Alaska Wildland Fire Management -- Wildland Fire Use

Alaska NPS Fire Use Program
With the recent completion of NPS park-specific fire management plans for Alaska parklands, the NPS can now manage fires within the Limited or Modified Management (post conversion) Options, and on a rare occasion Full Management Option, as wildland fire use. Fires classified as wildland fire use must be ignited by natural cause. They are managed with the expectation that they will be of a long duration. Long term assessment methods and tools are used to assist fire managers with determining where the fire may burn and identifying long term management actions including trigger points that initiate actions to protect specific features or prevent the fire from burning into areas of higher protection priority. While specific sites may require protection, these potentially large-scale fires accomplish fire and resource management objectives by maintaining fuel loads and fire behavior consistent with the fire adapted ecosystem and natural fire regime. Gaining additional experience with and an understanding of long term assessment methods and tools will aid all Alaska fire management organizations.

For more information:
Fire Use Working Team

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Author: Karen La May
Last modified on: March 8, 2006
www.nps.gov/akso

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