Wildland Fire Policy

We develop and review Federal policy related to wildland fire management to ensure consistent and effective program implementation across the Department of the Interior and our many partners.

Firefighters spray water on a smoldering, burned landscape

Firefighters work to extinguish spot fires in southern Idaho. Department of the Interior wildland fire policy provides the playbook that guides thousands of people working in a variety of bureaus and offices across the country. (DOI/Neal Herbert)


Development & Review

Policy provides the playbook that guides diverse teams of individuals toward common goals. The Department of the Interior’s Wildland Fire Management Program includes thousands of people working in a variety of bureaus and offices across the country. A playbook provides essential coordination for a program that crosses both administrative and geographic boundaries.

Many people contribute content to that playbook. The president issues proclamations and executive orders. Congress enacts laws. Cabinet members publish departmental manuals, secretarial orders, and strategic plans. Bureau and Office Directors issue policy memos and other directives.

Staff in the Office of Wildland Fire develop, interpret, and review policy so that the Department of the Interior implements a single, coordinated wildland fire program. We also coordinate policy and program reviews in response to analyses completed by the Office of Management and Budget, members of Congress, the Government Accountability Office, and other governing bodies to ensure the Department’s wildland fire activities follow applicable laws, align with strategic plans, and comply with existing policies. This consistency promotes the interoperability with other Federal and non-Federal institutions essential to effective pre-fire mitigation, response, and post-fire rehabilitation.

Federal Policy & Law

The list below includes recently enacted legislation and directives related to wildland fire. Search for additional Federal policy at congress.gov and federalregister.gov.

Public Laws

Executive Orders

Guiding Documents

Department of the Interior Policy

All official policy released by the Department of the Interior can be found in our Electronic Library of the Interior Policies. The list below only includes links to recent or frequently requested documents related to wildland fire.

Secretary Orders

Policy Memos

Our policy memos deliver implementation guidelines with limited duration or serve as interim policy until incorporated into the Departmental Manual or other official guidance.

Departmental Manuals

This series of manuals communicates the instructions of the Office of the Secretary throughout the Department, provides guidance to bureaus and offices, and serves as the primary source of information on organizational structure, authorities, and other policy. The following chapters relate specifically to wildland fire:

Series 34, Part 620: Wildland Fire Management

Series 02, Part 112, Chapter 7: Office of Wildland Fire

Bureau Policy

Four bureaus manage wildland fire on behalf of the Department of the Interior: the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Visit their websites to learn about policy specific to their operations.

 


 

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