Suppression. Federal Wildland Fire Policy History

Federal wildland fire management policy has evolved over the past  century in response to changing landscape conditions and greater  recognition of fire’s role in maintaining resilient and healthy ecosystems. Agencies Have Made Several Key Changes in Their Approach to Wildland Fire Management Since 2009

Since 2009, the five federal agencies have made several changes in their  approach to wildland fire management. In collaboration with nonfederal  partners such as tribal and state governments, they have also developed  a strategy aimed at coordinating federal and nonfederal wildland fire  management activities around common goals, such as managing  landscapes for resilience to fire-related disturbances. The extent to which  the agencies’ actions have resulted in on-the-ground changes varied  across agencies and regions, however, and officials identified factors,  such as proximity to populated areas, that may limit their implementation  of some of these actions. Agencies Assess Effectiveness of Their Programs in Several Ways, but Have Not Consistently Conducted Reviews That Could Improve Responses to Wildland Fires

The agencies assess the effectiveness of their wildland fire management  programs in several ways, including through performance measures,  efforts to assess specific activities, and reviews of specific wildland fire  incidents. Both the Forest Service and Interior are developing new  performance measures and evaluations, in part to help better assess the  results of their current emphasis on risk-based management, according to  agency officials. Forest Service and Interior Agencies Have Not Consistently Conducted Reviews of Wildland Fire Incidents to Assess their Effectiveness

The Forest Service and the Interior agencies have conducted reviews to  assess their effectiveness in responding to wildland fires but have not  consistently followed agency policy in doing so and did not always use  specific criteria for selecting the fires they have reviewed. Moreover, officials did not  provide a time frame for completing their update. Within Interior, BLM officials told us BLM completed its last fire review  based on significant cost (i.e., federal expenditures of $10 million or  more) in 2013. This is consistent with our previous body of work on performance  management, which has shown that it is important for agencies to collect  performance information to inform key management decisions, such as  how to identify problems and take corrective actions and how to identify  and share effective approaches. For  suppression, the Forest Service and Interior manage funding as needed  for units to respond to individual wildland fires. Interior is working to develop a system that likewise reflects  current conditions. Each year, the agencies estimate the expected level of funding for  suppression activities using the average of the previous 10 years of  suppression obligations. Draft guidance provided by the  Forest Service did not contain specific criteria for such reviews, however,  and Interior officials did not provide information about how they planned  to develop criteria or the factors they would consider. By developing  specific criteria for selecting fires to review and conducting the reviews,  and making commensurate changes to agency policies to help ensure the  criteria are consistently applied, the agencies may enhance their ability to  ensure that their fire reviews provide useful information and meaningful  results. Recommendations for Executive Action

To better ensure that the agencies have sufficient information to  understand the effectiveness of their approach to wildland fires, and to  better position them to develop appropriate and effective strategies for  wildland fire management, we recommend that the Secretaries of  Agriculture and the Interior direct the Chief of the Forest Service and the  Director of the Office of Wildland Fire to take the following two actions:
Develop specific criteria for selecting wildland fires for review and for  conducting the reviews as part of their efforts to improve their  approach to reviewing fires, and
Once such criteria are established, revise agency policies to align with  the specific criteria developed by the agencies. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

This report examines (1) key changes the federal wildland fire agencies  have made in their approach to wildland fire management since 2009,  (2) how the agencies assess the effectiveness of their wildland fire  management programs, and (3) how the agencies determine the  distribution of their wildland fire management resources. During these semistructured interviews we asked about (1) significant  changes to the agencies’ approach to wildland fire management,  including regional efforts to implement the policy areas identified in the  2009 interagency Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire  Management Policy, (2) agency efforts to assess the effectiveness of  their wildland fire management activities, and (3) agency processes for  determining the distribution of fire management resources. Appendix II: Forest Service and Interior Agency Obligations for Preparedness, Fuel Reduction, and Suppression, Fiscal Years 2004 through 2014

This appendix provides information on preparedness, fuel reduction, and  suppression obligations by the Forest Service and the Department of the  Interior’s four wildland fire agencies—the Bureau of Indian Affairs,  Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National  Park Service—for fiscal years 2004 through 2014.
Why GAO Did This Study

Wildland fire plays an important ecological role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Over the past century, however, various land management practices, including fire suppression, have disrupted the normal frequency of fires and have contributed to larger and more severe wildland fires. Wildland fires cost billions to fight each year, result in loss of life, and cause damage to homes and infrastructure. In fiscal years 2009 through 2014, the five federal wildland fire agencies obligated a total of $8.3 billion to suppress wildland fires.
GAO was asked to review multiple aspects of federal wildland fire management across the five federal wildland fire management agencies. This report examines (1) key changes the federal wildland fire agencies have made in their approach to wildland fire management since 2009, (2) how the agencies assess the effectiveness of their wildland fire management programs, and (3) how the agencies determine the distribution of their wildland fire management resources. GAO reviewed laws, policies, and guidance related to wildland fire management; reviewed agency performance measures; analyzed obligation data for fiscal years 2004 through 2014; and interviewed officials from the five agencies, as well as Interior's Office of Wildland Fire.

What GAO Found

Since 2009, the five federal agencies responsible for wildland fire management—the Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service in the Department of the Interior—have made several key changes in their approach to wildland fire management. One key change was the issuance of agency guidance in 2009 that provided managers with more flexibility in responding to wildland fires. This change allowed managers to consider different options for response given land management objectives and the risk posed by the fire. The agencies also worked with nonfederal partners to develop a strategy aimed at coordinating wildland fire management activities around common goals. The extent to which the agencies' steps have resulted in on-the-ground changes varied across agencies and regions, however, and officials identified factors, such as proximity to populated areas, that may limit their implementation of some changes.
The agencies assess the effectiveness of their wildland fire management programs in several ways, including through performance measures and reviews of specific wildland fires. The agencies are developing new performance measures, in part to help better assess the results of their current emphasis on risk-based management, according to agency officials. However, the agencies have not consistently followed agency policy regarding fire reviews, which calls for reviews of all fires resulting in federal suppression expenditures of $10 million or more, nor have they used specific criteria for the reviews they have conducted. GAO has previously found that it is important for agencies to collect performance information to inform key management decisions and to identify problems and take corrective actions. Forest Service and Interior officials said focusing only on suppression costs does not allow them to identify the most useful fires for review, and they told GAO they are working to improve their criteria for selecting fires to review and conducting these reviews. Forest Service officials did not indicate a time frame for their efforts, and while they provided a draft update of their policy manual, it did not contain specific criteria. Interior officials told GAO they expect to develop criteria by the end of 2015, but did not provide information about how they planned to develop such criteria or the factors they would consider. By developing specific criteria for selecting fires to review and conducting reviews, and making commensurate changes to agency policies, the agencies may enhance their ability to help ensure that their fire reviews provide useful information about the effectiveness of their wildland fire activities.
The Forest Service and Interior determine the distribution of fire management resources for three primary wildland fire activities of suppression, preparedness, and fuel reduction in part on the basis of historical funding amounts. For suppression, the Forest Service and Interior manage suppression funding as needed for responding to wildland fires, estimating required resources using the average of the previous 10 years of suppression obligations. For preparedness and fuel reduction, the Forest Service and Interior distribute resources based primarily on historical amounts. Both are working to distribute resources in ways that better reflect current conditions, including developing new systems that they stated they plan to begin using in fiscal year 2016.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that the agencies develop specific criteria for selecting wildland fires for review and conducting the reviews, and revise agency policies accordingly. The agencies generally agreed with GAO's findings and recommendations.