Developing Baselines for Prescribed Burning Smoke Management Plans and Best Management Practices
Abstract
Prescribed fire is a critical component of Army wildland fire management and prevention, range maintenance, and ecosystem management. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets policy on control-ling emissions from prescribed burning that is com-plex and still evolving. States have implemented EPA regulations and policy by developing their own regulations, Smoke Management Programs (SMPs), and State Implementation Plan conditions. A wide array of guidance for developing SMPs is available, along with tools for managing prescribed fire emissions. This information and many of these tools are applicable to Army installation manage-ment of prescribed burn smoke emissions. The Army already has the basic framework for developing SMPs within the installation-level Integrated Wildland Fire Management Plan that requires information on smoke management. However, this work discusses and recommends an approach for developing complete Army SMPs that align with the required elements of state/tribal SMPs. It is also recommended that a great deal of flexibility should be allowed in the installation-level SMP to account for variation in an installation's need to control smoke emissions and to meet state regulatory requirements.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2015
- Accession Number
- ADA625592
Entities
People
- Michael R. Kemme
Organizations
- Engineer Research and Development Center