EFFECTIVE DATE: 6/4/2008
DURATION: This interim directive expires on 6/4/2009. / id_5140-2008-2
Page 1 of 3
FSM 5100 – FIRE MANAGEMENT
Chapter 5140 - FIRE USE
/ Forest Service Manual
national headquarters (region 4)
boise, id
fsM 5100 – fire management
chapteR 5140 – fire use
Interim Directive No.: r4_boise_id_5100-2008-2
Effective Date: June 4, 2008
Duration: This interim directive expires on June 4, 2009
Approved: CECILIA R. SEESHOLTZForest Supervisor / Date Approved: 06/03/2008
Posting Instructions: Interim directives are numbered consecutively by title and calendar year. Post by document at the end of the chapter. Retain this transmittal as the first page(s) of this document. The last interim directive was id_5130-2008-1 to FSM 5130.
New Document / id_5140 / 2 PagesSuperseded Document(s) (Interim Directive Number and Effective Date) / id_5140-2007-1, 3/12/2007 / 3 Pages
Digest:
5140.42 – Updates interim directive for delegation of authorities to approve and monitor wildland fire use plans.
5140.42 - Forest Supervisor
3. Delegates authority for RxBPs and WFIPs.
a. Prescribed Fire – District Rangers and formally delegatedacting District Rangers are delegated authority to approve prescribed fire burn plans (RxBPs) provided they meet requisite fire management knowledge and experience as identified in FSM Amendment 5140-2008-1 and FSM R-4 Supplement 5140-2004-2. Boise NF District Rangers who meet these requisites on the effective date of this supplement are: Larry Tripp, Carol McCoy Brown, Neil Bosworth, and John Erickson. Also refer to the Boise NF Fire Management Plan (FMP).
Where approval authority is not delegated below the Forest Supervisor, the District Ranger or acting District Ranger has the authority to stop implementation based on known or projected situations not considered or apparent during the planning or implementation of the prescribed burn.
b. Wildland Fire Use – Authority to approve Wildland Fire Use Implementation Plans (WFIP) requires similar requisites identified in FSM Amendment 5140-2008-1 and FSM R-4 Supplement 5140-2004-2. On the effective date of this interim directive, no District Rangers are delegated authority to approve WFIPs. Accordingly, all WFIPs must be approved at the Forest Supervisor level during national or regional planning levels 1-3, and approved by the Regional Forester at national or regional planning level 4 or 5.
(1) Strategic Size-up – Zone Duty Officers are responsible for conducting a Strategic Fire Size-up for all new fire starts within Fire Management Unit 1 (FMU1). Specific to the WFU protocol contained within the Boise NF FMP, Duty Officers are delegated authority to implement a suppression response for all new starts within FMU1 that are not approved locations based on the time of year, or are found to be human-caused.
(2) Decision Criteria Checklist – District Rangers are responsible for completing the WFU Decision Criteria Checklist to determine suitability for a WFU incident.
(a) District Rangers are delegated authority to initiate suppression response on any WFU candidate fires that are not deemed acceptable WFU event.
(b) District Rangers will preside over the WFIP development for WFU candidate fires, and to forward their recommendations for WFU approval to the Forest Supervisor.
(3) WFIP Periodic Assessment – District Rangers are delegated authority to conduct and modify the frequency of periodic assessments for all WFU events, and if the review indicates a change in the planning stage or fire conditions, the decision authority reverts back to the Forest Supervisor/Deputy Forest Supervisor.
5140.42 – Exhibit 01
WFU Process / Action / AuthorityStrategic Size-Up / Initiate suppression action for fires in FMU 1 that are not in approved locations based on time of year, or are found to be human-caused. / Zone Duty Officer
Decision Criteria Checklist / Initiate suppression action for fires in FMU 1 that do not meet BoiseNF criteria for WFU implementation, and are deemed unacceptable WFU event as a result of the Decision Criteria Checklist. / District Ranger
Recommend approval of WFU Incident / Upon completion of a WFIP, recommend candidate fires that are deemed acceptable wildland fires for resource benefit to the Forest Supervisor for approval as a WFU incident. / District Ranger (any)
Approval of WFU Incident / Based on recommendation by District Ranger, approve or disapprove candidate fires within FMU 1 as a WFU incident for resource benefit. / Cecilia Seesholtz (Forest Supervisor, or the following actings:
- Frank Guzman
- Dave Olson
- Guy Pence
- Beth Lund
Periodic Assessment of approved WFU Incident / District Rangers are delegated authority to conduct and modify the frequency of periodic assessments for all WFU events, and if the assessment indicates a change in the planning stage or fire conditions, the decision authority reverts back to the Forest Supervisor/Deputy Forest Supervisor. Approve continuation of WFIP if incident continues to meet BoiseNF criteria for WFU implementation. / District Ranger and Forest Supervisor/Deputy Forest Supervisor.
Approval of WFU Incident in National or Regional Planning Level 4 or higher. / If in National or Regional planning level 4 or 5, seek Regional Forester concurrence for any decisions to approve new WFU incidents / Forest Supervisor and Forest FMO.