DRAFT FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN for Apostle Islands National Lakeshore United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Bayfield, Wisconsin February 2005 US DOI National Park Service Fire Management Plan Apostle Islands National Lakeshore February 2005 DRAFT Draft FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN for APOSTLE ISLANDS NATIONAL LAKESHORE Submitted by : Biologist Date Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Reviewed by: Fire Management Officer Date Border Waters Park Group Concurred by: Fire Management Officer Date Midwest Regional Office, National Park Service Approved by: Superintendent Date ii US DOI National Park Service Fire Management Plan Apostle Islands National Lakeshore February 2005 DRAFT Apostle Islands National Lakeshore TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................... 1 A. Reasons for Developing This Plan ........................................................................................ 1 B. Collaborative Process ............................................................................................................ 1 C. Policy Implementation........................................................................................................... 1 D. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and National Historical Preservation Act (NHPA) Requirements ................................................................................................... 4 E. Authorities for Implementing This Plan ................................................................................ 4 II. RELATIONSHIP TO LAND MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND FIRE POLICY.............. 6 A. NPS Management Policies .................................................................................................... 6 B. Enabling Legislation.............................................................................................................. 6 C. General Management Plan (GMP) ........................................................................................ 7 D. Resource Management Plan (RMP)...................................................................................... 7 E. How Fire Management Plan Will Meet GMP and RMP Objectives..................................... 9 III. WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES .......................................................... 10 A. General Management Considerations ................................................................................. 10 B. Wildland Fire Management Goals....................................................................................... 10 C. Wildland Fire Management Options. .................................................................................. 11 D. Description of Wildland Fire Management Strategies by Fire Management Unit.............. 13 1. Natural Fire Management Unit......................................................................................... 15 2. Special Use Fire Management Unit.................................................................................. 32 IV. WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM COMPONENTS .................................. 36 A. General Implementation Procedures. .................................................................................. 36 B. Wildland Fire Suppression. ................................................................................................. 37 1. Range of potential fire behavior ....................................................................................... 37 2. Preparedness Actions........................................................................................................ 38 3. Pre-attack Plan.................................................................................................................. 43 4. Initial Attack..................................................................................................................... 44 5. Extended Attack, Large Fire Suppression, and Multiple Fires......................................... 48 6. Exceeding Wildland Fire Implementation Plan................................................................ 49 7. Minimum Impact Management ........................................................................................ 50 8. Rehabilitation.................................................................................................................... 51 9. Wildland Fire Documentation, Reports, and Records...................................................... 51 C. WILDLAND FIRE USE. ..................................................................................................... 53 1. Objective........................................................................................................................... 53 2. Decision Criteria for WILDLAND FIRE USE ................................................................ 53 3. Preplanned Implementation Procedures ........................................................................... 54 4. Non-Preplanned Implementation Procedures................................................................... 55 5. Potential Impacts of Plan Implementation........................................................................ 55 6. Staff Responsibilities for WILDLAND FIRE USE Implementation ............................... 57 7. Public Information............................................................................................................ 59 8. Wildland Fire Plans and Documentation.......................................................................... 60 iii US DOI National Park Service Fire Management Plan Apostle Islands National Lakeshore February 2005 DRAFT D. Prescribed Fire...................................................................................................................... 60 1. Planning and Documentation............................................................................................ 60 2. Exceeding Existing Prescribed Plan................................................................................. 66 3. Air Quality and Smoke Management. .............................................................................. 67 E. Non-fire Applications .......................................................................................................... 70 F. Emergency Rehabilitation and Restoration.......................................................................... 73 V. ORGANIZATIONAL AND BUDGETARY PARAMETERS .............................................. 74 A. Fire Management Responsibilities ...................................................................................... 74 B. FIREPRO Funding .............................................................................................................. 77 C. Fire Management Organization........................................................................................... 77 D. Superintendent‘s Responsibilities ....................................................................................... 77 E. Interagency Coordination .................................................................................................... 77 G. Fire-related Agreements...................................................................................................... 78 VI. MONITORING AND EVALUATION................................................................................. 79 A. Short- and Long-term Monitoring....................................................................................... 79 B. The Fire Monitoring Handbook........................................................................................... 79 C. Fire Monitoring Plan ........................................................................................................... 79 VII. FIRE RESEARCH ............................................................................................................... 80 A. Fire History Studies............................................................................................................. 80 B. Fuel Loading Studies........................................................................................................... 80 C. Island Climate Studies......................................................................................................... 80 D. Reestablish White Pine Stands............................................................................................ 81 E. Hemlock, Pine, and White-cedar Regeneration................................................................... 81 F Role of Fire on Sandscape Ecosystems .............................................................................................. 81 VIII Public Safety ........................................................................................................................ 82 A. Firefighter Safety................................................................................................................. 84 IX. PUBLIC INFORMATION AND EDUCATION .................................................................. 86 A. Public Information............................................................................................................... 86 X. PROTECTION OF SENSITIVE RESOURCES .................................................................... 90 A. Archeological/Cultural/Historic Resources........................................................................