	Background

Over the past decade, there has been a series of devastating and  deadly wildland fires on federal lands. These fires burn millions of  acres of forests, grasslands, and deserts each year, and federal land  management agencies spend hundreds of millions of dollars to  fight them. Numerous Geospatial Technologies Can Be Used to Address Different Aspects of Wildland Fire Management

Geospatial information technologies—sensors, systems, and  software that collect, manage, manipulate, analyze, model, and  display information about positions on the earth’s surface—can aid  in managing wildland fires by providing accurate, detailed, and  timely information to federal, state, and local decision makers, fire- fighting personnel, and the public. This information can be used to  help reduce the risk that a fire will become uncontrollable, to  respond to critical events while a fire is burning, and to aid in  recovering from fire disasters. Staffing issues. Use of new products. Clearly, effective interagency management of information  resources and technology could help address the challenges faced  by the wildland fire community in using geospatial information  technologies. In our report, due to be issued in  September 2003, we further discuss the use of geospatial  technologies in support of wildland fire management, challenges to  effectively using these technologies, and opportunities to address  key challenges and to improve the effective use of geospatial  technologies. We will also make recommendations to improve the  use of geospatial technologies in support of wildland fire  management. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

Our objectives were to provide an overview of key geospatial  information technologies for addressing different aspects of  wildland fire management and to summarize key challenges to the  effective use of geospatial technologies in wildland fire  management. To accomplish these objectives, we focused our  review on five key federal agencies that are responsible for  wildland fire management on public lands: the Department of  Agriculture’s Forest Service and the Department of the Interior’s  National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and  Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Why GAO Did This Study

Over the past decade, a series of devastating and deadly wildland fires has burned millions of acres of federal forests, grasslands, and deserts each year, requiring federal and management agencies to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to fight them. GAO was asked to provide an interim update on key segments of an ongoing review of the use of geospatial information technologies in wildland fire management. Specifically, GAO was asked to provide an overview of key geospatial information technologies and their uses in different aspects of wildland fire management and to summarize key challenges to the effective use of these technologies. The final report is expected to be issued in September 2003. GAO's review focused on the five federal agencies that are primarily responsible for wildland fire management: the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service and the Department of the Interior's National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs.

What GAO Found

Geospatial information technologies--sensors, systems, and software that collect, manage, manipulate, analyze, model, and display information about locations on the earth's surface--can aid in managing wildland fires by providing accurate, detailed, and timely information to federal, state, and local decision makers, fire-fighting personnel, and the public. This information can be used to help reduce the risk that a fire will become uncontrollable, to respond to critical events while a fire is burning, and to aid in recovering from fire disasters. However, there are multiple challenges to effectively using these technologies to manage wildland fires, including challenges with data, systems, infrastructure, staffing, and the effective use of new products. Clearly, effective management of information technology and resources could help address these challenges. In our final report, due to be issued next month, we will further discuss geospatial information technologies, challenges to effectively using these technologies, and opportunities to improve the effective use of geospatial information technologies. We will also make recommendations to address these challenges and to improve the use of geospatial technologies in wildland fire management.