Healthy Forests Initiative

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Healthy Forests Initiative

• Al Murphy
• BLM, NIFC

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In August 2002, President Bush announced the
Healthy Forests Initiative for Wildfire
Prevention and Stronger Communities.
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Outlines Administrations plan to

• Accelerate forest restoration
• Reduce long-term wildfire threat

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Directs the Secretaries of the Interior and
Agriculture to

• Expedite thinning projects
• Speed up the environmental assessment process
• Expedite the appeals process.
• Continue work on the ten-year Strategy
  Implementation Plan

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A Collaborative Approach for Reducing Wildland
Fire Risks to Communities and the
Environment10-Year Comprehensive Strategy
Implementation PlanMay 2002
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The four goals of the 10-Year Comprehensive
Strategy are

• Improve Fire Prevention and Suppression
• Reduce Hazardous Fuels
• Restore Fire-Adapted Ecosystems
• Promote Community Assistance

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Goal 2 Reduce Hazardous Fuels

• Implementation Outcome

Hazardous fuels are treated, using appropriate
tools, to reduce the risk of unplanned and
unwanted wildland fire to communities and to the
Environment.
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Goal 2 Implementation Tasks

• Utilize as appropriate the Cohesive Strategy
• Develop fire management template
• Prepare Internet system for assistance
• Establish a common Internet system for status
• Develop a process for interagency selection of
  projects
• Assess state and federal regulatory processes

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Streamlining Efforts

• Categorical Exclusions (DOI and FS)
• Model Project EA/NEPA Strike Teams (CEQ/DOI)
• Streamlining ESA Consultation (FWS)

• Guidance on Short/Long-term Effects (FWS)
• Fire Management Plan Template (DOI)
• Fixing Northwest Forest Plan Changes (DOI and
  FS)

Kremmling FO
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Stewardship Contracts

• Exchange of forest products for
• Thinning
• Habitat restoration
• Other services

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In most of our forested areas, we have to look
not at what should be taken out of the forest
but at what the forest should look like when
were finished doing the thinning.  
Rebecca Watson, assistant secretary for land and
minerals management, DOI
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HFI and Fire Management

• 12 million acres of restoration needed
• 5-yr average of 33,000 acres treated
• FY 2003 gt 500,000 acres treated

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Role of Fire Management

• Reduce fuels
• Restore ecosystems damaged by invasive species

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• Active Forest Management includes
• Meeting long-term ecological, economic and
  community objectives

• Forest thinning
• Commercial products
• Biomass utilization
• Prescribed fire

Gunnison FO
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Active BLM Forest Management
Before
After
Durango FO
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Active BLM Forest Management
Before
After
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Active BLM Forest Management
Durango FO
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The picture of unhealthy forests and rangelands
must change.
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Taos FO
Anchorage FO
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Healthy Forests Initiative
www.whitehouse.gov www.fireplan.gov Al Murphy
208-387-5169