http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/fuelman Schmidt et al. 2000. GTR RMRS-87.
Jan 11, 2016
http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/fuelman
Schmidt et al. 2000. GTR RMRS-87.
Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC)Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC)
• Used by all 5 federal land management agencies – Performance measure– Strategic allocation of scarce resources – Prioritize areas for fuels management
• Required under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act
• Used by all 5 federal land management agencies – Performance measure– Strategic allocation of scarce resources – Prioritize areas for fuels management
• Required under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act
FRCC is an ecological departure indexFRCC is an ecological departure index
• Reflects departure of current from natural (historical) vegetation & disturbance regime
• Improving condition class (3 2 1) associated with:– reducing hazardous fuels
– reducing large fire hazard
– improving habitat conditions
– improving watershed conditions
– improving forest/rangeland health
– more sustainable landscapes
• Reflects departure of current from natural (historical) vegetation & disturbance regime
• Improving condition class (3 2 1) associated with:– reducing hazardous fuels
– reducing large fire hazard
– improving habitat conditions
– improving watershed conditions
– improving forest/rangeland health
– more sustainable landscapes
Fire
Fre
quen
cy (
year
s)
33
66
66Departure (%) - Veg-Fuel Composition/Structure
CC 2
CC 3
Fire Regime Condition ClassFire Regime Condition Class
33
100
1000D
epar
ture
(%) –
Fire
Fre
quen
cy-S
ever
ity
CC 1
Determining FRCCDetermining FRCC
• Stratify a landscape by biophysical setting– Potential natural vegetation group
• Determine reference conditions– Fire frequency and severity (fire probabilities and % severe)– Relative abundance of vegetation-fuel classes (simulation model)
• Characterize current conditions– Fire frequency and severity (fire probabilities and % severe)– Relative abundance of vegetation-fuel classes
• Calculate departure• Online training (produced by University of Idaho FRAMES
project, www.frames.gov and www.frcc.gov) and field training being provided by the Interagency FRCC Working Group made up of federal agencies and The Nature Conservancy
• Stratify a landscape by biophysical setting– Potential natural vegetation group
• Determine reference conditions– Fire frequency and severity (fire probabilities and % severe)– Relative abundance of vegetation-fuel classes (simulation model)
• Characterize current conditions– Fire frequency and severity (fire probabilities and % severe)– Relative abundance of vegetation-fuel classes
• Calculate departure• Online training (produced by University of Idaho FRAMES
project, www.frames.gov and www.frcc.gov) and field training being provided by the Interagency FRCC Working Group made up of federal agencies and The Nature Conservancy
Ponderosa Pine – Douglas-firFire Regime Group I – Frequent Surface and Mixed
Result of 1990s timber harvest, thin, and prescribed fire in CC2 (60%) landscape
FR Condition = 30; FRCC = 1
FR Condition = 25FRCC = 1
Result of wildland fire use in CC2 (60%) fire-excluded landscape
Ponderosa Pine – Douglas-firFire Regime Group I – Frequent Surface and Mixed
FR Condition = 62FRCC = 2
Ponderosa Pine – Douglas-firFire Regime Group I – Frequent Surface and Mixed
Result of Fire Exclusion – 100 years
FR Condition = 50; FRCC = 2
Result of 50 years of fire exclusion & late 1800s-1970s excessive grazing
Sagebrush-grass with tree encroachmentGreat Basin fire regime group II – Frequent stand-replacing
FR Condition = 90FRCC = 3
Ponderosa Pine – Douglas-firFire Regime Group I – Frequent Surface and Mixed
Result of 1960-1980 timber harvests
FR Condition = 90; FRCC = 3
Result of wildfire in drought year in CC2 (60%) fire-excluded landscape
Ponderosa Pine – Douglas-firFire Regime Group I – Frequent Surface and Mixed
Uncharacteristic ConditionsUncharacteristic Conditions– fuel accumulation above natural
– excessive grazing
– invasive plants, insects, or disease
– unchar. insect & disease epidemics
– unchar. fire effects
– soil & hydrologic dysfunction
– fuel accumulation above natural
– excessive grazing
– invasive plants, insects, or disease
– unchar. insect & disease epidemics
– unchar. fire effects
– soil & hydrologic dysfunction
Restore uncharacteristic by emulating natural
Why FRCC?Why FRCC?
• Recent decades with large, severe wildfires with high costs of suppression and threats to people and property
• Policy changes in 1995• GAO called for cohesive strategy in 1999• Cohesive strategy and National Fire Plan in
2000• Coarse-scale FRCC useful for strategic
planning and prioritizing action and funding
• Recent decades with large, severe wildfires with high costs of suppression and threats to people and property
• Policy changes in 1995• GAO called for cohesive strategy in 1999• Cohesive strategy and National Fire Plan in
2000• Coarse-scale FRCC useful for strategic
planning and prioritizing action and funding
Coarse Scale Data Layers – 2000Fire Regime Condition Class
Fire Regime Condition Class 1Fire Regime Condition Class 2Fire Regime Condition Class 3WaterAg & Non Vegetative Areas
1 km (250 acre pixel) – too coarse for local useUnderestimated CC3 – could be as high as 45%
Coarse-scale was designed for National strategic assessment & planningShould not be used for local assessment & planning
All Wildland – Lower 48 - 1250 million acresAll Wildland – Lower 48 - 1250 million acres40% Forest40% Forest
60% Rangeland60% RangelandFRG1&2 – Frequent – 60%FRG1&2 – Frequent – 60%FRG3&4 – Infrequent– 35%FRG3&4 – Infrequent– 35%
FRG5 – Rare -- 5%FRG5 – Rare -- 5%CC1 – 45%CC1 – 45%CC2 – 40%CC2 – 40%CC3 – 15%CC3 – 15%
FRCC Value for IntegrationFRCC Value for Integration
Not a direct fire & fuel hazard
Associated with increasing hazards
Not a directresource hazard
Associated with increasing hazards
Not a direct costof mgt or mitigation
Associated with increasing costs
Index ofsustainability
Index of forest &rangeland health
Common to all Collaborative
Recent and ongoing FRCC approachesRecent and ongoing FRCC approaches
• Coarse scale– GTR RMRS-87, http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/fuelman– Lower 48 states, expert opinion, 1km2
• Guidebook (http://www.frcc.gov)– FRCC working group: Interagency & The Nature
Conservancy
• Rapid assessment• LANDFIRE (http://www.landfire.gov)• Science review
• Coarse scale– GTR RMRS-87, http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/fuelman– Lower 48 states, expert opinion, 1km2
• Guidebook (http://www.frcc.gov)– FRCC working group: Interagency & The Nature
Conservancy
• Rapid assessment• LANDFIRE (http://www.landfire.gov)• Science review
Strengths and limitationsStrengths and limitations
• Landscape scale
• Ecological
• Simple
• Uncharacteristic vegetation, pattern & fire
• Reference conditions – Estimated through simulation based on
experience and often very limited data– Are they relevant? Restorable? Useful?
• Landscape scale
• Ecological
• Simple
• Uncharacteristic vegetation, pattern & fire
• Reference conditions – Estimated through simulation based on
experience and often very limited data– Are they relevant? Restorable? Useful?
Determining FRCCDetermining FRCC
• Stratify a landscape by biophysical setting– Potential natural vegetation group
• Determine reference conditions– Fire frequency and severity (fire probabilities and % severe)– Relative abundance of vegetation-fuel classes (simulation model)
• Characterize current conditions– Fire frequency and severity (fire probabilities and % severe)– Relative abundance of vegetation-fuel classes
• Calculate departure• Online training (produced by University of Idaho FRAMES
project, www.frames.gov and www.frcc.gov) and field training being provided by the Interagency FRCC Working Group made up of federal agencies and The Nature Conservancy
• Stratify a landscape by biophysical setting– Potential natural vegetation group
• Determine reference conditions– Fire frequency and severity (fire probabilities and % severe)– Relative abundance of vegetation-fuel classes (simulation model)
• Characterize current conditions– Fire frequency and severity (fire probabilities and % severe)– Relative abundance of vegetation-fuel classes
• Calculate departure• Online training (produced by University of Idaho FRAMES
project, www.frames.gov and www.frcc.gov) and field training being provided by the Interagency FRCC Working Group made up of federal agencies and The Nature Conservancy