WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN HANFORD REACH NATIONAL MONUMENT / SADDLE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE 2001 JULY 2001 WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN HANFORD REACH NATIONAL MONUMENT Prepared: ____________________________________ _____________ Thomas V. Skinner Date Fire Management Officer Hanford Reach National Monument ____________________________________ _____________ Gregory M. Hughes Date Project Leader Hanford Reach National Monument Concurred: ____________________________________ ____________ Pam Ensley Date Regional Fire Management Coordinator Pacific Region, US Fish and Wildlife Service Approved: ____________________________________ ____________ Anne Badgley Date Regional Director Pacific Region, US Fish and Wildlife Service TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................................IV LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................................IV EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................V INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................... 1 COMPLIANCE WITH USFWS POLICY................................................................................................ 3 FIRE MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................... 7 DESCRIPTION OF MONUMENT ........................................................................................................... 9 General description .......................................................................................................................... 9 Physical Resources......................................................................................................................... 10 Climate......................................................................................................................... 10 Physiography ............................................................................................................... 10 Fuels............................................................................................................................................... 11 Fire Ecology................................................................................................................................... 11 Vegetation...................................................................................................................................... 13 Native Grassland and Shrub-steppe............................................................................. 13 Riparian areas ............................................................................................................ 13 Disturbed Vegetation/Invasive species ........................................................................ 14 Rare Plants .................................................................................................................. 14 Fish and Wildlife .......................................................................................................................... 15 Fish .............................................................................................................................. 15 Wildlife ........................................................................................................................ 15 Air Quality ..................................................................................................................................... 18 Water Resources ............................................................................................................................ 18 Soils ............................................................................................................................................... 19 Cultural Resources......................................................................................................................... 20 Structures and Facilities................................................................................................................. 20 Recreation Resources..................................................................................................................... 20 Visual Resources............................................................................................................................ 21 WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT SITUATION.............................................................................. 22 Historic Role of Fire ...................................................................................................................... 22 Post-settlement Fire History ........................................................................................ 22 Prescribed fire history.................................................................................................. 23 Responsibilities.............................................................................................................................. 23 Project Leader.............................................................................................................. 23 Fire Management Officer............................................................................................. 23 Supervisory Range Technician .................................................................................... 24 Fire Management/Suppression Personnel:................................................................... 24 i Biologist and Cultural Resource Specialist: ................................................................ 25 Fire Analysis Committee ............................................................................................. 25 Initial attack teams ....................................................................................................... 25 Interagency Operations .................................................................................................................. 25 Protection of Sensitive Resources.................................................................................................. 26 WILDLAND FIRE ACTIVITIES............................................................................................................ 28 Fire Management Strategies........................................................................................................... 28 Preparedness .................................................................................................................................. 28 Historical weather analysis .......................................................................................... 29 Fire Prevention............................................................................................................. 29 Staffing Priority Levels................................................................................................ 31 Training........................................................................................................................ 32 Supplies and Equipment .............................................................................................. 35 Detection........................................................................................................................................ 35 Communications ............................................................................................................................ 35 Pre-Attack Plan .............................................................................................................................. 35 Fire Management Units.................................................................................................................. 36 ALE/ McGee-Riverlands ........................................................................................... 37 Saddle Mountain.......................................................................................................... 37 Ringold Unit ............................................................................................................... 39 Fuel Types ................................................................................................................... 39 Fire Behavior ............................................................................................................... 41 Suppression Tactics ....................................................................................................................... 43 Initial Attack .............................................................................................................. 45 Suppression Conditions ............................................................................................... 47 Wildland Fire Situation Analysis................................................................................. 48 Complexity Analysis.................................................................................................... 48 Delegation of Authority............................................................................................... 48 Aircraft Operations ...................................................................................................... 49 Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation.................................................................................