2004

Big Cypress National Preserve

Gyrotrac Brushcutters Assist in Hazard Fuels Reduction
Using funds provided by the National Fire Plan, the National Park Service at Big Cypress National Preserve was able to purchase two Gyrotrac brushcutters.

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

Forestry Technicians Complete Busy Spring
This year the Big South Fork Forestry Technician's assisted with prescribed burns at Kings Mountain National Military Park , Great Smoky Mountains National Park , Mammoth Cave National Park and the Daniel Boone National Forest totaling 4,552 acres.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon Completes Paria Prescribed Fire
Bryce Canyon National Park Fire Management personnel recently completed the Paria Prescribed Fire as part of their ongoing fire management program. Project goals include the protection of communities and structures located near public lands from the impacts of wildfire and the restoration of
fire as a natural process to ponderosa pine and grassland communities.

The Role of Information on the Paria Prescribed Fire
In the case of the Paria Prescribed Fire, a public information plan was developed in cooperation with Zion National Park’s Fire Information and Education Specialist and managers at Bryce Canyon.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

White's City Fire Department Receives Rural Fire Assistance Grant
A check for $10,000 was presented to the Eddy County Commission by National Park Service Director Fran Mainella during her visit to Carlsbad Caverns on April 20.

Chickasaw National Recreation Area

Area Departments Receive Rural Fire Assistance
Chickasaw National Recreation Area has benefited from long-term support by the local fire departments, Davis , Hickory , Dougherty, Joy, Rock Prairie, and Sulphur . On their behalf, Chickasaw NRA applied for and received Rural Fire Assistance funding to enhance these rural fire departments wildland fire suppression ability.

Division of Fire & Aviation

Two National Park Service Nominees Win National Fire Plan Awards
Two National Park Service nominees were honored with National Fire Plan Awards for Excellence in Firefighter Preparedness, Training and Safety. The award for an individual in this category went to David Crary, Fire Management Officer of Cape Cod National Seashore, and
the group award went to the Indiana Interagency Coordination Center, in which Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is a cooperative partner.

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

Monument Provides Funding for Teller County and Florissant Wildland Fire Crews
The National Park Service (NPS), through Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, recently provided a $10,000 grant for rural fire assistance to the Teller County Office of Emergency Services and another $10,000 grant to the Florissant Fire and Rescue District (FRD).

Grand Canyon National Park

FIREWISE Communities Assists Area Residents
Approximately 45 people attended Grand Canyon's Firewise Community workshop. Participants included residents from Grand Canyon and adjacent communities, park and concession employees, cooperators from neighboring Kaibab National Forest and the Tusayan Fire Department.

The Grand Canyon's Youngest Fire Crew Assists in Fire & Aviation
You might have seen them out creating fuel breaks or just cleaning up around the firebase. From a little broom and pinecone hockey to much more serious tasks, these kids did their part for the Grand Canyon National Park's Branch of Fire and Aviation during the 2004 fire season.

Grand Teton National Park

Teton Interagency Fire Management Lends Support to Snowshoe Walks
Now in its third season, free interpretive snowshoe tours from Jackson Mountain Resort Nordic Center take participants into the forest surrounding the resort. The trail passes through a previously burned area presenting an opportunity for guides to lead discussions on fire ecology.

Interagency Fire Effects Meeting Shares Monitoring Information
The third annual Interagency Fire Effects Meeting was held in Jackson in February, bringing together resource professionals to review data and hold discussions on research and fire effects projects in the area. The diverse audience brought a range of skills and expertise to the meeting.

Teton Interagency Fire Participates in Incident Information Officer Training
The Teton Interagency Fire Management Program was represented in the second annual Arizona Wildfire
Academy this month, helping to round out a cadre of instructors for the academy's first Information Officer's
training.

Teton County Parks & Recreation Students Participate in Fire Programs
Spring break in Teton County means more than just a two- week hiatus from school. It triggers the kick- off for
the Teton County Parks & Recreation's Kid's Club Spring Break Program. For ten days, the program offers a
variety of both indoor and outdoor activities for children participating in the sessions.

School Programs Feature Fire Management Careers
The Jackson Hole High School, Jackson Chamber of Commerce, and Jackson Workforce Center co-sponsored
a job fair in May 2004, giving local students an opportunity to learn about area job opportunities. Teton Interagency Fire Management was one of thirteen participants in the job fair, providing a display with photographs and information on a variety of positions within the fire organization.

Fire Information Class Targets Local Community
Training offered through the Teton Interagency Fire Education program this past June shared fire information with local community members and helped develop a pool of resources to utilize on future fire management activities.

Interagency Fire Personnel Participate in All Fire Days Training
The sixth annual interagency All Fire Days training was held on Friday, June 18th in Grand Teton National Park's Beaver Creek employee housing area. The day-long event brought agency wildland fire cooperators together for a task-oriented field exercise day.

Federal Officials Dedicate New Interagency Helibase
The Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park celebrated completion of a new interagency helibase in a ceremony held on July 8th. Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott and Forest Supervisor Kniffy Hamilton jointly cut the ribbon on the new 3,200 square- foot building, located at the Jackson Hole Airport.

Junior Firefighter Program Wraps Up For the Season
The Junior Firefighter program offered in Grand Teton National Park concluded in August, ending a six- week
season that began in early July. The program gave children an opportunity to learn about fire and its relationship
with wildlife habitats and plant adaptations.

Fire Management Highlighted at State Outdoor Expo
Through a cooperative effort between the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the Bridger- Teton National
Forest, and Grand Teton National Park, participants in September's Wyoming Hunting and Fishing Heritage
Expo had an opportunity to learn about fire's role in the ecosystem.

Streamlined EA Fuels Project Work Completed
Teton Interagency fire management crews completed work in October on a fuels reduction pilot project, totaling 89 acres, in Grand Teton National Park. The fuels reduction project, selected to test streamlined Environmental Assessments under the NEPA process, was intended to determine the effectiveness of expediting procedures to accomplish fuels treatment work, while also adhering to existing National Park Service policies.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Park Distributes Rural Fire Assistance to Three VFDs
Three cooperating volunteer fire departments were awarded Rural Fire Assistance (RFA) funding through Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in 2004. This marked the fourth year in a row that grant proposals for the Mosca-Hooper and Baca-Grande fire departments were approved and the first year for Kundalini.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Park Conducts Prescribed Burn in Cataloochee
The burn was conducted to help restore a natural, but increasingly rare forest type, and is expected to help create additional and attractive habitat for the park's experimental elk population.

Park Counts Many Successes in 2004
An overview of 2004, looking at wildland fire, prescribed fire, fuel reduction, Rural Fire Assistance, fire ecology, and more.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Indiana Dunes Receives Regional Fuels Award
The park staff at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in Porter, Ind., has been named the winner of the 2003 Midwest Regional Fuels Award.

Indiana Dunes Partnership Receives National Fire Plan Award
The Indiana Interagency Coordination Center (IICC), in which Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in Porter, Ind. , is a cooperative partner, has been named the winner of the 2003 National Fire Plan Award for Excellence in Firefighter Preparedness, Training, and Safety.

Lake Meredith National Recreation Area

Park Distributes Rural Fire Assistance
Superintendent Karren Brown announced in August that five area Rural Fire Departments received Rural Fire Assistance from the National Park Service.

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Park Uses Portable Information Display to Inform about Fire
At Lassen Volcanic National Park this past summer, Fire had great success when they chose to erect a portable fire information display.

Natchez Trace Parkway

Increasing Fire Awareness in Young People
Each year, the Natchez Trace Parkway participates in Fire Prevention Week by hosting field trips for students from local schools. This year, more than 300 third and forth graders from Pontotoc county ( Mississippi ) schools participated.

New River Gorge National River

Park Distributes Equipment through Rural Fire Assistance
New River Gorge National River distributed $60,000 worth of equipment to 18 fire departments in the four county region around the park.

Northeast Regional Office

Interagency Team Receives National Award
The Shenandoah Valley Interagency Wildfire Prevention and Education Team received a 2004 Bronze Smokey Bear Award.The National Smokey Bear Awards are presented annually by the Ad Council, the National Association of State Foresters and the Forest Service for sustained excellence in wildland fire prevention.

Point Reyes National Seashore

Six More Fuel Reduction Projects Receive Funding through the Wildland-Urban Interface Program
On July 29, 2004, the National Park Service announced six additional community partnership projects will receive funding during Fiscal Year 2004 to achieve greater wildland fire protection in the vicinity of Point Reyes National Seashore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and neighboring open space lands.

Rural Fire Assistance Provides Safety Equipment to
Fire Departments Near Park
In early September, the National Park Service announced that three fire departments near Point Reyes National Seashore have received funding for Rural Fire Assistance (RFA)

Rocky Mountain National Park

Estes Valley Landowners Provide a Model for Protecting Forests, Homes and Communities
The fuels reduction efforts of an energetic group of residents in the Windcliff subdivision started 10 years ago. Since then, they've embarked on an ambitious plan to mitigate hazardous fuels on each lot and the common areas.

National Park Service Hotshots Participate in Firefighter Health and Safety Study
The Alpine and Arrowhead Interagency Hotshot Crews are participating in a study with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Department of the Interior to examine work related exposures and lung disease in Type I wildland firefighters.

United States Forest Service Chief Visits Rocky Mountain National Park
Dale Bosworth, Chief of the United States Forest Service recently joined a group of national and regional Forest Service administrators and Rocky Mountain National Park
resource and fire management staff to discuss local fire management issues and interagency partnerships. The meeting was part of a larger "chief's review" of the USFS
Rocky Mountain Region.

Estes Valley Fire Education Partnership Continues
A $15,000 National Fire Plan Community Assistance Grant continues to provide cooperative fire education opportunities for residents of communities near Rocky Mountain National Park.

National Park Service Distributes Federal Funding To Local Volunteer Fire Departments
Rocky Mountain National Park distributed $25,900 in federal funding to assist four local volunteer fire departments. Glen Haven Volunteer Fire Department received $11,000, Estes Park VFD was awarded $7000, Grand Lake VFD accepted $4,400 and Allenspark VFD obtained $3,500 in funding.

Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site

Officials Meet to Discuss Fire Management Issues at Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
The National Park Service recently hosted a planning session to discuss fire prevention efforts and suppression activities for Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. Community Assistance funding was obtained through the National Fire Plan to facilitate this important meeting.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

National Park Service Hotshots Participate in Firefighter Health and Safety Study
The Alpine and Arrowhead Interagency Hotshot Crews are participating in a study with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Department of the Interior to examine work related exposures and lung disease in Type I wildland firefighters.

Tharps - "A Model Prescribed Fire"
On July 2, 2004, fire crews at Sequoia National Park completed the 257-acre Tharps Prescribed Fire after five days of ignition. The burn “behaved like a model prescription fire, with the smoke barely noticed by Three Rivers residents,” said the Kaweah Commonwealth, a local newspaper.

Operational Flexibility
The fire program at Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks proved its operational flexibility in June of 2004 when it switched gears between two burn projects in less than 24 hours.

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

Kanaka Shaded Fuelbreak Completed
Working together with local, private contract crews Whiskeytown National Recreation Area was able
to complete another critical link on its eastern boundary with the completion of the 6.5 mile Kanaka
Shaded Fuelbreak.

Power Tower Prescribed Fire Successful
The National Park Service at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area successfully completed the Power Tower
prescribed burn on March 13, 2004.A total of 560 acres were burned along the east boundary of the Park. The Power Tower burn is a strategic line of defense that reduced hazardous fuels in the recreation area, and will help to protect nearby communities from devastating wildfire.

Community of Shasta Benefits from Hazard Fuels Reduction
The National Park Service at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and the Western Shasta Resource Conservation District (WSRCD) joined forces during Spring 2004 to reduce hazardous fuels in and around the community of Shasta.

Yellowstone National Park

Park Distributes Rural Fire Assistance Funds
Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Suzanne Lewis announced June 10 that the park has successfully obtained $27,000 in funding from the Department of the Interior’s Rural Fire Assistance Program.

Zion National Park

Zion Opens New Emergency Operations Center
Zion National Park recently celebrated the completion of their Emergency Operations Center (EOC) with a grand opening on May 20, 2004. This newly constructed $3.5 million;
sustainably-designed building will house all staff, vehicles and equipment involved with emergency operations in the park in one location to better serve an ever-increasing visitor
population.

Color Country Interagency Fire Management Wins
Prestigious Pulaski Award
Officials from the Color Country Interagency Fire Management Area proudly accepted the prestigious Pulaski Award for 2004 at a ceremony in Cedar City, Utah on June 2. Color Country earned the award for its achievements in interagency cooperation and coordination in managing wildland fire.

Kolob Visitor Center Fuel Reduction Project
Zion National Park Fire Management recently completed the Kolob Visitor Center Fuels Reduction Project for the purpose of protecting park and surrounding private structures and resources in the event of a wildland fire.

Rockville Bench Fuel Reduction Project
Fire Management Officials in Zion National Park recently completed the Rockville Bench Fuel Reduction Project as part of its ongoing program to reduce hazardous fuel levels. This contract project was intended to reduce fuel loading to manageable levels in order to protect park resources and private properties and structures along the park boundary in the event of a wildland fire.

Fuel Reduction Treatments Completed in Zion Canyon
Zion National Park Fire Management officials recently completed a series of wildland urban interface
(WUI) fuels treatments in Zion Canyon, as part of their ongoing efforts to reduce the risks from wildland
fire to park resources.

East Boundary Fuel Reduction Treatments
Zion National Park recently completed some fuels reduction treatments along its eastern boundary as part of our ongoing program to reduce the risks of wildland fire to neighboring
communities and private landowners.

Clear Trap Prescribed Burn
A solid burn plan coupled with some appropriately-timed weather events combined to make the Clear Trap Prescribed Fire the largest prescribed fire in the park’s history an overall success.

Success Stories: People, Parks & Fire — Better Together
National Fire Plan Meeting,
April 2002
Compressed 2.8 MB

Print Quality 24.9 MB

Success Stories 2002
National Fire Plan Meeting
January 2003
Print Quality 3.5 MB

Highlights of Our Success 2003
National Fire Plan Meeting
February 2004
Print Quality 1.95 MB