Wildland fire is a general term describing any non-structure fire that occurs in the vegetation and/or natural fuels, including both wildfires and prescribed fires. In addition to discussions of impacts specific to wildfire management, this section also discusses general impacts that could apply to both wildfire and prescribed fire management. These general impact discussions use the term wildland fire management to indicate that they apply to both wildfire and prescribed fire management; impact discussions specific to wildfire management use that term.
The analysis of impacts on fire and fuels management is based on the following assumptions, which apply to wildfires, prescribed fires, and stabilization/rehabilitation:
Wildfires in wildland urban interface areas typically will be suppressed with unlimited tactics.
The Northern Zone Fire Management Plan (BLM 2004a) implements the fire management direction on BLM-administered land within the Planning Area.
Fire regime condition class (FRCC) inventories performed for the Northern Zone Fire Management Plan (BLM 2004a) are still accurate.
Air quality currently is not affecting the ability to conduct prescribed burns; however, the more stringent air quality standards are, the more likely they will be to affect the ability to perform prescribed burns.
Compared to limited tactics, unlimited tactics would reduce the amount of acres burned annually, but increase the amount of surface disturbance from suppression activities and result in the need for more rehabilitation of damage caused by suppression activities. Unlimited fire suppression tactics also alter the condition class of the vegetation by preventing wildfire to play its appropriate role in maintaining fire-adapted ecosystems.
Nonnative species alter the risk of wildland fire. Current BLM policy is to ensure seeds used for rehabilitation are free of noxious weeds when reseeding is necessary.
Annual bromes (e.g., cheatgrass) and invasive species can elevate the risk of fire and actually alter the natural fire regime; therefore, alternatives contributing to the invasion and spread of invasive species are anticipated to adversely affect fire and fuels management.
In areas of cultural resource sensitivity, use of heavy equipment typically is limited to existing roads and trails, except where human safety is at risk.
Cultural resource surveys are conducted, where applicable, for all prescribed burns, other fuel treatments, and rehabilitation.
Current policy (BLM Manual 1745) requires use of native plant species for rehabilitation, except in certain situations (e.g., when native seeds are not available or resource management objectives cannot be met with native species).