1. Smoke Management in Alaska
June 17, 2004
RHR Section 308/309 Smoke Management Planning Workshop Portland, OR
Fire Emissions Joint Forum
&
WRAP 308 Planning Committee
Melanie Lombardo
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

2. Alaska’s Class One Areas

3. Alaska Fire Statistics
2001
Wildfire: 321 Fires, 98,720 Acres
Fuels Management Fires: 4 Fires, 4180 Acres
2002
Wildfire: 545 Fires, 2,212,468 Acres
Fuels Management Fires: 4 Fires, 2,200 Acres

4. Alaska Fire Statistics
Five year average fuels management fires: approximately 8,000 acres/yr
Agricultural burns (removal of windrows/berms): minimal

5. Wildland Fire Suppression in Alaska
Recognizes that cost of suppressing all wildfires has reached point of diminishing returns and that suppression action may be more harmful than fire
Fire is critical feature for ecosystems
Fire is predominately “natural”

6. Fire Protection Areas in Alaska
Critical - red Full - orange Limited - green Modified - yellow

7. Alaska’s Smoke Management Plan
Outlines the process and identifies issues that need to be addressed by DEC and land management agencies to help ensure that prescribed fire activities minimize smoke and air quality problems.
Plan includes:
Authorization to burn requirements
Smoke managements components of burn plans
Post-burn reporting requirements

8. Critical Technical Needs for Alaska
AK fuel models and mapping to support estimating emissions
Fire tracking challenges – daily tracking and burn severity
Remote sensing promising as technical solution
Accounting for long range transport from Asia

9. Asian Smoke over Alaska