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During fiscal year 2002, the southeast region of the National Park Service accomplished a large portion of the target acreage for the agency. While most of the acreage was produced in south Florida, much was also accomplished at the smaller units that make up the majority of the region. These small units either lack the total number of staff to conduct any type of fire management activity, or have not conducted enough burns to justify the staff that such activities require.
The Fire Use Modules accomplished the hazard fuel reduction at numerous parks within the region, bringing skilled prescribed fire practitioners to the smaller units. Some of the projects they were involved in were first-time prescribed fire projects at units where fire has long been excluded due to changing land use practices. The Modules wrote burn plans, prepared burn units, secured and coordinated the resources required to execute the burns, and implemented the projects.
This level of involvement far exceeds the original intent of the Fire Use Module program, but is instrumental in returning fire to many of the NPS units in the Southeast Region.
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