This section describes potential impacts on fire and fuels management from management of other resource programs. Implementation of the alternatives would affect the planning, management, implementation, and cost of fire management. Direct impacts involve restrictions on fire and fuels management. Indirect impacts include actions resulting in a change in risk or incidence of wildland fires; size, intensity, or destructive nature of wildland fires; fire suppression costs; and fuel loading. For example, mechanical treatments used to manage or reduce fuel loads result in indirect impacts by reducing the risk or incidence of wildland fire.

Fire is an integral part of natural ecosystem function; however, the natural fire regime largely has been suppressed in the Planning Area. Although the suppression of the natural fire regime is considered an adverse impact to fire ecology, actions contributing to an increase in the incidence of wildfires or limiting the ability to effectively fight wildfires are considered adverse impacts to fire management. This analysis focuses on the impacts to fire and fuels management. For example, actions limiting fire suppression tactics, thereby resulting in large burn areas or more intense fires, would be considered adverse impacts. Management that increases the ability to effectively and efficiently respond to and control wildfires and management that helps meet resource objectives are considered beneficial impacts.

Management restricting the acreage or effectiveness of prescribed fire would result in adverse impacts to fire and fuels management. Stipulations to protect other resources (e.g., wildlife, livestock grazing, historical, or cultural values) that limit or restrict prescribed burns in certain areas or at certain times of the year are considered direct adverse impacts to prescribed fire management. Management that increases the effectiveness and ability to conduct prescribed fires to meet resource objectives results in beneficial impacts.

For the purpose of this analysis, short-term impacts to fire and fuels management include impacts occurring within 5 years. Long-term impacts are those remaining or occurring after 5 years. The BLM anticipates short- and long-term impacts to fire and fuels management. Long-term impacts generally include impacts to the overall management of fire and fuels in the Planning Area. Short-term impacts to fire and fuels result from surface disturbance that increases the potential for the establishment of invasive species and other fuels.

The following description of impacts is organized into three sections: wildfires (unplanned ignitions), prescribed fires (planned ignitions), and stabilization and rehabilitation following fire. Methods and assumptions are described under the first section only, wildfires (unplanned ignitions), but apply to all three sections.