Craters of the Moon National Monument
VII. Scope of Wildland Fire Management Program
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Wildland Fire Management Plan Craters of the Moon National Monument VII. Scope of Wildland Fire Management Program |
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Wildland Fire Management Strategies to be Applied.
All wildland fires will have a Stage 1 Wildland Fire Implementation Plan (WFIP) completed in a timely manner. The WFIP Stage 1 serves as the decision record for selection of the appropriate management response. All human-caused fires will be managed through a suppression response regardless of location.
All human-caused wildland fires or fires in Fire Management Unit 1 will be suppressed using an appropriate management response. Management responses to specific wildland fires will be determined through evaluation of public and firefighter safety, fire behavior, values at risk, potential suppression damage, and availability of fire management resources. Management responses will vary from fire to fire and sometimes even along the perimeter of a fire. Appropriate management response options range from monitoring without on-the-ground suppression disturbance to intense suppression actions on all perimeters of the fire.
One of the strategies available to CRMO managers will be wildland fire managed for resource benefits (wildland fire use). This strategy may only be utilized in the Fire Management Units 2 and 3.
Wildland fire use is a strategy for allowing naturally ignited wildland fires, to burn as long as the fire meets pre-stated resource management objectives in the maximum manageable area (MMA) and prescriptive parameters are not exceeded. An ongoing or potential "wildland fire use" fire that does not meet predetermined prescriptive elements or fails to meet resource management objectives will be suppressed using an appropriate management response. Current policy allows management for resource benefits of portions of a fire perimeter, while other portions of the perimeter of the same fire are managed with an appropriate suppression response.
Managing wildland fires for resource benefits requires significant documentation to chronicle the decision process of agency administrators and fire managers. This documentation process is described in detail in Wildland and Prescribed Fire Management Policy; Implementation Procedures Reference Guide.
Currently the goals and objectives for the use of prescribed fire have not been sufficiently developed at Craters of the Moon National Monument to incorporate it into this FMP. This does not rule out further consideration of its application in future revisions of this plan.
Prescribed fire could potentially be used in support of ecosystem management to maintain and/or restore plant communities, cycle nutrients, reduce or remove exotic plants, and for a variety of other resource management objectives.
B. Fire Management Units (FMU)
The 1992 Craters of the Moon General Management Plan identified three management zones for the monument. Within those larger three zones there are sub-zones that more specifically define the management objectives of each area.
Natural Zone (53,309 acres or 98.9%)
Wilderness Subzone
Natural Environment Subzone
Outstanding Natural Features Subzone
Watershed Protection Subzone
Development Zone (142 acres or 1%)
Park Development Subzone
Interpretive Development Subzone
Special Use Zone (94.2 acres or 0.1%)
Based upon these management zones three fire management units are designated within CRMO. CRMO FMUs are differentiated by management objectives of the General Management Plan, boundaries and values-to-be-protected. The FMU are further sub-divided into 11 Fire Management Areas (FMA). The FMA are based upon fuel types and fire management characteristics.
Figure 2.
1. North End / Watershed Protection FMU (FMU1)
a. North End / Watershed Protection FMU physical description
This FMU encompasses all areas of the monument north of State Highway 93,20/26 and includes the only surface water streams within the monument. Four of the perennial springs which feed these streams were developed in the 1930s to provide potable drinking water for the monument. Elevations within the unit range from just under 6000 feet along portions of the highway to 7,700 feet along the ridges in the foothills of the Pioneer Mountains. In addition to many of the vegetative communities found throughout the monument, the North End FMU also contains Douglas fir, aspen, and riparian forests.
The unit also includes lava flows with varied vegetative cover (primarily shrub species) as well as two major cinder cones. The monument boundary follows the watershed boundaries of Little Cottonwood and Leech Creeks. Highway 93 forms the southern boundary.
All areas within this FMU lie within one half mile of either Highway 93, Goodale's Cutoff, or the North End Road. The latter are single lane graded dirt roads. Facilities within this FMU include a group campsite, a research station, above and below ground electrical power lines, various structures (concrete valve boxes, treatment shed, and underground storage tank) associated with the water system.
All of this FMU is bordered by public lands administered by Upper Snake River District of the BLM. The east side by the Idaho Falls Field Office and the west side by the Shoshone Field Office.
b. North End / Watershed Protection FMU 1
Strategic Management Objectives
Within this FMU all wildland fires will be suppressed using an appropriate management response with the intent of minimizing loss of structures and property. The first priority during these suppression actions will be the safety of personnel and the public, including adjacent landowners.
Management of FMU 1 is designed to meet the following FMP objectives.
1) All fire management activities will have as the highest priority firefighter and public safety.
2) Appropriate management responses for all wildland fires (regardless of ignition source) will be rapid containment and suppression to protect the public, check fire spread onto adjacent public lands and protect the natural, cultural and historic resources of the Monument.
3) Emphasis will be placed on facilitating reciprocal fire management activities through the development and maintenance of cooperative agreements and working relationships with pertinent fire management entities.
4) Strong interagency fire and emergency services agency participation will be encouraged within this FMU. Interaction with adjacent land managers through CRMO participation in prevention programs will be encouraged.
5) Watershed protection, particularly of areas upslope from drinking water sources in Little Cottonwood Creek.
c. North End / Watershed Protection - FMU 1 Management Constraints
1) Smoke management reporting procedures for burning in Idaho will be followed for all fire operations.
2) Employ minimum impact suppression tactics.
3) No off road vehicle use unless approved by the Superintendent.*
4) No dozer or grader use unless approved by the Superintendent.
5) Low level aircraft use and retardant must be approved by the Superintendent.*
6) All fire management activities will consider safety of personnel and the public as the highest priority.
7) Monument neighbors, park visitors and the local residents will be notified of all fire management activities that have the potential to impact them.
8) All park closures are at the discretion of the Superintendent.
9) No fire management operations will be initiated until all personnel involved receive a safety briefing describing known hazards and mitigating actions, current fire season conditions and current and predicted fire weather and behavior.
10.) Fire management operations will be carried out by qualified individuals that promote the safe and skillful application of fire management strategies and techniques.
11.) Smoke impacts to visibility along Highway 93 and resulting traffic safety concerns must be factored into selection of suppression tactics.
* Unless an emergency situation exits and waiting for approval would risk life or serious injury.
d. FMU 1 - Historic Role of Fire
This FMU does not allow for wildland fire use. However, evidence indicates large fires have occurred in the past. The quaking aspen stands are likely to have originated following wildfires.
e. FMU 1 - Wildland Fire Management Situation
1) Historical weather
The annual fire weather cycles are similar to that for the entire Monument. Higher elevation ridges and north facing aspects generally green-up slower in the spring and dry out later in the summer. The Little Cottonwood and Leech Creek areas are subject to up-slope daytime winds and down-slope winds in the evening. Generally the fire season extends from May to October.
2) Fuel characteristics and Fire behavior
This FMU is dominated by Mountain big sagebrush and low sagebrush types. Low sagebrush is located primarily along the upper ridges of the Pioneers. This FMU includes nearly all of the dense stands of timber found within the monument. These Douglas fir and aspen stands are limited to north facing slopes of cinder cones and the drainage's of Little Cottonwood and Leech Creeks.
3) Control problems
The North End is the only FMU with a high potential for fire to spread beyond the monument boundary. The steep slopes of the Pioneer Mountains are conducive to rapid fire spread upslope with only a few scattered rock outcrops to serve as fire breaks between the creek bottom and ridge tops. The monument boundary with adjacent BLM land follows the ridge tops. Shrub density does decrease towards the ridge tops which could slow fire spread in all but extreme conditions. Specific areas include:
4) North End / Watershed Protection FMU Values to be Protected and Special Concerns
f. FMU 1 - Fire Management Areas
FMU I is further subdivided into four individual fire management areas in terms of tactical suppression.
Fire Management Area 1: Suppression: Includes areas in the drainage's of Little Cottonwood and Leech Creeks. Most areas in this zone have slopes in excess of 20%. The vegetation is comprised of primarily sagebrush-grass, upland aspen, Douglas-fir, and riparian communities. Access is moderate to poor and limited to the lower portions of the valleys. Fires in this unit will tend to spread up slope and out of NPS managed lands. The ridge above Little Cottonwood is dominated by low sagebrush and Sandberg bluegrass vegetation which will help contain the fires in that portion. All fires will be suppressed in this unit until agreements can be developed with the adjacent landowners and agencies to allow fire to cross NPS boundary onto adjacent lands.
Fire Management Area 2: Suppression. Includes the Great Basin wildrye community at the base of Little Cottonwood Creek and is composed of that single vegetation type. The topographic position make a natural ignition unlikely. However, the abundant fine fuels (>15,000 kg/ha)(15 tpa) make fire spread likely if an ignition occurs. Vehicle access is good.
Fire Management Area 3: Suppression. All areas dominated by sagebrush-grass vegetation with slopes less than 20%. Vehicle access is moderate. Lava and cinder outcrops and other fuel breaks are common. All wildfires will be suppressed due to the high probability of fires crossing the boundaries of CRMO onto adjacent lands.
Fire Management Area 4. Suppression: Areas of Sunset and Grassy Cones with slopes greater than 20% are included in this unit of FMU I. The lower slopes of Fire Management Area 4 are dominated by a variety of perennial grasses intermixed with mountain big sagebrush vegetation types. The upper slopes are dominated by stands of Douglas-fir. There is vehicle access to the bottom of both cones. The possibility of natural ignition from lightning is high. The possibility of human caused ignitions are probably greatest in this unit of all in CRMO due to the slope, high loads of fine fuels, and the proximity of the highway and the group campground. All fires will be suppressed in this unit due to the high probability of fires burning onto adjacent lands beyond the CRMO boundary.
2. Outstanding Natural Features and Interpretive FMU (FMU 2)
This FMU will be managed under a conditional fire use strategy where management will have the option to allow appropriate management response to suppress wildland fires in situations were fire use is precluded due to concerns regarding safety, public use or structure protection.
This FMU includes that portion of the monument south of Highway 93 but outside of the wilderness area. It encompasses the vast majority of the monument's facilities including the Visitor Center Complex, campground, trails and seven mile scenic drive.
This 4,547 acre area contains the greatest concentration of geologic features within the monument including lava flows, cinder cones and craters. Elevations range from 5,730 feet near Devil's Orchard to 6,357 feet atop Silent Cone. The area is characterized by sparsely vegetated lava flows and cinder gardens along with stands of limber pine and limited areas of sagebrush and antelope bitterbrush. All areas are within .6 of mile of a paved road.
This FMU is accessible from Highway 93,20/26 or portions of the scenic drive. The unit is bordered by FMU 1 on the north and FMU 3 on the south and east. FMU 2 only borders adjacent BLM land for a few hundred feet on the south side of the highway at either end of the monument.
Within this FMU all wildland fires will be suppressed using an appropriate management response with the intent of minimizing loss of structures and property. The first priority during these suppression actions will be the safety of personnel and the public. A secondary priority will be achievement of resource benefits from wildland fire use where fires are ignited by natural means, are confined by adequate fire breaks and pose little risk to the public.
Management of FMU 2 is designed to meet the following FMP objectives.
1) All fire management activities will have as the highest priority firefighter and public safety.
2) Emphasis will be placed on managing naturally ignited fires for resource benefits unless safety, public use, or facility (including structures, utilities, and exhibits) protection concerns over-ride such use.
3) Apply mechanical hazard fuel reduction around vulnerable structures, utilities or cultural sites for protection from fire damage.
4) Strong interagency fire and emergency services agency participation will be encouraged within this FMU.
5) Minimize serious and prolonged (>24 hours) smoke impacts to public use of the scenic drive.
1) Smoke management reporting procedures for burning in Idaho will be followed.
2) Employ minimum impact suppression tactics.
3) No off road vehicle use unless approved by the Superintendent.*
4) No dozer or grader use unless approved by the Superintendent.
5) Protection mitigation measures for known historic and cultural resource sites must be assured.
6) Chainsaw use should be minimized.
7) Low level aircraft use and retardant must be approved by the Superintendent.*
8) All fire management activities will consider safety of personnel and the public as the highest priority.
9) Monument neighbors, park visitors and area residents will be notified of all planned and unplanned fire management activities that have the potential to impact them.
10) All park closures are at the discretion of the Superintendent.
11) No fire management operations will be initiated until all personnel involved receive a safety briefing describing known hazards and mitigating actions, current fire season conditions and current and predicted fire weather and behavior.
12.) Fire management operations will be carried out by qualified individuals that promote the safe and skillful application of fire management strategies and techniques.
13.) Smoke impacts to visibility along Highway 93 and resulting traffic safety concerns must be factored into suppression tactics.
* Unless an emergency situation exits and waiting for approval would risk life or serious injury.
Fire has been a dominate factor in shaping vegetative patterns since the active periods of volcanic activity from 15,000 to 2,100 years before the present. Since then lightning ignited fires have continued to shape the vegetative composition and structure. The current landscape consists of pockets of vegetation surround by barren lava flows and cinder fields. These extensive fuel breaks have limited the spread of fires. The occurrence of limber pines, a tree very sensitive to fire, indicates many areas have been isolated from fires and that fire frequencies are fairly long on average.
1). Fuel characteristics and Fire behavior
Limber pine, mountain big sagebrush and antelope bitterbrush are the only significant fuel types represented in FMU 2. Limber pines grow in sparse stands generally without continuous canopies but occasionally have a dense understory of antelope bitterbrush.
Many of the reported fires were single trees ignited by lightning. The area is subject to high winds from the southwest.
2) Control problems
Severe weather conditions are required to sustain ignition and cause spread of fires via spotting from isolated patches of vegetation. However, once fire has reached the crowns of denser stands of limber pines, it is much more difficult to control (much greater intensities/flame lengths). Specific areas with potential control problems include :
3) FMU 2 Values to be Protected and Special Concerns
Fire Management Area 5: Suppression. This zone includes the Visitor Center, maintenance buildings, housing area, and campground including the small cinder cone to the east of the Visitor Center. The entire area is included within Fire Management Area 5 within Fire Management Unit II. This fire suppression unit is composed primarily of lava flows and cinder gardens. A small area of sagebrush grassland occurs northeast of the visitor center. This is the only portion that has a high potential of ignition. All fires will be suppressed in this FMA due to the proximity of structures and high visitor use areas.
Fire Management Area 6: Modified Suppression/Wildland Fire This area includes the area adjacent to the CRMO scenic drive and contains the volcanic features seen by most monument visitors. The area is of most recent volcanic origin and consequently is highly dissected by lava flows and cinder gardens and is only capable of sustaining a large fire under extreme weather conditions.
This unit is very accessible due to proximity of the loop drive and does have a number of plant communities which, while small in size, do contain adequate fuels to sustain fire spread. These are predominantly limber pine and bitterbrush vegetation types. Charcoal evidence indicates that many of these communities have burned in the past. However, the fires were small due to the numerous natural fuel breaks. The presence of limber pine make natural ignition from lightning the most likely source of fire ignition. The region adjacent to the Tree Molds parking lot has the greatest likelihood of human-caused ignition. The fuels are dense and continuous. This area has burned in the recent past. Areas near the Tree Molds parking lot and on the south side of Silent Cone present the only possibility of a fire burning out of the FMA.
Due to the small area that a fire is likely to spread and the possible damage caused by suppression, the use of natural barriers and minimum impact suppression techniques (MIST) will be incorporated to mitigate suppression impacts. Wildfires with fire-line intensities greater than 400 Kcal/m/s (500 Btu/ft/sec.) are likely to present serious control problems related to spot fires and crowning (Rothermel 1983) so timeliness of initial attack in these circumstances is important. The limber pine stands on the east side of Inferno Cone are of major importance as a deer fawning area and alternate use areas are not readily available.
3. Wildland Fire Use FMU (FMU 3)
a. Wildland Fire Use Physical Description
The largest portion of the monument is included within this FMU which is designated as Wilderness. It contains a wide variety of vegetation types including: mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush and limber pine. The major vegetated portions are surrounded by sparsely vegetated lava flows and cinder gardens that are incapable of supporting a fire. This will result in containment of most fires in this FMU of the monument except those potential cases indicated in Fire Management Area 7. The Wilderness Subzone is further subdivided into 5 Fire Management Areas 7-11.
Access within FMU 3 can be very difficult. No roads and only a few trails exist internally and even most areas outside of the wilderness/monument boundary are inaccessible. The northern portion of the wilderness boundary lies as little as .2 mile from paved roads. Remote sections in the southern portion of the monument are up to 8.5 miles from the nearest paved road and 4.5 miles from the nearest vehicle access of any kind. Ground access to many areas requires walking across miles of rugged lava flows.
These factors and a lack of water, dictate significant staff or the use of helicopter support for fire fighters or fire monitors working in remote areas.
b. Wildland Fire Use FMU 3 Strategic Management Objectives
c. Wildland Fire Use FMU 3 Management Constraints
d. Wildland Fire Management Situation
1) Control Problems - (See Fire Management Area descriptions below)
2) Wildland Fire Use FMU 3: Values to be Protected and Special Concerns -
The primary values in FMU 3 are wilderness related. These include maintaining natural conditions and an appearance of lands affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable; and opportunities for solitude. In the case of wilderness, fire is a part of the natural condition and fire suppression is an imprint of man.
Fire Management Area 7: Wildland Fire Use. This unit is located in the vicinity of Big Cinder and Half Cone Buttes and is dominated by limber pine vegetation types with dense bitterbrush understory and bitterbrush vegetation types. While many communities contain relatively high fuel loads, the spatial continuity is low due to recent lava flows and cinder gardens. The potential spread of a fire is therefore limited. Fires have little potential to burn into FMU 2 (Outstanding Natural Feature Zone) with the exception of three locations: 1) southwest of Silent Cone, 2) north of Big Cinder Butte and 3) fires that occur adjacent to the Tree Molds parking area. These may possibly spread out of Fire Management Area 7 if ignited under severe burning conditions and a northerly or northeasterly wind. If predicted fire behavior exceeds conditions of 1) flame lengths greater than 2.5 m (8.2 ft), 2) fire line intensities greater than 400 Kcal/m/s (500 Btu/ft/s), and 3) southerly wind directions; the fires will be considered for suppression.
Fire Management Area 8: Wildland Fire Use. Limber pine communities which have developed on lava dominate this unit. The amount of fuel is very low and they are likely to burn only under extreme weather conditions. Fire Management Area 8 is subdivided into three discrete sections located near Echo Crater, Sheep Trail Butte, and west of Coyote Butte.
Fire Management Area 9: Wildland Fire Use. This unit is located in the sagebrush-dominated communities of Coyote Butte and Little Prairie. Fuel loads are relatively high in some locations and past fires have been of moderate size (50-100 ha/120-250 ac). Fires ignited in this unit could readily burn into Fire Management Areas 7 and 8.
Fire Management Area 10: Wildland Fire Use. This unit is composed of small isolated tracts of vegetation in southern portions of the monument between Fissure and Two Point Buttes. Since the areas are small, ignitions in these areas will be rare and the fires small when they do occur. Vegetation is composed primarily of limber pine communities.
Fire Management Area 11: Wildland Fire Use. Carey Kipuka, Round Knoll and other small kipukas on the monument comprise this FMA. The vegetation is primarily a mixture of sagebrush communities. If ignited it is likely that the entire kipuka would burn due to the high fine fuel loads and limited access. In all but the most extreme conditions, fires would be unlikely to spread