Project Links
Fire Management Plan - - 2024/2025
Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park » Fire Management Plan - - 2024/2025 » Document List
The National Park Service (NPS) Wildland Fire Program manages wildland fire to protect the public, park communities, and infrastructure; conserve natural and cultural resources; and maintain and restore natural ecosystem processes, as highlighted in the NPS Wildland Fire Strategic Plan.
Fire management plans (FMPs) implement strategies for managing fire and fuels within and adjacent to the parks, as determined cooperatively by various federal, state, local land managers, private landowners, and public stakeholders, in service of protecting park resources and values. An FMP should both protect resources and, to the most practicable extent, reintroduce fire as an ecological process on the landscape. The fire management planning process evaluates the current fire management situation and develops a cooperative and collaborative plan to benefit and adapt to the changing needs and conditions of the parks and adjacent lands. Auditing of the Fire Managment Program at a Service-wide level identified the age and format of the parks' 2003 FMP as being outdated and a corrective action plan has identified the BLCA/CURE plans as needing to be completed prior to the parks being eligible for any key fire treatment measures (e.g. prescribed burns, defensible space, etc.) or their related funding.
The Fire Management Plan for Black Canyon of the Gunnison (BLCA) and Curecanti National Recreation Area (CURE) was last updated in 2006 (see DataStore - Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area Fire Management Plan and NEPA Documents (nps.gov) for the 2006 Fire Management Plan, associated Environmental Assessment, and current Fire Management Unit map). The 2006 NPS Management Policies require all park units with burnable vegetation have an approved Fire Management Plan (FMP). An FMP is a programmatic planning document that describes policy, goals, and objectives, and establishes strategies and tactics for managing wildland fire and non-fire fuel treatments, such as manual and mechanical thinning.
The NPS proposes to develop and implement a new FMP for Black Canyon National Park (BLCA) and Curecanti National Recreation Area (CURE) with a fire management strategy that aligns with Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy and could include a full range of strategies for managing wildfire. The full range of fire management strategies for lightning-caused wildfires may include full suppression, containment within a specific geographic area, point protection of infrastructure and important natural and cultural resources, and/or monitoring to accomplish resource management goals and objectives. All human-caused wildfires will have an initial response strategy of suppression.
The BLCA and CURE FMP will address high value resources and assets to be protected and align with parkwide resource stewardship goals and objectives. The FMP will also be consistent with environmental laws and regulations such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Federal and State Historic Preservation Acts, the Wilderness Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act.
In accordance with NEPA, the BLCA and CURE FMP Environmental Assessment will evaluate potential impacts of at least two fire management plan alternatives on the natural, biological, physical, cultural, social, and economic environments related to Black Canyon National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area.
A scoping newsletter with more information is available on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/BLCACUREFMP2024. Submitting comments through the PEPC system is strongly encouraged, or comments can be mailed to:
Superintendent, Curecanti National Recreation Area
Attn: Fire Management Plan EA
102 Elk Creek
Gunnison, CO 81230
Comments by email or phone will not be accepted. The 30-day public scoping period is from September 3 to October 2, 2024. Your comments will help us refine the preliminary alternatives for BLCA and CURE's Fire Management Plan.
There will also be opportunity to comment on the completed Draft Fire Management Plan and Environmental Assessment during the 30-day public comment period currently scheduled for December 9, 2024 to January 8, 2025. Additional information on the comment period will be forthcoming.
Fire management plans (FMPs) implement strategies for managing fire and fuels within and adjacent to the parks, as determined cooperatively by various federal, state, local land managers, private landowners, and public stakeholders, in service of protecting park resources and values. An FMP should both protect resources and, to the most practicable extent, reintroduce fire as an ecological process on the landscape. The fire management planning process evaluates the current fire management situation and develops a cooperative and collaborative plan to benefit and adapt to the changing needs and conditions of the parks and adjacent lands. Auditing of the Fire Managment Program at a Service-wide level identified the age and format of the parks' 2003 FMP as being outdated and a corrective action plan has identified the BLCA/CURE plans as needing to be completed prior to the parks being eligible for any key fire treatment measures (e.g. prescribed burns, defensible space, etc.) or their related funding.
The Fire Management Plan for Black Canyon of the Gunnison (BLCA) and Curecanti National Recreation Area (CURE) was last updated in 2006 (see DataStore - Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area Fire Management Plan and NEPA Documents (nps.gov) for the 2006 Fire Management Plan, associated Environmental Assessment, and current Fire Management Unit map). The 2006 NPS Management Policies require all park units with burnable vegetation have an approved Fire Management Plan (FMP). An FMP is a programmatic planning document that describes policy, goals, and objectives, and establishes strategies and tactics for managing wildland fire and non-fire fuel treatments, such as manual and mechanical thinning.
The NPS proposes to develop and implement a new FMP for Black Canyon National Park (BLCA) and Curecanti National Recreation Area (CURE) with a fire management strategy that aligns with Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy and could include a full range of strategies for managing wildfire. The full range of fire management strategies for lightning-caused wildfires may include full suppression, containment within a specific geographic area, point protection of infrastructure and important natural and cultural resources, and/or monitoring to accomplish resource management goals and objectives. All human-caused wildfires will have an initial response strategy of suppression.
The BLCA and CURE FMP will address high value resources and assets to be protected and align with parkwide resource stewardship goals and objectives. The FMP will also be consistent with environmental laws and regulations such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Federal and State Historic Preservation Acts, the Wilderness Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act.
In accordance with NEPA, the BLCA and CURE FMP Environmental Assessment will evaluate potential impacts of at least two fire management plan alternatives on the natural, biological, physical, cultural, social, and economic environments related to Black Canyon National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area.
A scoping newsletter with more information is available on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/BLCACUREFMP2024. Submitting comments through the PEPC system is strongly encouraged, or comments can be mailed to:
Superintendent, Curecanti National Recreation Area
Attn: Fire Management Plan EA
102 Elk Creek
Gunnison, CO 81230
Comments by email or phone will not be accepted. The 30-day public scoping period is from September 3 to October 2, 2024. Your comments will help us refine the preliminary alternatives for BLCA and CURE's Fire Management Plan.
There will also be opportunity to comment on the completed Draft Fire Management Plan and Environmental Assessment during the 30-day public comment period currently scheduled for December 9, 2024 to January 8, 2025. Additional information on the comment period will be forthcoming.