Economic Efficiency And Risk Character Of Fire Management Programs

In a 1964-1967 study on the Challenge Experimental Forest, seedfall was evaluated in 2-, 5-, and 10-acre circular clearcuttings. During the 4 years, 10 seed crops, ranging from light to bumper, were produced by ponderosa pine. white fir, Douglas-fir, and incense cedar. Seedfall ranged from 76 to 40,691 sound seed per acre (188 to 100,547/ha) for a single species in a given year. From 89 to 100 percent of each species' seed fell within an area 1 1/2 times the height of the average dominant tree. Overall, seed distribution was highly variable.

Two components of fire management programs were analyzed at these Forests: Francis Marion (South Carolina), Huron-Manistee (Michigan), San Bernardino (California), Tonto (Arizona), and Deschutes and Willamette (Oregon). Initial attack and aviation operations were evaluated by the criterion of minimizing the program cost plus the net value change of resource outputs and structures resulting from fire (C + NVC). Four alternative program or budget levels were investigated at each forest for each of 3 years of varying fire severity. The program levels ranged from +20 percent below the 1979 funding level to 40 percent above that level. The most economically efficient levels were -20 percent at four forests, +20 percent at one forest, and +40 percent at another forest. Results suggested that increased fire year severity may not mean that a higher program level is more efficient. Commercial timber and structural losses contributed most to net value change, which was a small percent of the C + NVC in most of the years evaluated.

Covers these topics: regional, national, and global vision of forest fires: common problems and approaches, theory and models for strategic fire planning, economic analysis and modeling for fire mgmt., forest fires and sustainable forest mgmt., public policies and forest mgmt., hazardous fuels treatment, wildland fire use and fire suppression activities, examples of fire mgmt. plans and strategic fire resource allocation, and a round table on the role of international organizations in forest fire solutions. Representatives from international organizations with fire protection responsibilities in 12 countries presented and discussed their experiences on the same issues. Charts and tables.