Electronically signed copy on file
July 1, 2022
To: Regional Directors
From: Director
Subject: Leader’s Intent: Wildland Fire 2022
Changes in climate are increasingly impacting national parks, including longer and more intense wildfire seasons. Seasons have blended and merged into fire years, and the National Park Service (NPS) fire program has been working non-stop to address these challenges head-on and manage fire. I am committed to supporting NPS fire staff and recognizing the incredible work they do to manage every fire and protect people, park resources, and local communities.
This year has already been busy for wildland fire staff. Multiple parks have been impacted with closures and evacuations. One important factor in the NPS fire program this year is the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) wildfire funding and requirements. An important component of the legislation is its commitment to, and investment in, our wildland fire management program, its workforce, and the landscapes we steward.
Over the last several months, we have worked with the Department of the Interior Office of Wildland Fire, partner bureaus within the Department of the Interior, the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, and the Office of Personnel Management to increase compensation for wildland firefighters and to develop a new occupational series for wildland fire. That work is ongoing, and we plan to implement as quickly as possible. As the permanent wildfire workforce is strengthened, we will work with regions and parks to ensure that our new colleagues will be supported with the appropriate facilities, fleet, and equipment.
The expectation of BIL is to conduct additional fuels treatments to reduce the impacts from uncharacteristically severe wildfires. Fire management plans need to be current, compliance work completed, and response modules staffed appropriately. It is equally vital to identify and fill those programmatic positions that play a critical role in making the NPS wildland fire program a success. Planners, human resources specialists, compliance and contracting staff, and communication specialists - to name just a few - will be critical as we strive to attract and retain employees and conduct fuels management treatments. Investment in additional personnel must be targeted just as our additional fuels management projects must also be targeted.
We will use the NPS Structure Prioritization Treatment Dashboard to help guide BIL projects, particularly those that reduce uncharacteristically severe fire effects and prepare park and neighboring communities to withstand a wildfire with a reduced threat to life and loss of property. These actions will help us to further our progress toward the vision of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, which is, “To safely and effectively extinguish fire when needed; use fire where allowable; manage our natural resources; and as a nation to live with wildland fire.”
The constant in wildland fire program remains our commitment to safety. This includes a commitment to our employees’ physical and mental health as demonstrated by a workplace safe from harassment and discrimination. I have the utmost respect for the firefighting personnel across the country who make sacrifices every day to keep people and park resources safe. We must make every effort to ensure our employees are respected, included, safe, and engaged. One demonstration of this commitment is ensuring staff who work long hours during fire season receive appropriate time to rest and recover.
There is no reason to think the remainder of the 2022 fire year will be different from recent years. We are nearing the peak of the western season and should prepare for the busy months ahead. During this peak, resources may not be available to staff every fire. Sound preplanning, clear communication, early engagement with stakeholders and partners, and informed risk management decisions will be critical as fire management strategies are considered and determined. Please spend time with fire management staff and your partners to ensure you are as prepared as possible before smoke is in the air.
In closing, let’s remember there is a lot of change happening around us; some fast while some takes time and extensive coordination to implement. I want to recognize the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center and their remarkable work in helping identify lessons we can take away from what are too often tragic events. Those lessons provide us the opportunity to effect positive change and reduce the likelihood of similar events in the future. Since its inception 20 years ago, the NPS has been a proud partner in sharing staff in the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center. We look forward to our continued partnership as we strive to do our best for our employees and the American public we proudly serve.
Cc: William Kaage, Division Chief, Fire and Aviation Management
Chad Fisher, Branch Chief, Wildland Fire
Joyelyn Sommer, Administrative Assistant, Fire and Aviation Management
NPS Memorandums
Last updated: July 5, 2022