Plan Process

Regional Director Jonathan Jarvis has approved the Finding of No Significant Impact statement for the Olympic National Park Environmental Assessment for the Fire Management Plan.

The Fire Management Plan EA was first released for public comment in September 2002. Based on public input, a Revised EA was released for comment in April 2003.

The fire management plan divides the park into three fire management units: the 320,845-acre Exclusion Unit, where all fires will be managed under a suppression strategy, and the Conditional (70,041 acres) and Wildland Fire Use (522,527 acres) units, where some fires will be managed for their natural ecosystem benefits.

The Revised EA examined effects to a wide range of resources, including air, water, soil, wilderness, vegetation, wildlife, threatened and endangered species, cultural resources, socioeconomic values, human health and safety and visitor experience.



* indicates the current step in the planning process
Step 1. Define Purpose and Need for Proposal (August 2001)
Step 2. Conduct External Scoping (Oct - Nov 2001)
Step 3. Analyze Public Input (Nov 2001 - Jan 2002)
Step 4. Develop Draft Alternatives and Analyze Impacts (Feb - Aug 2002)
Step 5. Public Review of EA (Sept - Nov 2002)
Step 6. Consideration of Public Comments (Dec 2002)
Step 7. Revisions to EA based on Public Comments (Jan-March 2003)
Step 8. Public Review of Revised EA (April-May 2003)
Step 9. Consideration of Public Comment from Revised EA (June 2003)
Step 10. Ongoing Endangered Species Act Consultations
Step 11. Preparation of Decision Document
Step 12. Approval of Decision Document and Final Fire Management Plan
Step 13. Public Notification of Decision
Step 14. Implement Fire Management Plan *

A copy of the environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact statement is available from this website.