Revised 5140

Current 5140 Manual can be located at the following URL:

http://www.fs.fed.us/im/directives/dughtml/fsm_5000.html

HISTORY: A memo dated June 25 to USFS Regional Foresters and Directors formally announced the completion and approval of Forest Service Manual 5140, effective June 18, 1999. The memo was signed by Janice McDougle, Deputy Chief for State & Private Forestry, with concurrence from Assistant Director for Applied Operations Dennis Pendleton, Assistant Director for Aviation Management Pat Kelly, and National Fire Use Program Manager Dave Bunnell.

This amendment to 5140 is significant; the chapter now references the changes in direction in federal fire policy by highlighting wildland fire use as well as prescribed fire applications.

FSM 5140.32 incorporates the Wildland and Prescribed Fire Management Policy Implementation Procedures Guide as official direction. This Implementation Guide was negotiated among and approved by the five federal land management agencies. Each retained the right to implement this direction in a manner necessary to maintain consistency in meeting agency objectives, goals, manual direction, and land and resource management plans. Within that agreement, the Forest Service interpretation of direction provided in the Wildland Fire Situation Analysis (WFSA) differs from that of the DOI agencies.

Forest Service interpretation concludes that the WFSA will be used to evaluate suppression responses to wildland fires that have exceeded initial attack response or exceeded planned management capability. Without an approved plan that meets National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance, resource benefits cannot be achieved by wildland fire management actions. Enhanced resource values may be a collateral benefit of the planned action, but cannot be part of the objective of the action. Subsequently, the WFSA will produce an appropriate management response that will be based on suppression strategies of control or confinement. Only one appropriate management response strategy may be used on a single fire; the strategy will be either suppression or wildland fire use. No appropriate management response may transition from suppression to wildland fire use.

Below are guidelines for making Maximum Manageable Area (MMA) determinations where multiple fire situations exist. These situations have been encountered in implementing the fire policy in the past. This guidance will assist field level implementations by applying policy and procedures consistently during highly complex decision phases of wildland fire management actions.

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