAND FMP MEETS GMP, RMP AND STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS....................................... 8 III. WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES .................................................................... 10 A. GENERAL MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS .................................................................................. 10 B. MONUMENT WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT GOALS ...................................................................... 11 C. FIRE MANAGEMENT OPTIONS .................................................................................................... 12 Wildland Fire Suppression................................................................................................12 Wildland Fire Use.............................................................................................................13 Prescribed Fire .................................................................................................................13 Non-Fire Applications.......................................................................................................14 D. MONUMENT FIRE MANAGEMENT UNITS (FMUS) ........................................................................... 15 1. General Forest Fire Management Unit (GF-FMU) ............................................................. 18 2. Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Management Unit (WUI-FMU) .......................................... 43 IV. WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ...................................................................... 57 A. GENERAL FIRE IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES............................................................................... 57 B. WILDLAND FIRE SUPPRESSION .................................................................................................... 58 1. Potential Range of Fire Behavior...................................................................................... 58 2. Wildland Fire Preparedness.............................................................................................. 59 3. Pre-attack ....................................................................................................................... 63 4. Initial Attack.................................................................................................................... 65 5. Extended Attack and Large Fire Suppression ................................................................... 68 6. Wildland Fire Situation Analysis....................................................................................... 69 7. Minimum Impact Suppression Tactics.............................................................................. 69 8. Short and Long-term Rehabilitation................................................................................. 71 9. Required records and reports .......................................................................................... 71 C. WILDLAND FIRE USE ................................................................................................................ 72 D. PRESCRIBED FIRE ..................................................................................................................... 72 1. Planning.......................................................................................................................... 73 2. Exceeding Prescribed Fire Plan......................................................................................... 75 3. Cultural Resources .......................................................................................................... 76 4. Air Quality and Smoke Management............................................................................... 76 E. NON-FIRE FUEL APPLICATIONS ................................................................................................... 77 F. BURNED AREA REHABILITATION AND RESTORATION......................................................................... 79 FINAL (GRPO-FMP-2004.DOC) iii SEPTEMBER 2004 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN NATIONAL PARK SERVICE GRAND PORTAGE NATIONAL MONUMENT V. MONUMENT FIRE PROGRAM ORGANIZATION AND BUDGETING .................................... 80 A. MONUMENT WILDLAND FIRE STAFF ............................................................................................ 80 B. FIREPRO FUNDING ................................................................................................................... 81 C. FIRE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ................................................................................................ 82 D. SUPERINTENDENT RESPONSIBILITIES .............................................................................................. 82 E. INTERAGENCY AGREEMENTS ...................................................................................................... 82 F. MNICS ................................................................................................................................ 83 G. OTHER AGENCY AGREEMENTS................................................................................................... 83 VI. MONITORING AND EVALUATION ....................................................................................... 85 VII. FIRE RESEARCH ..................................................................................................................... 86 A. GRAND PORTAGE NATIONAL MONUMENT FIRE RESEARCH................................................................ 86 B. RESEARCH NEEDS .................................................................................................................... 87 VIII. PUBLIC SAFETY ..................................................................................................................... 88 A. ISSUES AND CONCERNS ............................................................................................................ 88 B. MITIGATION ACTIONS .............................................................................................................. 88 IX. PUBLIC INFORMATION AND EDUCATION........................................................................... 90 A. PUBLIC INFORMATION NEEDS...................................................................................................... 90 B. PUBLIC INFORMATION ‘STEP-UP’ PLAN .......................................................................................... 90 X. PROTECTION OF SENSITIVE RESOURCES ............................................................................. 92 A. CULTURAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................. 92 B. NATURAL RESOURCES .............................................................................................................. 94 C. RECONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS AND INFRASTRUCTURE ........................................................................ 94 XI. FIRE CRITIQUES AND ANNUAL PLAN REVIEW ...................................................................