FOREST SERVICE MANUAL WASHINGTON TITLE 3100 - COOPERATIVE FIRE PROTECTION Amendment No. 3100-98-9 Effective July 22, 1998 POSTING NOTICE. Amendments are numbered consecutively by Title and calendar year. Post by document name. Remove entire document and replace with this amendment. Retain this transmittal as the first page of this document. The last amendment to this Title was Amendment 3100-98-8 to FSM 3130 Contents. This amendment supersedes Amendment 3100-90-1 to FSM 3130. Superseded New Document Name (Number of Pages) 3130 3 7 Digest: 3130 - Changes the chapter caption from "Wildland Fire Protection Program" to "Cooperative Rural Fire Prevention and Control Program." Makes minor editorial changes throughout chapter FSM 3130. 3130.2 - Clarifies the program objective related to fire prevention and control on non-Federal wildlands. 3130.3 - 3130.37 - Clarifies and recodes policy on cooperative rural fire prevention and control, including leadership (FSM 3130.31); planning (FSM 3130.32); Federal assistance (FSM 3130.33); determination of allowable costs (FSM 3130.34); program accomplishment (FSM 3130.35); and wildland/urban interface (FSM 3130.37). 3130.4 - 3130.43 - Adds responsibilities for various aspects of the rural fire prevention and control program. 3131 - 3131.23 - Adds direction on development of five-year program plans, formerly contained in FSH 3109.11, Cooperative Fire Protection Handbook, which has been removed from the directive system. Adds an example of a five-year plan initiative summary in exhibit 01. MIKE DOMBECK Chief FSM 3100 - COOPERATIVE FIRE PROTECTION WO AMENDMENT 3100-98-9 EFFECTIVE 7/22/98 CHAPTER 3130 - COOPERATIVE RURAL FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL PROGRAM 3130.2 - Objective. To provide Federal technical and financial assistance to States, territories, and commonwealths for fire prevention and control on non-Federal wildlands. 3130.3 - Policy. 3130.31 - Leadership. Provide leadership that fosters cooperation in rural fire prevention and control among all levels of government. Facilitate the interagency sharing of ideas, information, and services within the fire community. Encourage and assist in the development of cooperative and mutual aid agreements among local, State, and Federal government agencies. 3130.32 - Planning. Base cooperative fire protection programs on five-year plans (FSM 3131) that are coordinated with the States. Collect data that can be used by the Forest Service and the State Foresters to develop plans and monitor trends. 3130.33 - Federal Assistance. Provide Federal assistance to improve non-Federal wildland fire protection when appropriate Federal roles and objectives can be met. Emphasize activities that improve the States' fire protection capability. 1. Technical Assistance. Provide or secure the specialized skills and expertise needed to assist States. Augment Forest Service assistance with skills from other Federal agencies and States. 2. Financial Assistance. Distribute Federal financial assistance through grants, agreements, or contracts based upon five-year plans (FSM 3131, FSM 1580, and FSH 1509.11). 3130.34 - Determination of Allowable Costs. When providing financial assistance to States, base the rates for salaries, materials, equipment, and travel on criteria outlined in Office of Management and Budget Circular A-87 (FSM 3101). Forest Service employees may take samples of actual activity costs and use the information to develop or modify grants. 3130.35 - Program Accomplishment. Establish and display program goals and objectives in the five-year plan (FSM 3131). Annually review objectives and monitor activity and plan accomplishment. Encourage States to contribute to and support these goals and objectives through their program activities. 3130.36 - Determination of Benefits. Direct Forest Service involvement in non-Federal wildland fire prevention and control toward maximizing quantifiable benefits in the national interest. Regions and the Area should use the National Fire Management Analysis System (NFMAS), value analysis, or other analysis processes to determine the relative costs and benefits of proposed activities. 3130.37 - Wildland/Urban Interface. Identify opportunities to improve or maintain efficient and effective rural cooperative fire prevention and control programs with particular emphasis on resolving wildland/urban interface issues where they exist. Encourage property owners to redeem their responsibility to provide for their own safety in the wildland/urban interface. 3130.4 - Responsibility. 3130.41 - Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry. The Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry, has the authority to coordinate with the National Association of State Foresters Executive Committee as required by the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act (16 U.S.C. 1606, 2101; 92 Stat. 365, as amended). 3130.42 - Director, Fire and Aviation Management Staff, Washington Office. The Director of Fire and Aviation Management, Washington Office, has the responsibility to: 1. Determine national priorities for the five-year planning period. 2. Develop national programs that are based on an aggregation of five-year cooperative fire protection summaries submitted by the Regional Foresters, Area Director, and Institute Director. 3. Prepare annual program guidelines that include: a. A statement of objectives to identify Forest Service program emphasis. b. Program funding available by unit at alternate funding levels. 4. Coordinate with the National Association of State Foresters Fire Committee. 3130.43 - Regional Foresters, Area Director, and Institute Director. Regional Foresters, except in Region 9, the Area Director, and the Institute Director have the responsibility to: 1. Develop and maintain a five-year cooperative fire protection plan that identifies program objectives and emphasis. 2. Develop annual programs that support the five-year plan objectives. 3. Review State proposals for Federal assistance and participate in developing grants (FSH 1509.11, Grants, Cooperative Agreements, and Other Agreements Handbook). 4. Provide technical and financial assistance to States. 5. Maintain records of financial assistance and targets for each State. 6. Monitor the effectiveness of plan implementation. 3131 - FIVE-YEAR COOPERATIVE FIRE PROTECTION PLANS. 3131.1 - Purpose. The five-year program plan provides documentation and guidance for Forest Service cooperative fire protection programs; provides direction for establishing annual program priorities within each State; and contains information applicable to the Forest Service planning and budgeting process (FSM 3130.32). Regional Foresters, the Area Director, and the Institute Director develop these plans. Provide the opportunity for State Foresters to participate directly in the development of program plans. Program plans may be used to support grant applications. 3131.2 - Content. 3131.21 - Initiatives. Program plans should identify initiatives to be emphasized during the planning period. For each initiative, identify: 1. Problem or opportunity, 2. Objectives, 3. Planned program actions, 4. Federal assistance needed, and 5. Anticipated costs and benefits. Initiative descriptions also may include other information, such as a description of recurring annual work, a schedule of planned accomplishments, the criteria for selected projects, and a list of individual State projects. Exhibit 01 contains an example of a five-year program plan initiative summary. Where appropriate, five-year program plans should comprehensively address management initiatives of the Federal excess personal property (FEPP) and the rural community fire protection (RCFP) programs (FSM 3120 and 3150). 3131.21 - Exhibit 01 Example of Initiative Summary Five-Year Cooperative Fire Protection Plan TITLE: Wildland/Urban Interface Priority #1 GOAL: Reduce the threat of, and loss from, wildfire in wildland/urban interface areas. OBJECTIVES: During the next three years, quantify current and expected costs and losses from wildfire in wildland/urban interface areas. Identify key areas where fuel modification and landowner "firesafe" practices are needed. Identify actions and programs that have a high potential for success or payoff. When these objectives have been met, develop and implement a strategic program of action to achieve the goal. ACTIONS: Coordinate initiative activities by forming an interagency steering group. Use workshops and establish community action groups. Identify and implement demonstration projects for fuel modification and homeowner "firesafe" practices with community groups. Funds ($ M) by FY Planned Projects 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Conduct Steering Group 10 10 5 5 5 Activity Map High-Hazard Areas 50 15 5 5 5 Form Community Groups 20 20 10 5 5 Plan Demonstration 0 20 10 5 0 Projects Implement and Monitor 0 0 50 50 50 Demonstration Projects BENEFITS: Reduce loss of life and property to wildfire in the wildland/urban interface. Reduce costs and firefighter risks associated with suppressing fires in the wildland/urban interface. 3131.22 - Technical Assistance. Program plans should identify needs for technical assistance, which may include: 1. Coordination of interagency technology transfer, information exchange, and technology development; 2. Development and implementation of training; and 3. Program analysis and planning. 3131.23 - Activity Categories. Program plans should categorize and describe State activities in terms of the following: 1. Information Activities. Include activities related to the collection, compilation, and reporting of fire-related data for Regional, Area, or national program analysis, planning, monitoring, and policy development appropriate for Federal financial assistance. Base funding on the volume and complexity of data being collected. Do not include information needed only by a State to manage its fire program. 2. Analysis and Planning. A plan's fire analysis should show a State's fire history and options for resource protection. It should identify opportunities for future improvements in efficiency and effectiveness. The analysis and planning effort should involve other States or Federal agencies. 3. Technology Transfer. Plans should show when assistance for technology transfer by a State or Federal agency to another State or Federal agency is appropriate for Federal financial assistance. The following conditions should be met: a. The Forest Service determines that the transfer action will increase efficiency within the fire management community. b. A request is made for specific technology, and program objectives can be met by providing it. 4. Technology Development. Plans should show when the development of technology may receive Federal financial assistance. The following conditions should be met: a. The State has the expertise; b. It is cost effective to have a State develop the technology; or c. The technology to be developed addresses a specific fire management problem. 5. Shared Fire Protection Resources. Plans should show needs for Federal financial assistance for development and maintenance of fire protection resources which may be shared or made available to other States under the following conditions: a. Resources are needed outside of a State's planned fire season, or the resources are needed within that State's planned fire season and the State Forester approves the dispatch. b. Shared fire protection resources meet national, Regional, or interagency standards. c. Requesting and supplying States have legal authority for interstate/interagency activity. 6. Efficient State Protection. Plans should show where program assistance improves efficiency of a State's basic fire protection program. Use a process like the Forest Service National Fire Management Analysis System (NFMAS) to identify and document the best opportunities for Federal assistance. The following conditions should be met: a. The State has analyzed its current fire program, identified specific opportunities to improve its efficiency, and displayed economic implications of the proposed activity. b. The plans show that clearly identified Federal program objectives can be met. c. Financial assistance would not result in a long-term commitment to supplement any aspect of a State's basic program.