Public Scoping Process Begins For Grand Canyon's Fire Management Plan

Grand Canyon National Park has initiated the process to update the existing Fire Management Plan (FMP). This plan, prepared in 1992, revised in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, and 2003, needs to be updated. The National Park Service (NPS) is now beginning preparation of a new FMP that incorporates the latest science and the most recent federal fire policy to guide the fire management program at Grand Canyon National Park. When completed, the FMP will describe a detailed program of actions to safely carry out fire management policies and objectives at Grand Canyon National Park.

The plan is needed:

to fully recognize the importance of fire management in promoting ecosystem sustainability;
to prescribe methods to protect communities, developed areas, cultural resources and key wildlife habitat from unwanted, high-intensity wildland fires;
to form the basis for short- and long-term project planning and scheduling;
to form the basis for communication, coordination and project planning with regulatory and partner agencies;
to provide a framework for managing fire in wilderness areas for wilderness resource goals and to minimize impacts to visitors in these areas; and
because periodic maintenance of helispots and roads are necessary for the implementation of the FMP.

There are typically three broad phases to producing a plan like this, with each phase consisting of various steps. During Phase One, the planning team sets program objectives, identifies issues and collects data related to these issues. Phase Two efforts focus on defining alternative means for achieving goals and resolving issues. Phase Three consists of identifying a preferred alternative. Key public involvement steps occur during Phases One and Two. NPS is currently in Phase One where public input is gathered through written comment, electronic outreach and public meetings. Public participation is very important to this process.

How You Can Be Involved

1) Write: Comments may be submitted in writing to National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023-0129 or by e-mail to grca_fmp@nps.gov. (If submitting comments electronically, please send as a text file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption. Also, please include your name, e-mail address, and mailing address in your message.)

2) Attend Public Scoping Meetings: A series of public open houses will be held this fall in Phoenix, Flagstaff, Kanab, Page, and Grand Canyon. Dates and locations for these open houses are as follows:

Kanab, Utah: Wednesday, October 15, 2003. The meeting will be held from 4 pm to 7 pm at the Holiday Inn Express at 815 East Highway 89 in Kanab.
Page, Arizona: Monday, October 20, 2003. The meeting will be held from 4 pm to 7 pm at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, 691 Scenic View Drive.
Grand Canyon, Arizona: Tuesday October 21, 2003. The meeting will be held from 4 pm to 8 pm in the Community Building in Grand Canyon National Park.
Phoenix, Arizona: Wednesday, October 22, 2003. The meeting will be held from 4 pm to 7 pm at Fire Station Number 30, 2701 W. Belmont (1 block south of Northern).
Flagstaff, Arizona: Thursday, October 23, 2003. The meeting will be held from 4:15 pm to 7:30 pm at the Flagstaff Public Library, 300 West Aspen.

3) Stay Informed: Visit www.nps.gov/grca/fire/plan/ to keep apprised of the planning process and to submit comments during the public comment periods. It is the goal of the National Park Service to post all future information and documents related to the FMP on this website.

Your involvement in this process is greatly appreciated! If you have any specific questions regarding the fire management planning process, please call Dan Oltrogge, Fire Management Officer, at 928-638-7822.