BIA Division of Forestry and Wildland Fire Management

BIA - Division of Forestry and Wildland Fire Management Pete Wakeland

A Recap of the Past Fire Season

Against the 10 -year average: * Indian Lands saw 3478 Fires (down 28%) * 274, 566 acres burned (down 45%)

Operational Recap for 2017 * More than 1100 personnel to staff: *205 Engines * 7 Interagency Hotshot Crews * 43 Pieces of Heavy Equipment * 8 Helicopter Modules AND……. .

* Approximately 2225 Emergency * REMARKABLY…. . Only minor injuries and ZERO fatalities to BIA fire personnel in 2017.

BIA Wildland Fire Budget

Here is what the budget funds

Wildland Fire Preparedness (Readiness & Support) Funds personnel and equipment 96% successful in keeping fires small Protection 63 M burnable acres (24% of DOI) 100 Field units (59 BIA, 41 Tribal) Workforce Development Diminishing “bench depth” Recruitment & retention 3 new Tribal WF development crews

Wildland Fire Suppression Our Workload Firefighting Assets 482 primary (GS + Tribal) firefighters 208 Model 52 engines (~150 fully staffed) 9 helicopters; 8 helitack modules 7 Interagency Hotshot Crews Emergency Firefighters Surge capacity 2016: 1700 EFFs; $12 M earnings

Fuels Management Reduces susceptibility to fires and fire intensity Fuels investments retain ecosystem resilience to wildfire Fuels investment can “Avoid Cost” of resource loss by 2 x to 30 x the cost of suppression

Indian Country Wildfire Prevention Most damaging wildfires are human-caused Human-caused fires reduced by avg of 2, 100/yr: Before prevention: 5, 600/yr 30 Prevention Programs serving over 200 Tribes Prevention Investment: $1 invested = $16 avoided

Post-Wildfire Recovery Burned Area Rehabilitation – Facilitate recovery of fire-affected lands unlikely to recover to desired conditions Emergency Stabilization (Suppression) – Protect life & property from post-wildfire effects – Minimize degradation of critical natural/cultural resources

Thank You All