NPS Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) and Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) in the Southern California Landscape 2005 2007 2013
NPS in non-desert southern California
2007 2005 SMMNRA 154,000 acres May 2013 1993 1996 1993 small but active
Is there an emergency threat to health or safety and/or critical natural or cultural resources? YES Flood and debris flows Rockfall WUI closures short and long-term Need for law enforcement/ Public information/ Road and trail infrastructure (e.g. bridges, culverts) Invasive species/sensitive species and habitats Looting cultural resources
PROGRAM COMPONENTS Suppression Activity Damage Repair BAER BAR Restoration Objective: Repair suppression damages Protect life, property & critical resources Repair firecaused damages Long Term Ecosystem Restoration Damage due to: Suppression activities Post-fire events Fire Fire Urgency: Before incident closeout 1-12 months 1-3 years 3+ years Responsibility: Incident commander Agency Administrator Agency Administrator Agency Administrator Funding type: Suppression (fire) Emergency Stabilization Rehabilitation Regular program
ES funding is limited TOTAL= $40,850,000 Allocation among bureaus is based on a formula know as the NWCG split Annual funding is calculated as 10% suppression cost based on a 10-year average
BAR funding is more limited FY 2013 = $20,400,000 BAR funding is competitive Department-wide BAR funding is already exhausted for FY2013 FY14 and FY15 BAR funding is expected to decline by 4%
Fire timing and funding availability Text
Work Fast Its an Emergency
Springs Fire Progression 5/2 run to the ocean 5/3 run back to the north 36 hours 20,000+ acres Final size 24,238 acres
Springs Fire Timeline 10 days from containment to submit BAER plan
SAMO BAER Team Organization Fire Management Officer Finance Officer Public Information/Interpretation Law Enforcement Maintenance - Roads and Trails Team Leader* Environmental Specialist* - NEPA Wildlife Biologist* Botanist* Cultural Resource Specialist* Hydrologist/Geologist* Administrative Assistant
Fire timing and priority actions 2007 2013 2005
What can t we do? Monitor fire effects Systematic inventories of burned areas for cultural resources and invasive species Invasive species treatments to achieve better than pre-fire conditions Road maintenance and reconstruction Repair or replacement of major facilities Timber salvage assessments and sales
What can we do? BAER Emergency closures
What can we do? BAER Hazardous waste removal
What can we do? BAER Emergency debris removal from roads 2013 Springs F ire Sycamore Cyn 2007 Corral Fire Solstice Cyn
What can we do? BAER Culvert cleaning and replacement
What can we do? BAER Emergency debris removal from trail 2007 Corral Fire Solstice Cyn Stone recycled for stair construction - BAR
What can we do? BAER Public information on post fire park use and conditions Neighbor letters Waysides and interpretive rangers at critical locations
What can we do? BAER LE patrols, fences, gates, and signs to protect recovering areas and cultural resources
What can we do? BAER Conduct assessments of known cultural sites for fire damage and post fire vulnerabilities?
Springs Fire Cultural Site Inventory
What can we do? BAER Patrolling, monitoring, camouflaging, burying significant heritage sites to prevent looting
What can we do? BAER or BAR?
BAER or BAR?
BAER Emergency Repair one month post fire
BAER or BAR?
BAER or BAR? Solstice Canyon 3-year funded BAR project for invasive species control and riparian habitat revegetation
BAER or BAR? Springs Fire invasive plant control in native grassland and riparian woodlands
What can we do? BAER Seeding or planting to prevent permanent impairment of T&E habitat
What can we do? BAER Seeding to prevent establishment of invasive plants and direct treatment of invasive plants
What can we do? BAER Using IPM techniques to minimize the establishment of non-native invasive species within the burned area
What can we do? BAR Chemical, manual, and mechanical removal of invasive species, and planting of native and non-native species
Fire Suppression Activity Damage Repair, Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) & Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) Nelson Siefkin BAER Coordinator NPS Pacific West Region M-581 Fire Program Mgt. March 14-18, 2011
BAER: Watershed stabilization, roads, restricting access (DOI) BAR: Tangible benefits to bureau lands or resource responsibilities Wyden Amendment
BLM Southern Nevada Complex 2005 47,000 acres aerially seeded and monitored 3 years
NPS Hackberry Complex 2005
Topanga ES Budget
Corral ES Budget
Springs ES Budget