| The fire communication
and education program at Santa Monica Mountains National
Recreation Area (SMMNRA) found 2004 to be a challenging
year. From the wildland fires that swept through California
in October/November 2003 to the extended dry period
throughout the entire year, fire education priorities
were shifted several times. Still, several successes
stand out.
Partnerships with both land management
and fire management agencies in the Santa Monica Mountains
are crucial to the success of the NPS Fire Management
program. To that end, the fire education staff continued
to network at numerous levels to share best practices
and coordinate efforts.
- Staff attended meetings of the
Watershed Fire Council, which advocates for fire management
programs in southern California on a political level,
sharing information with federal, state and local
agencies.
- After the wildland fires of 2003,
homeowner associations are understandably concerned
with the safety of properties that border Santa Monica
Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA). Staff
attended monthly board meetings to remind residents
of our active participation in their protection; this
outreach set the groundwork for increased collaboration.
- First acquainted during a public
meeting for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement
for the SMMNRA Fire Management Plan, fire education
staff established a positive relationship with the
emergency preparedness coordinator of the City of
Malibu, California. The city has an active interest
in expanding the knowledge of defensible space practices,
which lines up precisely with park goals.
- Staff had the unique opportunity
to share information with Greg Tedder, Metropolitan
District Operations Manager for Royal National Park
in New South Wales, Australia. Their ecosystem is
quite similar to southern California, as well as their
complex wildland-urban interface issues. The networking
possibilities for new educational techniques and successes
are very promising.
- The SMMNRA fire management program
staff serves the Mediterranean Coast Network, which
includes Channel Islands National Park and Cabrillo
National Monument. Fire education staff continues
to actively participate in the revision of the Channel
Islands fire management plan, including the writing
of the prevention section.
Fire education staff actively facilitated
numerous sessions of National Park Labs: Studies of
Wildland Fire Ecology. This program, targeting high
school students and developed with grants from Toyota
USA Foundation through the National Park Foundation,
was developed to provide both teachers and students
with practical curriculum-based scientific experiences
that build appreciation for park resources. The park's
Division of Interpretation & Education worked closely
with fire management staff to continually update and
improve its presentation. Fire education staff has also
presented information at several teacher, partner and
staff workshops which highlighted the region's struggles
with the growing population in the wildland-urban interface.
The park sponsored an intern from
the Student Conservation Association's Fire Education
Corps during the first half of 2004. Her assistance
with outreach amongst some of the park's smaller partners
will prove invaluable in the near future, as the need
for a unified fire education and prevention message
continues.
Lastly, SMMNRA management is very
supportive of park staff accepting fire assignments
throughout the United States. Participation on wildland
fire use management projects has been particularly satisfying.
Spreading the message of the importance of fire's natural
role in the ecosystem was not always well accepted,
but the great majority of public contacts were with
people who were interested in knowing more and expressing
a positive viewpoint for the program.
There is much left to accomplish
in the field of fire education and prevention in the
Santa Monica Mountains. More field level programs must
be established to encourage further community participation
in their own protection. Coordination with local fire
agencies is an omnipresent task; fire education projects
must meet the goals of all agencies involved. One of
the strengths of the fire education program is the issues
involving community protection will not disappear anytime
in the near future, if ever. |
