A National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy

By: Wildland Fire Leadership Council

Addressing wildfire is not simply a fire management, fire operations, or wildland-urban interface problem — it is  a larger, more complex land management and societal issue. The vision for the next century is to:  Safely and effectively extinguish fire, when needed; use fire where allowable; manage our natural resources; and as a Nation, live with wildland fire.

Three primary factors have been identified as presenting the greatest challenges and the greatest opportunities for making a positive difference in addressing the wildland fire problems to achieve this vision. They are:

• Restoring and maintaining resilient landscapes. 
• Creating fire-adapted communities.
• Responding to Wildfires.

The Cohesive Strategy is defined by three phases. This phased approach allows stakeholders to both systematically and thoroughly develop a dynamic approach to planning for, responding to, and recovering from a wildland fire incident. The three phases include:

• Phase I: National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy
• Phase II: Development of Regional Strategies and Assessments
• Phase III: National Trade-Off Analysis and Execution

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