Comparing Preparedness and Hazardous Fuel Reduction Funding Between Agencies Preparedness funds allow agencies to quickly mobilize to suppress wildfires. Hazardous fuel reduction reduces the intensity of fires should they start and makes them easier to control. Fires per 100,000 acres on tribal lands have declined since IFMAT III but occur with greater frequency on tribal lands than on Forest Service lands (Figure A.6). In Task B , Wildfire Hazard Potential ratings (a measure of forest condition and resistance to suppression) are compared between owners. But for an overview here, the percent of acres with a High/Very-High Wildfire Hazard Potential rating on tribal forest lands are higher than any land managing agency in the Pacific Northwest Region and constitute about 41% (almost 8 million acres nationally). Comparing funding for preparedness and hazardous fuel reduction between agencies, the Forest Service receives the highest per acre preparedness funding among the agencies (Table A.13). Part of this is due to the funding model for how aerial resources are allocated. The Forest Service also has the highest per acre funding for hazardous fuel reduction. Within DOI, the BLM and BIA are funded at about the same per acre levels using timberland and
woodland as the base. However, preparedness funding protects more than timberland and woodlands. In addition, some hazardous fuels reduction is done outside of forests, such as grass management on range lands. Maintaining healthy rangeland and grassland ecosystems will
support the protection of the neighboring forest lands. Within DOI, BIA percent of total preparedness funding has been growing slightly compared to the other bureaus (Figure A.7) since 2015. Although the BIA Greenbooks show little increase in total trust acres over the 2006
Figure A.6. Fires per 100,000 acres on tribally protected lands (69 million acres) and Forest Service (191 million acres) (source: Mark Jackson, BIA).
Ϭ ϭ Ϯ ϯ ϰ ϱ ϲ ϳ ϴ ϵ ϭϬ
ϮϬϭϬ
ϮϬϭϮ
ϮϬϭϰ
ϮϬϭϲ
ϮϬϭϴ
ϮϬϮϬ
ϮϬϮϮ
&ŽƌĞƐƚ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ
dƌŝďĞƐ
Figure A.7. Relative percent of appropriated total funding for fire preparedness within DOI. Source: Jeff Rupert, Office of Wildland Fire.
Ϭ ϭϬ ϮϬ ϯϬ ϰϬ ϱϬ ϲϬ ϳϬ ϮϬϬϲ ϮϬϬϳ ϮϬϬϴ ϮϬϬϵ ϮϬϭϬ ϮϬϭϭ ϮϬϭϮ ϮϬϭϯ ϮϬϭϰ ϮϬϭϱ ϮϬϭϲ ϮϬϭϳ ϮϬϭϴ ϮϬϭϵ ϮϬϮϬ ƵƌĞĂƵŽĨ/ŶĚŝĂŶĨĨĂŝƌƐ ƵƌĞĂƵŽĨ>ĂŶĚDŐŵƚ &ŝƐŚΘtŝůĚůŝĨĞ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ EĂƚŝŽŶĂůWĂƌŬ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ
“When we went to self-governance, I don’t think we realized that we were inheriting a road network that was already sub-standard.” —IFMAT IV focus group participant
66 Assessment of Indian Forests and Forest Management in the United States
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator