The politics of prescribed fire at Devils Tower--National Park Service--WASO-INFO





		by Chas Cartwright and Kurt Pindel
	A 280-acre prescribed fire burned through forest and grassland at Devils Tower National Monument (Wyoming) on 29 April 1998. Conducted by the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and state and local firefighters, this was the park's third prescribed fire since approval of the Fire Management Plan in 1993. The previous two prescribed fires were conducted under less than ideal weather and fuel moisture conditions, accomplishing none of the targeted resource management objectives. In contrast, preliminary data indicate that the 1998 burn met all resource objectives, including reduction of the forest canopy, pole-sized trees, and dead and down fuels. Although the prescribed fire was declared “out," the controversy surrounding the burn had just started. The spark that lit the fuse was the burn location. The local public was outraged at the blackened trees marring the primary view of Devils Tower. Articles in local and regional newspapers were highly critical of park management. Most northeast Wyoming residents believed that the park should not try to conduct ecosystem management, but should focus solely on managing for scenic values and economic concerns. Some local residents called for salvage logging of fire-blackened trees for beautification purposes. Local businesses were worried that visitation would decrease, resulting in a drop in revenues. While the visiting public was curious about the burn, they understood the overall purpose of prescribed fire. However, despite concerted efforts by the National Park Service to publicize the natural role that fire plays in ecosystems, especially since the 1988 Yellowstone fires, the general public is often unable or unwilling to tolerate the effects of this powerful force of nature. The uproar was heard all the way to the Wyoming congressional delegation, who immediately sought further information on the fire. While the park's strategy was to focus on the purpose and ecological success of the prescribed fire, the representatives were more interested in what the park would do to fix the “problem." Clearly, the park's education agenda and the representatives' emphasis on changing fire policy were incompatible. The press also added to the controversy with a few highly inaccurate articles, one of which portrayed the superintendent as an arsonist. As resource managers certainly know, it is important to assess acceptance of prescribed fire by local communities before a burn takes place and to expand communication efforts with the public at all points in the process. The message must be kept simple by emphasizing safety and overall ecosystem health as desired outcomes. Although the prescribed fire at Devils Tower met all legal requirements for public notification, local constituents felt strongly that the park needed to be more comprehensive in contacting all nearby residents. This experience also underscores the importance of using the fire management planning process to address the visual impacts to be expected from prescribed fire. Furthermore, it points out the value of aiming educational efforts at children so that they may grow up with a different viewpoint of fire from the one symbolized by Smokey the Bear. The National Park Service should continue to enlist public support for using scientific information to manage parks. Ultimately, park managers still must do what is best for the resource.

Flames from the controversial 1998 prescribed fire move up the south flank of Devils Tower, Wyoming. Photo Credit: © 1998 Andy Karoly chas_cartwright@nps.gov Superintendent, Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming kurt_pindel@nps.gov Supervisory Biological Science Technician, Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming PRESCRIBED FIRES UP IN 1998 Prescribed fire and hazard fuels reduction accomplishments increased 24%, from 69,481 acres in 1997 to 86,126 acres in 1998. The increase is attributable to new rules for the use of funds for these activities, growth in the number of parks with fire management plans, and enhanced availability of personnel to carry out these fire applications. This year’s accomplishments are in line with projections reported to Congress, suggesting that the new funding rules will increase fire accomplishments by 25% over each of the next four years. SMOKE TO BE MANAGED Sequoia–Kings Canyon National Parks and their interagency counterparts signed a memorandum of understanding in 1998 to address the effects of smoke from prescribed natural fires on regional air quality. As the year came to a close, the partners were developing EPA recommended sections of a smoke management plan for the application of best available control technologies to manage smoke in order to meet California state and federal health and welfare standards. The plan encompasses smoke dispersion evaluation; burn planning, administration, and authorization; public education and awareness; emission inventory and reduction techniques; economic and environmental assessment; and oversight by the State of California. Back to Chapter 1: A Spectrum of Challenges Commercial Fishing Issues In Glacier Bay Resolved Through Legislation by James Tilmant and Chad Soiseth Mining and power generation along the Natchez Trace Parkway by Kerry Moss and Mark VanMouwerik Personal watercraft use to be regulated in the parks by Chip Davis Blackstone River protects nature in a changing cultural landscape by Nancy Brittain Agencies search for reasons for amphibian decline by Kathy A. Tonnessen and Gary Williams Home

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Last Updated: 07/22/99
Direct comments on this website to jeff_selleck@nps.gov
This article is from Natural Resource Year in Review--1998, published by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, in June 1999 (publication D-1346)