Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge Complex Fire Management Plan

              DRAFT
MATTAMUSKEET NATIONAL WILDLIFE
REFUGE COMPLEX
Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge
Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge
Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge
FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN
July 2009
Fire Management Plan
Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Prepared: Date:
Arthur D. Latterell, Fire Mgmt. Planner
Wildland Fire Associates L.L.C.
Reviewed: Date:
Thomas G. Crews, Jr.
Fire Management Officer, District 1
Reviewed: Date:
Bruce Freske, Refuge Manager
Mattamuskeet Refuge Complex
Reviewed: Date:
Bob Eaton, Regional Fire Mgmt. Coordinator
Southeast Region, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Reviewed: Date:
Pete Jerome, Refuge Supervisor, Area 3
Southeast Region, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Reviewed: Date:
John Andrew, Regional Chief, Refuges
Southeast Region, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Approved: Date:
Sam Hamliton, Regional Director
Southeast Region, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
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Table of Contents
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ iii
List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... iii
List of Appendices ......................................................................................................................... iv
1.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1
1.1. Purpose of the Fire Management Plan (FMP) ..................................................................... 1
1.2. General Description of the Area in the Fire Management Plan .......................................... 1
1.2.1. Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge ....................................................................... 3
1.2.2. Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge ......................................................................... 5
1.2.3. Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge ......................................................................... 7
1.3. Significant Values to Protect ............................................................................................... 9
2.0 Policy, Land Management Planning, and Partnerships ......................................................... 10
2.1. Implementation of Fire Policy ........................................................................................... 10
2.1.1. Federal Interagency Wildland Fire Policy .................................................................. 11
2.1.2. National Fire Plan ........................................................................................................ 11
2.1.3. Department of Interior (DOI) Fire Policy ................................................................... 12
2.1.4. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Fire Policy ..................................................... 12
2.1.5. Refuge-specific Fire Management Policy ................................................................... 13
2.2. Land / Resource Management Planning ............................................................................ 13
2.2.1. Land/Resource Planning Documents .......................................................................... 13
2.2.2. Compliance with Regulatory Acts .............................................................................. 14
2.3. Fire Management Partnerships .......................................................................................... 15
2.3.1. Internal Partnerships .................................................................................................... 15
2.3.2. External Partnerships ................................................................................................... 16
3.0 Fire Management Units.......................................................................................................... 17
3.1. Area Wide Management Considerations ........................................................................... 17
3.1.1. Management Goals, Objectives and Constraints in CCPs .......................................... 17
3.1.2. Management Goals, Objectives and Constraints from Other Sources ........................ 18
3.1.3. Common Characteristics of the Fire Management Units ............................................ 20
3.2. Fire Management Unit 1 – Mattamuskeet NWR ............................................................... 22
3.2.1 Mattamuskeet FMU Characteristics ............................................................................. 22
3.2.2. Mattatmuskett FMU Values to Protect ......................................................................... 24
3.2.3. Mattamuskeet FMU Management Guidance .............................................................. 25
3.2.4. Mattamuskeet FMU Safety Considerations ................................................................. 26
3.3. Fire Management Unit 2 – Swanquarter NWR ................................................................. 27
3.3.1. Swanquarter FMU Characteristics ............................................................................. 27
3.3.3. Swanquarter FMU Management Guidance ................................................................. 29
3.4. Fire Management Unit 3 – Cedar Island NWR ................................................................. 32
3.4.1. Cedar Island FMU Characteristics ............................................................................... 32
3.4.4. Cedar Island FMU Safety Considerations ................................................................... 36
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4.0 Wildland Fire Operational Guidance ..................................................................................... 37
4.1. Appropriate Management Response (AMR) ..................................................................... 39
4.1.1. AMR Direction ............................................................................................................ 39
4.1.2. Preparedness ................................................................................................................ 42
4.1.3. Detection ..................................................................................................................... 48
4.1.4. Dispatch, Initial Response and Initial Attack .............................................................. 48
4.1.5. Extended Attack and Large Fire Management ............................................................ 49
4.1.6. Aviation Operations .................................................................................................... 50
4.2. Hazardous Fuels Management ........................................................................................... 51
4.2.1. Prescribed Fire Program for Hazardous Fuels and Habitats ....................................... 53
4.2.2. Non-fire Hazardous Fuels Treatment Program ........................................................... 64
4.2.3. Process to Identify Hazardous Fuels Treatments ........................................................ 66
4.3.1. Wildfire Suppression Activity Damage Repair ........................................................... 66
4.3.2. Emergency Stabilization (ES) ..................................................................................... 70
4.3.3. Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) ............................................................................. 72
4.3.4. Long Term Restoration ............................................................................................... 73
4.4. Prevention, Mitigation and Education ............................................................................... 73
4.4.1. Prevention/ Mitigation ................................................................................................. 73
4.4.2. Education ..................................................................................................................... 74
5.0. Monitoring and Evaluation ................................................................................................... 75
5.1. Fire Management Plan ....................................................................................................... 75
5.1.1. Annual FMP Review ................................................................................................... 75
5.1.2. Fire Management Plan Terminology ........................................................................... 75
5.2. Treatment Effectiveness .................................................................................................... 75
5.2.1. Fire Effects Monitoring ............................................................................................... 75
5.2.2. Prescribed Fire Research ............................................................................................. 76
Appendex ......................................................................................................................................77
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List of Tables
Table 1: Management Units in the Mattamuskeet Fire Management Complex ............................. 3
Table 2: Fire Management Units .................................................................................................. 17
Table 3: Fire Management Units in FPA ...................................................................................... 17
Table 4:Vegetation, Fuel Models, and Fire Behavior ................................................................... 21
Table 5: 10-Yr Avg. for Wildland Fire Mgmt. Activities on Mattamuskeet NWR ...................... 22
Table 6: 10-Yr Avg. for Wildland Fire Mgmt. Activities on Swanquarter NWR ........................ 27
Table 7: 10-Yr Avg. for Wildland Fire Mgmt. Activities on Cedar Island NWR ........................ 32
Table 8: Burn Unit Acres by Ownership in Cedar Island FMU ................................................... 32
Table 9: Annual Refuge Fire Preparedness Activities .................................................................. 46
Table 10: Projected Annual Non-Fire Fuel Treatments ................................................................ 64
List of Figures
Figure 1. USFWS Southeast Region Fire Management District 1 ................................................2
Figure 2. Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge – Current Lands ............................................4
Figure 3. Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge – Current Lands ...............................................6
Figure 4. Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge – Current Lands ...............................................8
Figure 5. Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge – Fuel Models .............................................23
Figure 6. Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge – Fuel Models ................................................28
Figure 7. Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge – Fuel Models ..............................................33
Figure 8. Graphs of the mean NFDRS Values (BI, ERC, and KBDI) ........................................43
Figure 9. The total number of fires by month on MTR, SWR, and CDR ...................................47
Figure 10. Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge – Prescribed Burn Units ..............................54
Figure 11. Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge – Prescribed Burn Units ................................56
Figure 12. Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge – Prescribed Burn Units ................................58
Figure 13. Smoke Hazards Map for Mattamuskeet and Swanquarter NWRs ...............................61
Figure 14. Smoke Hazards Map for Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge ...............................62
Figure 15. Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge Wildland-Urban Interface Areas ................67
Figure 16. Swanquartet National Wildlife Refuge Wildland-Urban Interface Areas ...................68
Figure 17. Cedar Island NWRs Wildland-Urban Interface Areas .................................................69
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List of Appendices
A. Fire Operations
1. FWS-NCDFR Cooperative Plan (Annual Operations Plan)
2. Regional Dispatch Plan
3. District 1 Step-up Plan
4. Fire Card
B. Aviation
1.1. Station Aviation Plans
1.2. Air Operations Addendum to Annual Prescribed Fire Plans
2. Pre-Accident Plan
C. Medical Dispatch Plan
D. Fire Transitional Documents
E. Pre-Attack Plan
1. Vendors List
2. Extended Attack Organization
3.1. Mattamuskeet Values to Protect Map
3.2. Swanquarter Values to Protect Map
3.3. Cedar Island Values to Protect Map
4. Endangered Species Considerations
F. Standard Operating Procedures for Safety
G. Delegation for District 1 FMO
H. Fire Staffing Plan
1. District 1 Approved Fire Staffing Chart
2. Fire Team Positions and Responsibilities (revised)
3. District 1 Firefighting Qualifications
I. RXCM Exception
J. Smoke Management Guidelines
1. State Smoke Management Guidelines
2. Guidelines for Operational Evaluation Burns
3. Smoke Hazards Maps
K. Job Hazard Analyses
L. Agreements List
M. (Reserved for Community Wildfire Protection Plans)
N. References and Literature Cited
O. Burn Table
P. Wildfire Table
Q. Annual FMP Review Checklist
R. (Reserved for approved Environmental Assessment)
S. (Reserved for Draft Plan Comments and Service Responses)
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1.0 Introduction
1.1. Purpose of the Fire Management Plan (FMP)
This Fire Management Plan documents the objectives, policies, and practices for fire
management activities on the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Mattamuskeet
Complex). The Mattamuskeet Complex consists of Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge
(NWR), Swanquarter NWR and Cedar Island NWR. These refuges are administered by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) of the U.S. Department of the Interior (Department). This
plan is written to meet Department and Service requirements that every area with burnable
vegetation must have an approved FMP (620 DM 1.4). It enables the Mattamuskeet Complex to
meet a Service requirement that Refuges review and/or revise FMPs at a minimum of five-year
intervals or when significant land use changes are proposed (621 FW 2).
The goal of wildland fire management is to plan and implement actions that help accomplish the
mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System, which is to administer a national network of
lands and waters for the conservation, management, and, where appropriate, restoration of the
fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of
present and future generations of Americans.
The original FMP for the Mattamuskeet Complex was written in 2001 and is a step-down plan of
the refuges’ outdated Refuge Management Plans. Mattamuskeet and Swanquarter National
Wildlife Refuges both completed their Comprehensive Conservation Plans (CCP) in July 2008
and Cedar Island NWR completed its CCP in September 2006. These CCPs serve as the new
foundation for management actions on these refuges.
This FMP integrates all wildland fire management and related activities within the context of the
approved CCP. It defines a program to manage wildland fires (wildfire and prescribed fire) and
all other aspects of fire management including prevention, fuel treatments, education and
outreach, and training to protect values and enhance resources on the refuges within the
Complex. The Step-up Plan and Annual Operations Plan (in Appendices) detail preparedness
and wildfire response actions to be taken by Refuge staff and cooperators. Together, the FMP
and its appendices provide detailed direction for programs to implement fire management
policies and objectives on the Mattamuskeet Complex. Its purpose is to assure that wildland fire
management goals and components are coordinated between refuge program areas, fire
management resources within the District, and with fire management cooperators.
1.2. General Description of the Area in the Fire Management Plan
Northeastern North Carolina is very productive and important for fish and wildlife populations,
and includes some of the wildest lands in the mid-Atlantic. Lands within the Mattamuskeet
Complex lie in sparsely populated areas of the mid-Atlantic coastal plain along the Atlantic
Flyway. The Mattamuskeet Complex headquarters is located on Mattamuskeet NWR in Swan
Quarter, North Carolina, approximately 170 miles east of Raleigh. Swanquarter and Cedar
Island NWRs are administered as satellite refuges.
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Table 1: Management Units in the Mattamuskeet Fire Management Complex
FWS Management Units within the FMP Total Acres (Burnable Acres)
Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge 50,180 (10,155)
Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge 16,411 (16,400)
Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge 14,480 (14,395)
Total 81,071 (40,950)
Together with six other refuges and the Edenton National Fish Hatchery, the Mattamuskeet
Complex makes up Fire District 1 of the Southeast Region of the Service in northeast North
Carolina (Figure 1). Although specific to each refuge and a refuge’s FMP, much of the fire
management operations and planning are done on a District basis. The District fire office is in
Manteo, North Carolina at Alligator River NWR.
1.2.1. Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge
Mattamuskeet NWR is located on the Albemarle - Pamlico peninsula in Hyde County, nine miles
east of Swan Quarter, NC by U.S. Highways 264 and 94, Mattamuskeet NWR consists of more
than 50,000 acres of water, marsh, timber and crop lands. Figure 2 shows a general map of the
refuge. Its most significant feature is Lake Mattamuskeet, the largest natural lake in North
Carolina (40,000 acres). The value of Lake Mattamuskeet as a resource is directly linked to
water quality. The concentrations of wintering waterfowl and the resulting hunting have given
the lake national recognition.
While noted for waterfowl, Mattamuskeet NWR also provides habitats for a significant fishery
resource, 70-90 pairs of nesting osprey, wintering bald eagles and peregrine falcons, white-tailed
deer, bobcats, river otters, gray foxes, 240 bird species, an occasional black bear or endangered
red wolf, and numerous other species endemic to the area. It includes 6,425 acres of shallow
freshwater marsh, 3,340 acres of wetland forest, 13 moist-soil impoundments and three cropland
areas. Public use consists of waterfowl and deer hunting, fishing, crabbing, wildlife viewing,
wildlife photography and environmental education,.
The refuge’s Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) was completed in July 2008 to guide the
management of Mattamuskeet for the next 15-years. Chapter II of the CCP (FWS 2008) includes
a thorough description of the physical and biological environments on the refuge and the
socioeconomic conditions of the surrounding area. Appendix J of the CCP is a list of refuge
biota and includes the common and scientific names for species mentioned in this FMP.
Mattamuskeet Lodge, a pumping plant turned hunting lodge, is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places. In 2006, Congress authorized the transfer of the Mattamuskeet Lodge to the
State of North Carolina. In this bill, approximately 6 acres of land that included the Lodge and
the refuge headquarters area were transferred to the State. There is no approved acquisition
boundary for the refuge so there are no inholdings.
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Figure 2: Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge – Current Lands
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The CCP (FWS 2008) established a vision for the refuge of which the following portions are
pertinent to fire management on the refuge:
Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge will function as a vital part of National Wildlife
Refuge System to remain a premier wintering area for ducks, geese, and swans on the
Atlantic Flyway. The refuge will maintain breeding habitat for a variety of migratory
birds, will maintain an extensive network of moist-soil units, and will protect and
enhance healthy wetland and aquatic ecosystems, while considering and striving to
mitigate the effects of climate change and rising sea levels. It will also protect Service
trust species, including threatened and endangered species…The refuge staff will
cooperate with partners and volunteers to achieve the refuge’s goals. The Fish and
Wildlife Service will continue to conduct research in cooperation with government
agencies, non-governmental agencies, universities, and others…
1.2.2. Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge
Swanquarter NWR is located in Hyde County on the north shore of Pamlico Sound east and west
of the village of Swan Quarter, NC. The refuge includes 16,411 acres of irregularly-flooded
brackish marsh and forested wetlands. A 27,000 acre Presidential Proclamation Area of adjacent
Sound water is closed to waterfowl. There is no approved acquisition boundary for the refuge so
there are no inholdings. Figure 3 shows a general map of the refuge.
Its most extensive feature is the coastal marsh that includes the 8,785 acre Swanquarter National
Wilderness Area. About 12,700 acres are low saltmarsh interspersed with potholes, creeks, and
tidal drains. In higher areas, man-made canals, storm surges and sea-level rise have allowed
saltwater intrusion to transform 1,600 acres of forested wetlands into brackish marsh dominated
by sawgrass and sedges. The refuge is accessible only by boat except for the Bell Island area
which is accessible by vehicle from US 264. Public use consists mostly of fishing and waterfowl
hunting, wildlife viewing and photography at the Bell Island Pier and in the adjacent open
waters.
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s (NCWRC) Gull Rock Gamelands surround the
Juniper Bay Compartment of Swanquarter NWR. This area is characterized by very remote
pocosin vegetation mixed with hardwood swamps and salt marsh along the edge of Pamlico
Sound. Perimeter roads and boat access from the sound shore provide limited access to the area
with no established physical boundary between landowners. Therefore, fire management issues
must be coordinated between the NCWRC, the North Carolina Division of Forests Resources
(NCDFR), and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
The refuge’s CCP, completed in July 2008, is designed to guide the management of Swanquarter
NWR for the next 15-years. Chapter II of the CCP (FWS 2008) includes a thorough description
of the physical and biological environments on the refuge and the socioeconomic conditions of
the surrounding area. Appendix I of the CCP is a list of refuge biota and includes the common
and scientific names for species mentioned in this FMP.
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Figure 3: Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge – Current Lands
7
The CCP (FWS 2008) established a vision for the refuge of which the following portions are
pertinent to fire management on the refuge:
SwanquarterNWR functions as a vital part of National Wildlife Refuge System as an
important wintering area for migratory birds, such as ducks, geese, and swans, on the
Atlantic Flyway. The refuge maintains breeding habitat for a variety of migratory
birds. The refuge protects and enhances a healthy brackish marsh ecosystem and an
upland forest ecosystem, and maintains the natural and primitive character of the large
wilderness area. The refuge provides habitat for threatened and endangered anaimals,
particularly the red-cockcaded woodpecker, red wolf, and American alligator…The
refuge staff works with partners and volunteers to achieve the refuge’s goals. Essential
scientific information is garnered through research conducted at Swanquarter NWR in
cooperation with government agencies, non-governmental agencies, universities, and
others
1.2.3. Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge
Cedar Island NWR lies five miles east of the Atlantic Ocean, and 40 miles northeast of Beaufort,
North Carolina (Figure 4). It is an estuarine barrier island located in Carteret County, at the
mouth of the Pamlico Sound. The mainland terminus of NC Highway 12 ends on the north end
of Cedar Island. At this point, the North Carolina Ferry System operates ferry boats that
transport vehicles and passengers to and from Ocracoke Island. The United States Marine Corps
(USMC), from Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station in Havelock, NC, manages the 1,470 acre
Atlantic Field that borders part of the refuge. The refuge works cooperatively with the USMC
on fire management issues on the two properties. Approximately 2,405 acres of land within the
Cedar Island NWR approved acquisition boundary (16,887 acres) are not owned by the Service.
The refuge is at the end of a peninsula at the south end of Pamlico Sound and consists of 14,462
acres -- approximately 11,000 acres of irregularly flooded saltmarsh, 3,395 acres of pocosin and
woodlands, and 85 acres of land used for administrative purposes. The refuge's main feature is
the extensive, relatively undisturbed coastal marsh. The refuge provides wintering habitat for
thousands of ducks and nesting habitat for colonial waterbirds. Public use is primarily boating,
fishing, waterfowl hunting and wildlife observation.
The refuge’s CCP was completed in July 2006 to guide the management of Cedar Island NWR
for the next 15-years. Chapter II of the CCP (FWS 2006) includes a thorough description of the
physical and biological environments on the refuge and the socioeconomic conditions of the
surrounding area. Appendix VI of the CCP is a list of refuge biota and includes the common and
scientific names for species mentioned in this FMP.
The CCP (FWS 2006) established a vision for the refuge of which the following portions are
pertinent to fire management on the refuge:
Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge will play a vital role in the National Wildlife
Refuge System. The refuge will establish a presence in the local community by
partnering with agencies, developing research groups, and organizing friends groups
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Figure 4: Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge – Current Lands
9
and volunteers. The refuge will conserve and manage fish and wildlife species, such as
threatened and endangered species, species of management concern…Refuge staff and
volunteers will protect the diverse habitats typical of the mid-Atlantic coastal ecosystem
within which the refuge is situated, including coastal fringe forest, estuarine marsh, and
longleaf pine savanna…Through active enhancement and management, the refuge will
provide high quality, mid-Atlantic, coastal habitat for migratory birds and other
priority species…Working with others, Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge staff,
partners, and volunteers will manage and protect the refuge’s natural resources…
1.3. Significant Values to Protect
Special values emphasized for management common to the Mattamuskeet Complex are listed
below.
• Endangered Species: The Mattamuskeet Complex provides habitat used by the
American alligator, and there is potential habitat for the red-cockaded woodpecker
(RCW). Mattamuskeet and Swanquarter NWRs are part of designated critical habitat for
the endangered red wolf. The waters of the Pamlico Sound adjacent to Swanquarter and
Cedar Island NWRs are used by the threatened loggerhead sea turtle.
• Brackish and Freshwater Marshes: These play a major role in the ecology of the
estuarine systems of North Carolina, providing valuable wildlife habitats for a variety of
species, including migratory waterfowl and fisheries. Marshes are fire adapted
communities, interspersed between sounds, freshwater lakes and streams. Without
disturbance (e.g. fire on a frequent cycle), this habitat will transition to domination by
either one or two species of grasses, rushes, or shrubs.
• Migratory Waterfowl and Shorebirds: Habitat for these species is provided by
croplands and moist soil impoundments at Mattamuskeet NWR and the brackish and
freshwater marshes at Swanquarter and Cedar Island NWRs.
• Other Wetland/Forest Types: Most refuge forest lands are comprised of cypress
swamps and/or various combinations of lowland pine, hardwood and pocosin habitats.
Maps showing the locations of the values to protect for each refuge are included in Appendix E3.
Sections 3.2-3.4 list specific descriptions of values potentially at risk from wildland fires or fire
suppression activities for the FMUs.
Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge
Mattamuskeet NWR was acquired under authority of the National Industrial Recovery Act (48
Stat. 195) and established by Executive Order of Franklin D. Roosevelt on December 18, 1934,
stating that the refuge is “A...reserved and set apart...as a refuge and breeding ground for birds
and wild animals...” Its most significant feature is Lake Mattamuskeet (40,000 acres) - 16 miles
long and five to six miles wide, but averaging only two feet deep. Lake water drains freely into
Pamlico Sound via four man-made outlet canals. The concentrations of wintering waterfowl and
the resulting hunting have given the lake national recognition. Waterfowl numbers exceed
100,000 each winter and include snow geese, Canada geese, tundra swans, and 22 duck species.
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• FWS offices, visitor center, maintenance facility, weather station, and four residences in
the headquarters area
• Listed as a Natural Heritage Area by the state of North Carolina
• Sayler’s Ridge, a 73 acre tract of mature loblolly pine within the refuge, is a Research
Natural Area included in a 153 acre National Natural Landmark
• Mattamuskeet Lodge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
• U.S. Highway 264 and North Carolina Highway 94 run through or near refuge lands
Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge
Swanquarter NWR was established in 1932 under the authority of The Migratory Bird
Conservation Act of 1929 “as inviolate sanctuary or for any other management purpose, for
migratory birds.” The refuge includes 16,411 acres of irregularly-flooded brackish marsh and
forested wetlands. A 27,000 acre Presidential Proclamation Area in adjacent Sound waters is
closed to waterfowl hunting.
• Swanquarter Wilderness Area (8,785 acres)
• Bell Island Pier valued at over $500,000
• U.S. Highway 264 runs near refuge lands
Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge
Cedar Island NWR was established in 1964 under the authority of The Migratory Bird
Conservation Act of 1929 “as inviolate sanctuary or for any other management purpose, for
migratory birds.” As an estuarine barrier island, the refuge has similarities to barrier islands, but
is the only such island in North Carolina to face inward towards Pamlico Sound. The extensive,
relatively undisturbed coastal marsh is an important value on the refuge. It also harbors a small
area of remnant long leaf pine savannah.
• Refuge office and maintenance compound, weather station, and a storage building
• North Carolina Highway 12 runs through the refuge
• Near the Cedar Island Ferry Station
2.0 Policy, Land Management Planning, and Partnerships
2.1. Implementation of Fire Policy
Appendix N contains a list of policy references that affect fire management on national wildlife
refuges. Appendix III or Appendix C of each refuge’s CCP contains another list of relevant legal
mandates.
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2.1.1. Federal Interagency Wildland Fire Policy
This FMP implements these guiding principles of federal wildland fire policy:
• Firefighter and public safety is the first priority in every fire management activity.
• The role of wildland fire as an essential ecological process and natural change agent has
been incorporated into the planning process. Federal agency land and resource
management plans set the objectives for the use and desired future condition of the
various public lands.
• Fire management plans, programs, and activities support land and resource management
plans and their implementation.
• Sound risk management is a foundation for all fire management activities. Risks and
uncertainties relating to fire management activities must be understood, analyzed,
communicated, and managed as they relate to the cost of either doing or not doing an
activity.
• Fire management programs and activities are economically viable, based upon values to
be protected, costs, and land and resource management objectives.
• Fire management plans and activities are based upon the best available science.
• Fire management plans and activities incorporate public health and environmental quality
considerations.
• Federal, State, tribal, local, interagency, and international coordination and cooperation
are essential.
• Standardization of policies and procedures among federal agencies is an ongoing
objective.
2.1.2. National Fire Plan
This FMP meets the policy and direction in the National Fire Plan because it emphasizes the
following primary goals of A Collaborative Approach for Reducing Wildfire Risks to
Communities and the Environment: 10-Year Comprehensive Strategy (10-Year Strategy) and
Protecting People and Natural Resources: A Cohesive Fuels Treatment Strategy (Cohesive Fuels
Treatment Strategy):
• improving fire prevention and suppression,
• reducing hazardous fuels,
• restoring fire-adapted ecosystems, and
• promoting community assistance.
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2.1.3. Department of Interior (DOI) Fire Policy
This FMP incorporates and adheres to DOI policy stated in 620 DM 1 by giving full
consideration to use of wildland fire as a natural process and as a tool during the land
management planning process and by providing for the following:
• Wildland fires, whether on or adjacent to lands administered by the Department, which
threaten life, improvements, or are determined to be a threat to natural and cultural
resources or improvements under the Department’s jurisdiction, will be considered
emergencies and their suppression given priority over other Department programs.
• Bureaus shall cooperate in the development of interagency preparedness plans to ensure
timely recognition of approaching critical wildland fire situations; to establish processes
for analyzing situations and establishing priorities; and for implementing appropriate
management responses to these situations.
• Bureaus will enforce rules and regulations concerning the unauthorized ignition of
wildland fires, and aggressively pursue violations.
2.1.4. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Fire Policy
This FMP addresses a full range of potential wildland fires and considers a full spectrum of
tactical options (from monitoring to intensive management actions) for appropriate management
response (AMR) to meet Fire Management Unit (FMU) objectives. It fully applies procedures
and guidelines in the FWS Fire Management Handbook and the Interagency Standards for Fire
and Fire Aviation Operations (Redbook) and affirms these key elements of FWS fire policy:
• Firefighter and public safety is the first priority of the wildland fire management program
and all associated activities.
• Only trained and qualified leaders and agency administrators will be responsible for, and
conduct, wildland fire management duties and operations.
• Trained and certified employees will participate in the wildland fire management
program as the situation requires, and non-certified employees will provide needed
support as necessary.
• Fire management planning, preparedness, wildfire and prescribed fire operations, other
hazardous fuel operations, monitoring, and research will be conducted on an interagency
basis with involvement by all partners to the extent practical.
• The responsible agency administrator has coordinated, reviewed, and approved this FMP
to ensure consistency with approved land management plans, values to be protected, and
natural and cultural resource management plans, and that it addresses public health issues
related to smoke and air quality.
• Fire, as an ecological process, has been integrated into resource management plans and
activities on a landscape scale, across agency boundaries, based upon the best available
science.
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• Wildland fire is used to meet identified resource management objectives and benefits
when appropriate.
• Prescribed fire and other treatment types will be employed whenever they are the
appropriate tool to reduce hazardous fuels and the associated risk of wildfire to human
life, property, and cultural and natural resources and to manage our lands for habitats as
mandated by statute, treaty, and other authorities.
• Appropriate management response will consider firefighter and public safety, cost
effectiveness, values to protect, and natural and cultural resource objectives.
• Staff members will work with local cooperators and the public to prevent unauthorized
ignition of wildfires on our lands.
2.1.5. Refuge-specific Fire Management Policy
The Southeast Region has a regional aviation requirement that all aviation users take the B-3
Refresher training every 2 years, rather than the national 3 year requirement.
2.2. Land / Resource Management Planning
This FMP will support the Service’s initiative for Strategic Habitat Conservation (SHC), also
known as Strategic Landscape Conservation, by fully supporting adaptive management and the
use of science-based information to inform and develop fire management actions. SHC
principles can be found at https://intranet.fws.gov/region4/SHC.
2.2.1. Land/Resource Planning Documents
The FMP is related to the goals and objectives for refuge management through the overall
guidance provided by the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation
Plan (FWS 2008), the Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan
(FWS 2008), and the Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan
(FWS 2006). Biological planning in the CCPs was in turn influenced by cooperative
partnerships reflected in the North American Waterfowl Management Plan including the Atlantic
Coast Joint Venture, Partners in Flight Plan, US Shorebird Conservation Plan, and the South
Atlantic Migratory Bird Initiative.
Several CCP step-down management plans will affect the refuges’ fire management program.
As these plans are developed under the new CCPs, changes will be made to the FMP during its
annual review if warranted to improve management efficiencies and resolve resource conflicts
between plans. The following list includes those step-down plans that will most likely impact
fire management operations on the refuges:
• Biological Inventory/Monitoring
Plan
• Habitat Management Plan
• Moist Soil/Water Management Plan
• Marsh Management Plan
• Integrated Pest Management Plan
• Environmental Education Plan
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The Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment (SWRA) is an interagency effort to characterize
wildland fire risk to communities in the South. This GIS based tool will be utilized to generate
planning maps, characterize communities at risk, guide development of Community Wildfire
Protection Plans, and prioritize fuel treatment projects.
A Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) is an interagency, community developed plan to
address wildland fire risk and actions on a community level. In the CWPP planning process,
wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas can be designated for a community based on fire history
and surrounding fuels. The CWPP also lays out actions for agency and community partners to
carry out in order to address the community’s wildland fire risk. Plans are designed to be
reviewed and updated on a regular basis. CWPPs should be closely linked to the FMP in regards
to Service involvement and accomplishment of FMP objectives. As CWPPs are developed for
communities surrounding the Complex refuges, they will be added as an appendix to the.
Fire Program Analysis (FPA) is an interagency budgetary planning tool for fire management.
The newest computer software for this planning tool will be utilized in Fiscal Year 2008 and
2009 to develop a national interagency fire budget for FY 2011 and each year thereafter. District
1 is part of the interagency North Carolina Coastal Fire Planning Unit (FPU). As part of the FPA
process, the FPU will develop a series of preparedness, prevention, and fuels options which will
shape the budget. As a strategic tool, the FPA budgetary planning process has the potential to
influence selection of projects and positioning of fire resources across FWS Fire District 1.
2.2.2. Compliance with Regulatory Acts
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance was accomplished by completion of an
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Fire Management Plan during the summer of 2009.
After the analysis of the EA and any comments received during the public review period, the
Service will decide whether to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement or issue a Finding of
No Significant Impact (FONSI). A record of the decision will be maintained in the refuge files.
In conjunction with the 2009 EA, the refuge has requested an Intra-Agency Section 7
Consultation from Raleigh Ecological Services Office (ES). A copy will be included in the
Appendix of the EA.
The FMP must comply with Section 118 of the Clean Air Act. A geographic area that meets or
does better than the primary standards for air pollutants is called an attainment area; areas that do
not meet the primary standards for each pollutant are called non-attainment areas. Mattamuskeet
and Swanquarter NWRs are located in Hyde County and Cedar Island NWR is located in
Carteret County. Since these counties have currently been designated by the EPA as attainment
areas for all criteria pollutants, a Clean Air Act Conformity determination is not necessary.
Consideration of air quality is further discussed in Section 4.2.1.5 under smoke management for
prescribed burning.
All FMP actions comply with Section 106 of the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act and
Archeological Resources Protection Act of 1979. All known archeological and cultural
resources are identified in Section 3 under the appropriate FMU values to protect. Should any
15
other potential historical or cultural resources be discovered during fire operations, personnel
will notify refuge management and take appropriate steps to safeguard the site and prevent
further disturbance. Regional Archaeologist Richard Kanaski at Savannah Coastal Refuges is
our cultural resources expert should issues on cultural resources arise.
Permits for any activities covered by the Section 404 permitting process, such as non-emergency
firelines, will be submitted as required to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps).
Emergency firelines must be coordinated with the Corps as soon as practical. Plowed firelines in
marshes are prohibited when other viable fireline options or alternative strategies are available.
For compliance with the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, a federal Consistency
Determination has been prepared and will be submitted to the North Carolina Division of Coastal
Management for concurrence. The Consistency Determination will be maintained in the files at
the Complex headquarters.
Individual projects may need separate, individual clearance to comply with all regulatory acts
and will be reviewed on a project basis.
2.3. Fire Management Partnerships
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Southeast Region, Fire Management District 1 places
development of cooperative relations as an extremely high priority. Sharing resources during
wildfires is the primary advantage of cooperative relationships. Due to the hazardous fuels, poor
soil trafficability, remoteness, and poor visibility on Refuge and adjoining Department of
Defense, state, and private lands, no one agency has the capability to be self-sufficient for initial
or extended attack. The FWS in northeastern North Carolina will always depend on cooperators,
primarily the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources (NCDFR), for assistance.
Cooperative ties between agencies are also becoming more important for prescribed burning,
other non-fire fuel treatments, and fire prevention and outreach projects. As prescribed burning
activities increase within the agencies in northeastern North Carolina, cooperative assistance will
play a greater role in helping these agencies carry out their programs. District fire management
and Refuge staff will continue to cooperate and seek partnerships with nearby agencies and
communities to increase the efficiency, productivity, and safety of all fire management activities
on the Complex.
2.3.1. Internal Partnerships
The Mattamuskeet Complex and six other national wildlife refuges that comprise the North
Carolina Coastal Plain Refuge Complex, are involved in a fire management partnership and
together these refuges form the FWS Southeast Region Fire District 1. District fire personnel
that work on fire management issues across the District include a District Fire Management
Officer (DFMO), Prescribed Fire Specialist, Wildland-Urban Interface Specialist, and a Fire
Program Technician. These positions are all based at Alligator River NWR. An Assistant
District FMO is based at Pocosin Lakes NWR. Operational fire resources from across the
District work together on all the district refuges to implement fire management activities.
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2.3.2. External Partnerships
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is part of an interagency agreement for wildland fire
management response in North Carolina. The Master Cooperative Wildland Fire Management
and Stafford Act Response Agreement (Master Agreement) is between the Service’s Southeast
and Northeast Regions, National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Forest
Service (USFS), and the NCDFR for wildland fire management in North Carolina. An Annual
Operations Plan (AOP) sets forth the operational guidelines of this agreement within District 1
and includes the NPS, NCDFR, and Great Dismal Swamp NWR in the Northeast Region. In the
future other state and local AOPs may be developed as step down plans of the wider interagency
agreement. The AOP is included in Appendix A.
The Forestry Division employed by USMC at Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) is
a primary cooperator, especially at Cedar Island NWR. A Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) for fire management between the MCAS and Cedar Island NWR covers both wildfire
suppression and prescribed burning. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) also cooperates in
interagency fire operations at Cedar Island NWR and other refuges under a FWS Southeast
Region agreement. Many of the prescribed burns conducted during the past 10 years at Cedar
Island NWR have relied on resources from the USMC and TNC.
Following the closest resource concept, the NCDFR is a primary cooperator, especially at Cedar
Island NWR where the closest FWS fire resources are 3 or more hours away. At Cedar Island
NWR, the NCDFR will make an initial response to wildfires while simultaneously informing the
Service (Appendix A). The Service has also developed cooperative relations with several
Volunteer Fire Departments (VFD) through grant agreements with the Rural Fire Assistance
Program. Over the next five years, the District plans to strengthen these ties through cooperative
agreements with AOPs and development of CWPPs.
The Mattamuskeet Complex is also involved in a partnership for federal fire budget planning
called Fire Program Analysis (FPA). The country was divided into Fire Planning Units (FPU),
and the agencies within an FPU are working together to develop an interagency fire budget. The
Complex is part of the North Carolina Coast FPU which includes all the national wildlife refuges
in District 1, the Croatan National Forest, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and Cape Lookout
National Seashore.
To facilitate prescribed burning, the Mattamuskeet Complex or District has entered into several
Memoranda of Understanding with private landowners or agencies. These are covered in
Section 3 under the affected Fire Management Unit.
A Draft FMP and EA will be made available for public comment and review for 30 days.
Relevant comments and concerns received during the review period will be considered for
incorporation into the Final FMP. Regional Service fire staff and local fire management
cooperators will be consulted for input during the public review period. A complete list of
contacts is given in the EA.
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3.0 Fire Management Units
For the purpose of fire management each refuge in the Mattamuskeet Complex is a Fire
Management Unit (FMU). FMUs are divided into Fire Compartments in which wildfires or
prescribed fires can be contained within physical bounds, given favorable weather and fireline
improvement. Fire Compartments are further broken down into Burn Units. Table 2 lists the
number of compartments and burn units in each FMU.
Table 2: Fire Management Units
FMU Name # of Compartments # of Burn Units Total Acres Burnable Acres
Mattamuskeet NWR 4 33 50,180 10,155
Swanquarter NWR 5 14 16,411 16,400
Cedar Island NWR 7 31 14,480 14,395
Under the Master Agreement, a mutual threat zone was defined as lands within 1/2 mile of
refuge property where there is potential for fires to impact Service lands. Under FPA, 1 mile
mutual threat zones were formally delineated as FMUs, but they are not under this FMP. The
Service will respond to fires in the mutual threat zone per the Master Agreement and AOP.
Table 3 lists the FMUs as delineated in FPA.
Table 3: Fire Management Units in FPA
Fire Management Units Acres*
Mattamuskeet 49,720
Mattamuskeet Threat 10,530
Swanquarter 15,910
Swanquarter Threat 11,260
Cedar Island 14,280
Cedar Island Threat 9,131
* GIS generated acres.
3.1. Area Wide Management Considerations
3.1.1. Management Goals, Objectives and Constraints in CCPs
The refuges’ CCPs have broad refuge management goals related to fish and wildlife populations,
habitat, public use, resource protection, and administration with more specific objectives and
strategies identified under each broad goal. The following fire management goals for
Mattamuskeet, Swanquarter, and Cedar Island NWRs reflect the goals and objectives as
identified in the CCPs. More specific fire management objectives are listed by Fire Management
Unit in Sections 3.2 to 3.4.
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1. Manage wildland fires on refuge lands to minimize risks to firefighter and public safety.
2. Develop and implement a process to ensure the collection, analysis and application of high
quality fire management information needed for sound management decisions. Adaptively
manage fuel treatments and wildfire response by developing and implementing a fire effects
monitoring plan and effective use of After Action Reviews.
3. Consider impacts to the integrity of wetlands during planning and implementation of all fire
management activities. The effects of climate change and sea-level rise on these ecosystems
will also be considered in fire management.
4. Use fire to accomplish resource management objectives when and where possible, to enhance
existing habitat for migratory birds and to enhance existing and potential habitat for specific
endangered species.
5. Continuously develop and manage a Refuge fire organization consisting of firefighters,
equipment operators, and other specialists capable of safely and effectively addressing fire
management needs for Mattamuskeet, Swanquarter, and Cedar Island NWRs as well as
integrating with staff from other refuges and the hatchery to meet fire management needs on
the District.
6. Develop cooperative relations with neighboring fire management districts, refuges,
cooperators and interagency partners to facilitate overall fire management missions within
multiple jurisdictions in northeastern North Carolina and the State as a whole.
7. Develop a High Reliability Organization in which the safety and well-being of firefighters
and the public are always paramount above all other objectives within the refuges and district
fire management programs.
8. Conduct fuel treatments with the highest professional and technical standards to achieve
resource management objectives, hazardous fuel reduction, and community protection.
9. Support the development and implementation of other CCP step-down plans that would
affect fire management on the refuges, such as plans for habitat management, invasive
species, and endangered species.
10. Educate the public regarding the use of fire as a habitat management, resource protection,
and community protection tool.
3.1.2. Management Goals, Objectives and Constraints from other sources
The following goals, objectives and constraints are taken from various policy or guidance
documents that affect fire management on national wildlife refuges (see Appendix N).
• Fire Management Goals and Objectives
1. Respond to every wildfire on or threatening our lands with an Appropriate Management
Response, taking into consideration public and firefighter safety, impacts to natural
resources, and cost effectiveness.
2. Use wildland fire to protect, maintain and enhance resources and, as nearly as possible, be
allowed to function in its natural ecological role. This can be achieved through the use of
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planned and unplanned ignitions that follow specific prescriptions contained in operational
plans.
3. The range of appropriate management responses to wildfires may include direct or indirect
attack strategies or surveillance and monitoring to ensure fire spread will be limited to a
designated area.
4. Confine wildland fire to refuge lands where possible. Where feasible and needed to meet
refuge goals and objectives, develop agreements to allow fire activity on private or other
agency lands.
5. Wildfires in wilderness or candidate wilderness areas will receive an appropriate
management response that includes consideration of wilderness values and completion of a
minimum tool analysis in support of the AMR.
6. Consider smoke management to the extent possible when developing tactics to meet an
AMR.
7. When specifically addressed in approved FMPs, we can use naturally ignited wildland fires
to accomplish resource management objectives.
8. Take necessary measures to protect visibility and safety for motorists along highways and
major roads during wildfires or prescribed fire treatments.
• Fire Management Constraints
1. Aerial or ground application of fire retardants, foams, and water enhancers should be avoided
within 300 feet of waterways unless life or property is threatened and their use can
reasonably be expected to alleviate the threat. Other exceptions can be found in Chapter 12
of the Redbook.
2. Use of retardant, foam, and aircraft in wilderness, RNA, and other special areas will require
approval from the Refuge Manager.
3. The Refuge Manager is the decision authority for equipment use in wilderness areas on
Swanquarter NWR and Research Natural Areas (RNA) on Mattamuskeet NWR. Use of
heavy equipment in wilderness areas will require Regional Office concurrence.
4. Agency firefighters will not take direct suppression actions on structure, vehicle, or landfill
fires, but limit firefighting efforts to areas where the fire has spread onto agency protected
lands.
5. Smoke management laws, smoke dispersion patterns, and considerations for military
operations narrow available burn windows and can constrain prescribed burning activities on
the refuges.
• Cost Effectiveness
Maximizing the cost effectiveness of any fire operation is the responsibility of all involved,
including those that authorize, direct, or implement these operations. Cost effectiveness is the
most economical use of the resources necessary to accomplish project/incident objectives.
Accomplishing these objectives safely and efficiently will not be sacrificed for the sole purpose
of “cost savings.” Care will be taken to ensure that expenditures are commensurate with values
20
to be protected. Many factors outside of the biophysical environment may influence spending
decisions, including those of the social, political, and economic realms. Hazardous fuels projects
will be planned for the most economical, effective, and safe treatment that is commensurate with
the values to protect. The Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) or other required
wildfire decision support tool will be used for analysis of integrated risk and cost management.
3.1.3. Common Characteristics of the Fire Management Units
The lands in the Mattamuskeet Complex are all relatively flat, low-lying, and near sea level.
Because of the proximity of large bodies of relatively warm water, combined with flat
topography and low elevations, the climate of all three refuges is similar. Summers are hot and
humid with temperatures occasionally climbing above 95 degrees Fahrenheit (F). Winters are
moderately cool, with temperatures seldom falling below 20°F. On rare occasions portions of
Lake Mattamuskeet freeze, but never for a long period. Marsh areas frequently freeze in January
and February. Mean summer high temperatures range from of 77 to 83°F at Mattamuskeet and
Cedar Island NWRs. Mean winter low temperature is 41°F. The mean annual precipitation is 50
to 53 inches, with periods of heavy rainfall from July through September. Snowfall is rare and
seldom exceeds 2 inches. Evapo-transpiration losses tend to be more constant from year to year
than rainfall. During the months of April, May and June, evapo-transpiration exceeds rainfall.
Fire weather is difficult to predict because the proximity of the Mattamuskeet Complex to the
coast creates localized weather conditions. The large bodies of water, such as the Atlantic
Ocean, Pamlico Sound, and Lake Mattamuskeet can cause local winds that can change suddenly
in speed and direction. The Outer Banks is considered one of the windiest locations on the East
Coast. Strong low and high pressure systems can create very tight pressure gradients with strong
winds.
The probable fire regimes in the coastal plain of eastern North Carolina are documented (Frost
1986, 1995) and were a frequent and a driving-force in shaping the ecosystem found there. It is
also known that Native Americans used fire to manipulate their environment in eastern North
Carolina. In addition, coastal storms (e.g. tropical storms, hurricanes, and northeasters) are the
primary natural disturbance agents in the area that interact with fire and affect the vegetative
community. This region has been historically driven by natural disturbance. A detailed wildfire
history from 1966 to present is included in Appendix P.
Most native vegetation is either fire dependent or fire adapted with characteristic rapid
regeneration. A direct loss of ground cover and understory vegetation often results from
wildfire, but seldom results in permanent damage to an ecosystem. Economic losses from
wildfire can be large as evidenced in the 1985 wildfire that burned from Open Ground Farms to
the north end of Cedar Island destroying stands of mature and immature longleaf and loblolly
pine. Long-term damage to the ecosystem was minimal because of the regeneration of most
vegetation types. The most wildfire damage results when areas containing organic soils or thick
duff and litter burn too deeply or too hot and kill tree roots which leads to tree mortality. The
crowns of all pine species are susceptible to needle scorch during intense fires, but scorching
seldom results in heavy tree mortality.
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Following a wildfire, sprouting increases for many plant species such as red maple, wax myrtle,
redbay, American holly, choke cherry, persimmon, American elm, wild grape, Virginia creeper,
and rattan. This growth benefits wildlife species such as white-tailed deer, northern bobwhite
quail, black bear, and many songbirds.
In freshwater marshes, wildfire consumes cattail, phragmites, red maple, buttonbush, bald
cypress, groundsel and wax myrtle. Saltmarsh fuels include needlerush, saltmarsh cordgrass, and
groundsel bush. Dead grasses and live and dead brush are reduced to ash, providing for a more
productive and diverse plant community. In addition, fire can expose the seeds of marsh plants
making them more available to migratory birds.
Table 4:Vegetation, Fuel Models, and Fire Behavior
Refuge Vegetative Cover Acres Fuel Models Fire Behavior Expected
Mattamuskeet Marsh/impoundments 6,425 3 Tall Grass Intense, with high spread
rates. Fire can cross
water in tips of grass.
Swanquarter Saltmarsh 11,000
Cedar Island 11,000
Mattamuskeet Shrub Pocosin 4 Chaparral, 6
Dormant Brush
Potential erratic fire
behavior in model 4.
Moderate in 6.
Swanquarter
Cedar Island 500
Mattamuskeet Forest and woodlands 2,430 7 Southern
Rough, 8/ 9
Forest Litter
Intense, flammable live
fuels in 7. Moderate or
low behavior in 8 and 9.
Swanquarter 3,395
Cedar Island 2,441
Appropriate Management Response is thoroughly covered in Section 4.1 and can include a range
of strategic options such as monitoring, indirect attack, direct attack, and point protection. At
times, more than one or perhaps all these strategic responses may be required in combination to
meet the needs for an AMR. Sections 3.2 – 3.4 contain a description of AMRs for each refuge.
The listed AMRs are not to be viewed as the only appropriate actions in an FMU, but the most
likely responses that would be taken. Each wildland fire is unique with its own set of weather,
fire behavior, resource, and event variables that must be taken into consideration by the Incident
Commander (IC) when choosing an AMR.
The refuges share several safety considerations. Poison ivy, venomous snakes, ticks,
mosquitoes, and biting flies can pose a hazard to firefighters at almost any time of the year.
Getting wet during fire management operations is a definite possibility and has the potential to
lead to hypothermia. During the summer, high temperatures and humidity can lead to dangerous
heat indices that can cause heat exhaustion or lead to dehydration. Wet, soft organic soils can
contribute to vehicles and equipment getting stuck and then entrapped by advancing fire. The
difficulty of seeing the fire from the ground in heavy concentrations of shrub and timber fuels
further compounds the dangers, especially when equipment operators cannot see each other or
where they are going in relation to the fire. The only way to mitigate this situation in direct
attack scenarios is to have a trained aerial observer overhead when attacking a fire with
equipment AND the tractor plow strike team must carry the black line with them by burning out
their plow line. The safest method of fighting fire in most instances is with an indirect attack
suppression strategy using a series of pre-prepared firebreaks or some improvised on scene. This
22
works very well at Cedar Island and Swanquarter NWRs where forest values are primarily
related to wildlife habitat, not commercial timber.
The greatest threat to public safety relates to smoke-reduced visibility on the highways that are in
or adjacent to the refuges. The second greatest concern is for wildfires associated with high
wind events that push a wildfire through hazardous fuels and into the communities adjacent to
refuge lands. Management emphasis during wildfires needs to focus on mitigating any resulting
impacts.
3.2. Fire Management Unit 1 – Mattamuskeet NWR
Table 5: 10-Year Average by Fiscal Year (1999-2008) for Wildland Fire Management
Activities on Mattamuskeet NWR
Type Number Acres
Wildfires 0.4 0.3
Prescribed Burns 1.7 209.6
Non-Fire Projects 1.1 12.6
3.2.1 Mattamuskeet FMU Characteristics
The refuge is 50,180 acres (10,155 burnable acres) in and surrounding Lake Mattamuskeet. The
lower land is only slightly higher than the lake level. Islands in the lake are often flooded by
wind-driven tides or high water. Spoil areas are one to six feet above sea level. The soils range
from fine sands to peaty soils. Sandy soil predominates on the uplands, particularly around the
rim of the lake. Low lying areas are typically peaty silt overlying a sandy subsoil.
The vegetation is seasonally-flooded freshwater marsh, impoundments, and cropland (FM 3) and
forest and woodlands (FM 7, 8, 9). Locally developed fuel model maps are shown in Figure 5.
Since the establishment of Mattamuskeet NWR in the 1934, prescribed fires have been used to
manage the habitat. The refuge is divided into fire Compartments and Burn Units which are
delineated on Figure 10 (see Section 4.2). The refuge has had only a few historic natural or
human-caused wildfires that have been generally controlled with hand tools and natural
firebreaks. However, several of those fires have easily crossed from private lands onto the
refuge. This potential to cross ownership lines has been a primary consideration in planning
recent mechanical fuel treatments.
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Figure 5: Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge – Fuel Models
24
3.2.2. Mattatmuskett FMU Values to Protect
Values to Protect Description Risk
Threatened & Endangered Species
red wolf critical habitat endangered species
Air Quality
Hyde County communities
and transportation corridors
potential smoke impacts to air quality and
visibility
life, human health, socio-economic
impacts
WUI
Lake Comfort state recognized Community At Risk (CAR) life, property, human health,
socio-economic impacts
Lake Landing state recognized CAR life, property, human health,
socio-economic impacts
New Holland state recognized CAR life, property, human health,
socio-economic impacts
Cultural Resources
Mattamuskeet Lodge National Register of Historic Places socio-economic impacts
Natural Resources
key wildlife habitat important for wintering waterfowl natural, wildlife
Special Designations
SNHA significant natural heritage area natural, wildlife
Sayler’s Ridge NRA state natural research area and National
Natural Landmark wilderness attributes
Mattamuskeet Islands proposed wilderness area wilderness attributes
Recreation
hunting public hunting available in FMU life, human health, recreation
fishing public fishing in navigable waterways and 2
wood fishing piers along NC 94
life, human health, recreation,
infrastructure
visitor outdoor displays kiosk, signs life, human health, recreation
public boat ramps boat ramp at Rose Bay Canal & concrete ramp,
wooden dock and parking area at Central Canal
life, property, human health,
recreation
wildlife observation wood boardwalk on New Holland Trail & East
Main Drive, wood observation deck on NC 94
life, human health, recreation,
infrastructure
Right-of-ways
utility right-of-way utility poles and telephone boxes along US
Hwy 264 and buried lines along NC 94 utilities
Infrastructure
US Highway 264 major transportation corridor highway safety
NC Highway 94 major transportation corridor highway safety
Refuge property
pumping stations At impoundments MI-2,4, 5/6, 7,8,9,10
&11, FA-1 and FA-2 government property
water control structures At impoundments MI-1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10 & 11
and major canals throughout refuge government property
Complex headquarters offices, equipment housing, fire cache,
garage, maintenance facilities government facilities
employee residences 4 refuge houses in headquarters area life, government facility,
private property
weather station remote access weather station (RAWS) government property
air quality monitor wood building on south levee of MI-4 government property
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3.2.3. Mattamuskeet FMU Management Guidance
• AMR
The table below gives examples of potential AMRs for the Mattamuskeet FMU. Specific AMR
objectives for this FMU include:
1. Protect communities and private structures through cooperation with the NCDFR and
local VFDs.
2. Confine fires within the roads circling Lake Mattamuskeet (US 264, Turnpike Road,
Piney Woods Road, and North Lake Road).
3. Consider wilderness values and Minimum Impact Suppression Tactics (MIST) in
selection of AMR for fires occurring in the Slayer’s Ridge RNA and on the islands in
Lake Mattamuskeet.
FMU 1 Appropriate Management Response
Potential situations Potential strategies Potential tactics
Fire burning in accessible
area near a road or water
access, small enough to
conduct successful
expedient direct attack.
Direct attack Use engines to suppress fires
near roads, portable pumps and
boats to suppress fires with
water access. Marshmasters and
tractors may be used if deemed
safe and expedient to suppress
the fire.
Fire threatens to escape
the boundary of a
compartment or threatens
values within.
Point protection (used in
conjunction with direct or
indirect attack as needed.)
Use engines and tractors as
needed to protect values or
critical holding lines. Pumps
and irrigations systems may be
set up to aid in protection when
time is available. Use aerially
applied water, foam or retardant
if warranted and approved.
Fire occurs or escapes
into impoundments or
one of the extremely
boggy woodland sections.
Indirect attack. Use engines and tractors to hold
or burn out critical control lines
as needed. Monitor or burn out
remainder of fuels in
compartment as needed to
contain the fire.
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• Hazardous Fuels
The primary hazardous fuel consideration in this FMU is to promote ecosystem health through
regular burning that prevents the build-up of hazardous fuels. Fuel treatments will use a variety
of methods that may include maintenance of roads and firebreaks, control of invasive species,
and community fuel reduction projects. Specific fuel treatment objectives for Mattamuskeet
FMU include;
1. Apply prescribed fire as appropriate to managed impoundments and emergent lakeshore
vegetation to promote early-successional wetland plants (i.e. annuals) to benefit
migratory birds and other wildlife.
2. Conducted prescribed burns in designated upland burn units, striving for a 3-5 year fire
return interval.
3. Conducted prescribed burns in farm fields striving for a 3-5 year fire return interval to
control woody fuels.
4. Construct a fuelbreak along the refuge boundary where appropriate to decrease the
likelihood of fire crossing off of or onto the refuge for the protection of private lands,
refuge resources, and WUI areas.
5. Maintain 132 acres of roads, firebreaks, and dikes annually or as needed in this FMU in
preparation for wildfire control, prescribed burn treatments, road maintenance, and
control of woody plants.
6. Over the next 5 years, investigate the potential to implement fuel treatments in the
Slayer’s Ridge RNA, including biological and fuel management considerations.
3.2.4. Mattamuskeet FMU Safety Considerations
Most of the FMU is open to the public. Mattamuskeet NWR has several lottery hunts for
waterfowl and deer from September through January. The lake is open to the public and there
are two public boat ramps on the refuge.
NC 94 is a paved two-lane highway that runs north-south across Lake Mattamuskeet. Although
the highway has relatively wide shoulders across the lake, there are often private vehicles parked
alongside the highway from people fishing or bird watching. US 264 is a major transportation
corridor in the county and is a paved, two-lane road with narrow shoulders. The road is very
curvy and is often used by wide farm tractors that can make passing difficult and dangerous.
Neither road receives heavy traffic, but vehicle traffic is constant enough to be a concern for
smoke impacts and firefighter safety.
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3.3. Fire Management Unit 2 – Swanquarter NWR
Table 6: 10-Year Average by Fiscal Year (1999-2008) for Wildland Fire
Management Activities on Swanquarter NWR
Type Number Acres
Wildfires 0.4 151.3
Prescribed Burns 1.8 1669.6
Non-Fire Projects 0.1 0.7
3.3.1. Swanquarter FMU Characteristics
Swanquarter NWR is 16,411 acres (16,400 burnable acres) bordering Pamlico Sound with the
majority of the refuge inaccessible by ground. The vegetation is predominantly irregularly-flooded
saltwater marsh (FM 3), shrub pocosin (FM 4, 6), and forest and woodlands (FM 7, 8,
9). Locally developed fuel model maps are shown in Figure 6. The saltmarsh soils are
characterized by a layer of root moss about one foot in depth over a peat layer of eight feet or
more which overlies a sandy blue clay mineral base. Organic soils impede fire operations when
water-saturated, making traverse with equipment extremely difficult. During droughts, with low
soil moisture and deep water tables, heavy equipment may be able to operate; however,
conditions can lead to long duration fires.
The refuge is divided into fire Compartments and Burn Units which are delineated on Figure 11
(see Section 4.2). The refuge’s first prescribed fire was conducted in the Bell Island
Compartment (Compartment 1) in 1991 (690 acres). Since this time, all the marsh, pine stands
and much of the swamp fuels in the Bell Island Compartment have been burned for three or four
times. The areas on the west side of Juniper Bay have been treated in the past with prescribed
burning. These areas include Marsh Island (Compartment 3), the Judith Islands (Compartment
2) and Great Island (Compartment 4). However, due to questions regarding the management of
wilderness values in these compartments, prescribed burning has been put on hold pending
further assessment. The land area east of Juniper Bay along with the adjacent Gull Rock
Gamelands have never been prescribed burned, but there have been discussions with the
NCWRC on developing burn plans in the future. The District has a MOU with the NCWRC for
each agency to assist the other in conducting prescribed burns on adjacent lands. The Gull Rock
Gamelands abut the east side of the refuge in Compartment 5, and may be burned in conjunction
with Burn Unit 2.5.1.
The refuge does not have an extensive fire history. Seventeen wildfires have occurred on or
threatened Swanquarter NWR since 1972. The fires burned from one acre to 1500 acres in size.
Known fire causes include: lightning, smoldering snags from previous fires, car fire, an airplane
crash, boating flare and converted prescribed burn.
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Figure 6: Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge – Fuel Models
29
3.2.2. Swanquarter FMU Values to Protect
Values to Protect Description Risk
Threatened & Endangered Species
red wolf critical habitat endangered species
Air Quality
Class I Airshed potential smoke impacts to air quality and
visibility may impact the visitor experience air quality, recreation
Hyde County
communities and
transportation corridors
potential smoke impacts to air quality and
visibility
life, human health, socio-economic
impacts
WUI
Swan Quarter state recognized Community At Risk (CAR) life, property, human health,
socio-economic impacts
Rose Bay state recognized CAR life, property, human health,
socio-economic impacts
Natural Resources
Wetlands sensitive organic soils and estuarine values natural, water quality
Special Designations
SNHA significant natural heritage area natural, wildlife
Swanquarter Wilderness wilderness area wilderness attributes
Recreation
hunting public hunting available in FMU life, human health, recreation
fishing public fishing from pier and adjacent
waterways life, human health, recreation
Bell Island Pier popular wooden fishing pier and one
portable restroom
public use, refuge
infrastructure
Right-of-ways
utility right-of-way utility poles and telephone boxes along US
Hwy 264 utilities
Infrastructure
US Highway 264 major transportation corridor highway safety
Refuge property
duck boxes scattered wood duck boxes government property
3.3.3. Swanquarter FMU Management Guidance
• AMR
The table below gives examples of potential AMRs for the Swanquarter FMU. Specific AMR
objectives for this FMU include:
1. Protect communities and private property values through cooperation with the NCDFR
and local VFDs.
2. Confine fires to refuge lands where possible and keep fire south of US 264.
3. Consider wilderness values and MIST in selection of AMR for fires occurring in the
wilderness areas.
4. Manage wildfires to achieve resource and hazardous fuels benefits wherever and
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whenever appropriate based on values at risk, potential impacts and potential costs.
5. Work together with the NCWRC to develop AMR strategies that allow the use of
wildland fire to function in its natural ecological role within the Juniper Bay
Compartment and Gull Rock Gamelands.
FMU 2 Appropriate Management Response
Potential situations Potential strategies Potential tactics
Fire burning in accessible
area near a road or water
access, small enough to
conduct direct attack.
Direct attack Use engines to suppress fires
near roads, portable pumps and
boats to suppress fires with
water access. Marshmasters and
tractors may be used if deemed
safe and expedient to suppress
the fire.
Fire occurs or escapes
into one of the interior
sections of compartments.
Indirect attack. Use engines and tractors to hold
or burn in critical control lines
as needed. Monitor or burn out
remainder of compartment as
needed.
Fire occurs or escapes
into one of the interior
sections of compartments.
Monitor the fire, establishing
Management Action Points with
trigger points and pre-determined
response.
Monitor with aircraft. Use
aerially applied retardant, or
water, engines and tractors as
holding resources as needed to
keep the fire contained within
the compartment.
Fire threatens to escape
the boundary of a
compartment or threatens
values within.
Point or perimeter protection Use aircraft to drop retardant
and or water to stop or slow the
spread of fire towards the critical
point. Use engines and tractors
as needed. Pumps and
irrigations systems may be set
up to aid in protection when
time and terrain permit.
• Hazardous Fuels
Hazardous fuel reduction projects may include prescribed burning, mechanical and herbicide
treatments. Specific fuel treatment objectives for Swanquarter FMU include:
1. Conduct prescribed burns in all established burn units striving for a 3-5 year fire return
interval.
2. Work with the NCWRC to reduce hazardous fuels and restore the disturbance role of fire
in fire-adapted plant communities in Unit 2.5.1 in conjunction with Gull Rock
Gamelands, striving to establish a 3-7 year fire return interval.
3. Consider wilderness values and Minimum Impact Suppression Tactics (MIST) when
developing Prescribed Fire Plans for wilderness areas.
4. Maintain the Bell Island and North Boundary Roads as needed in preparation for wildfire
control, prescribed burn treatments, road maintenance, and access needs.
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• Desired Future Vegetation Conditions
1. Maintain the pine woodlands in the North and Central Bell Island Burn Units (2.2.1-
2.2.2) as open pine savannahs.
2. Maintain or restore marsh to have a diversity of plant species beneficial to waterfowl and
shorebirds.
3. Maintain, or restore where necessary, the Wilderness Area to pre-settlement conditions,
including fire frequency, while acknowledging that the effects of sea level rise must also
be considered.
3.3.4. Swanquarter FMU Safety Considerations
Marshes are characterized by flashy grass and shrub fuels which can sustain extremely rapid
rates of spread with intense heat generated. Swamps and pocosins at Swanquarter NWR contain
heavy shrub and timber fuels, some of which are often prone to extreme fire behavior,
particularly where never before burned. Access and vehicle trafficability in this FMU is very
poor in most places. More of the FMU is accessible by boat than by vehicle due to limited roads
and trafficability for equipment. Escape routes and safety zones are scarce with large water
sources providing the best safety zones. Because of the potential for re-burn in shrub and timber
fuels, only well burned, blackened areas should be considered safe.
Most of the FMU is open to the public, but is only accessible by boat, canoe, or kayak. The
graveled Bell Island Road provides public access to the Bell Island pier. Fishing from the pier
and adjacent waters is open year-round.
US 264 is a major transportation corridor in the county and is a paved, two-lane road with
narrow shoulders that lies to the north of the refuge. The road is very curvy and is often used by
wide farm tractors that can make passing difficult and dangerous. The road does not receive
heavy traffic, but vehicle traffic is constant enough to be a concern for smoke impacts and
firefighter safety.
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3.4. Fire Management Unit 3 – Cedar Island NWR
Table 7: 10-Year Average by Fiscal Year (1999-2008) for Wildland Fire
Management Activities on Cedar Island NWR
Type Number Acres
Wildfires 2.5 456.6
Prescribed Burns 3.1 2036.6
Non-Fire Projects 3.1 29.0
3.4.1. Cedar Island FMU Characteristics
Cedar Island NWR (14,395 burnable acres) is located along Pamlico Sound in Carteret County.
The refuge supports approximately 11,000 acres of saltmarsh, 3,395 acres of forest, and 85 acres
of cleared land. Most forest is shrub pocosin with uplands supporting scattered stands of
longleaf pine and wiregrass. Fuels are classified as tall grass (FM 3), pocosin shrub (FM 4,6)
and timber (FM 7,9). Locally developed fuel model maps are shown in Figure 7. Soils at Cedar
Island NWR are shallow and underlain with peat.
The refuge has Memoranda of Understanding with two private landowners and the Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) to conduct prescribed burns in Burn Units that include both
refuge land and other ownership. The refuge is adjacent to the Outlying Atlantic Field and close
to Piney Island, both of which are operated by the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station. These
military areas have been the source of several wildfires caused by flares and have sensitive
equipment that could be threatened by a wildfire leaving the refuge.
Table 8: Burn Unit Acres by Ownership in Cedar Island FMU
Ownership Acres
Cedar Island NWR 14,495
Non-refuge 1,009
Total in FMU 15,489
The refuge is divided into Fire Compartments and Burn Units which are delineated on Figure 12
(see Section 4.2). Sixty-three wildfires have occurred on Cedar Island NWR since 1968. These
fires ranged in size from 0.1 acres to 6,000 acres. Known causes include: lightning, military
flares, and arson. Since 1994, the total acres managed with prescribed fire have grown steadily
from a few hundred acres to include most of the contiguous landbase on the refuge. By 2007, the
majority of refuge lands had been burned with exception of the North Fire Compartment, Units
3.1.1 and 3.1.8 in the Northwest Fire Compartment, and a 30 acre tract behind the Cedar Island
Fire Department in the Lola Fire Compartment. Since then, the majority of the refuge has been
burned on roughly a 5-year return interval, with burning efforts hampered by drought conditions
allowing fewer burn windows and budget concerns that limit the availability of resources.
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Figure 7: Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge – Fuel Models
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3.4.2. Cedar Island FMU Values to Protect
Values to Protect Description Risk
Threatened & Endangered Species
RCW potential habitat in long leaf pine areas endangered species
Air Quality
Carteret County
communities and
transportation corridors
potential smoke impacts to air quality and
visibility
life, human health, socio-economic
impacts
WUI
Atlantic state recognized Community At Risk (CAR) life, property, human health,
socio-economic impacts
Cedar Island state recognized CAR life, property, human health,
socio-economic impacts
building wood fish shack NC 12 at south side of
Thorofare bridge property
Cultural Resources
shell midens 5 shell miden sites cultural
Lola Radar Station 20th century Naval tower historical
Downing cemetery small family cemetery at ? cultural
Natural Resources
Wetlands sensitive organic soils and estuarine values natural, water quality
Special Designations
SNHA significant natural heritage area natural, wildlife
Recreation
waterfowl hunting public hunting available in 400 acre area
north of Thorofare Canal life, human health, recreation
fishing public fishing available in sound waters
around refuge life, human health, recreation
boat ramps public boat ramps at Lola Road (with
floating dock) and Thorofare Canal life, human health, recreation
kiosk and entrance signs NC 12 and Lola Rd. recreation, government
property
Right-of-ways
utility right-of-way utility poles and telephone boxes along NC
12 and Lola Road utilities
Infrastructure
NC 12 major transportation corridor highway safety
Ferry Dock at Cedar
Island ferry landing and offices government property, human
health
communications tower at
Atlantic Field
military communications tower and
electronics site government property
Refuge property
office and visitor center refuge office, maintenance compound,
storage buildings, visitor brochures government property
weather station RAWS government property
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3.4.3. Cedar Island FMU Management Guidance
• AMR
Cedar Island NWR currently has one non-fire qualified maintenance worker assigned to the
refuge. Excluding the VFDs, the closest firefighting resources are the NCDFR stationed
approximately one-hour from the refuge. The next closest resources are stationed at Croatan
National Forest and Cherry Point MCAS, approximately 1.5 hours away. The closest FWS
resources are at Mattamuskeet and Pocosin Lakes NWR, about 3 hours away. This distance
from resources has led to designating the NCDFR in our AOP with primary suppression
responsibilities on the refuge. When NCDFR responds to a wildfire on the refuge it will
simultaneously contact FWS resources.
The table below gives examples of potential AMRs for the Cedar Island FMU. Specific AMR
objectives for this FMU include:
1. Protect communities and private structures through cooperation with the NCDFR, local
VFDs, and Cherry Point MCAS.
2. Work with NCDFR, VFDs, and other cooperators to ensure their cooperation and by-in to
refuge approved AMR.
FMU 3 Appropriate Management Response
Potential situations Potential strategies Potential tactics
Fire burning in accessible
area near a road or water
access, small enough to
conduct direct attack.
Direct attack Use engines to suppress fires near
roads, portable pumps and boats to
suppress fires with water access.
Tractor/plows may be used on
upland sites and in pocosins.
Marshmasters and tractors without
plows may be used in marsh if
deemed safe and expedient to
suppress the fire.
Fire occurs or escapes into
one of the interior sections
of compartments.
Indirect attack. Use engines and tractors to hold or
burn out critical control lines as
needed. Monitor or burn out
remainder of fuels in compartment
as needed.
Fire occurs or escapes into
one of the interior sections
of compartments.
Monitor the fire, establishing
Management Action Points with
trigger points and pre-determined
response plans.
Monitor with aircraft. Use aerially
applied retardant, or water, engines
and tractors as holding resources as
needed to keep the fire contained
within the compartment.
Fire threatens to escape the
boundary of a compartment
or threatens values within.
Point protection Use aircraft to drop retardant and or
water to stop or slow the spread of
fire towards the critical point. Use
engines and tractors as needed.
Use water and foam or chippers to
pre-treat fuels around values at risk
if time available.
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• Hazardous Fuels
Hazardous fuel reduction projects may include prescribed burning, mechanical and herbicide
treatments. Specific fuel treatment objectives for Cedar Island FMU include:
1. Conduct prescribed burns in designated burn units, striving for a 3-5 year fire return
interval to reduce hazardous fuels in the wildland-urban interface and meet habitat
management objectives.
2. Enhance long leaf pine savannah habitat by burning these acres on a 1 to 3 year fire
return interval for potential future use by threatened and endangered species (e.g. red-cockaded
woodpecker and other key management species) and migratory birds.
3. Initiate growing season burns when and where appropriate to mimic natural fire
seasonality and maximize fire effects.
4. Annually maintain 76 acres of roads and firebreaks as needed in this FMU in preparation
for wildfire control, prescribed burn treatments, and road maintenance.
• Desired Future Vegetation Conditions
1. Frequent burning in Longleaf Pine stands should once again expand this historical
vegetation type out across areas now dominated by other pine species and shrubs,
particularly in the margins of the sandy uplands where pocosin shrub, pond pine and
loblolly pine have encroached with fire exclusion over the past 50 years. Wiregrass
communities should become re-established in conjunction with longleaf restoration.
2. Marshes should show a greater diversity of grassland vegetation, particularly on the
upper elevation marsh sites.
3. Pocosins should show a greater diversity of shrub structure and age class, with early
successional bogs and grasslands interspersed within.
3.4.4. Cedar Island FMU Safety Considerations
The fuels at Cedar Island NWR are capable of high rates of spread, particularly when they are
exposed to the frequently strong winds. Those areas with a 3-5 year rough can sustain extreme
rates of spread and high intensity burning while areas within a couple of years of prescribed
burning normally show reduced fire intensity due to the modified fuels. During seasonally dry
periods, organic soils may sustain combustion and hold fire even after a rain event until
conditions dry out again and can sustain spread. There are numerous snags in the timber stands
and pocosins which pose hazards to firefighters and increased risk of escape for fires.
Access and trafficability in this FMU is very poor. The thick tangled shrub pocosins and
wooded areas outside where recent burns have taken place may present special challenges. The
firebreaks and dirt roads which access the burn units can be very wet and hard to travel. The
marshes are most easily accessed by boat or marshmaster. Escape routes and safety zones are
scarce with large water sources providing the best safety zones. Because of the potential for re-burn
in these fuels, only well burned, blackened areas should be considered safe.
37
Most of the FMU is open to the public, but is only accessible by foot or by boat, canoe, or kayak.
NC Highway 12 bisects the refuge and terminates in the Community of Cedar Island at the NC
DOT Ferry Dock. NC 12 is a paved, two-lane highway with narrow shoulders. This popular
ferry and road serve as a gateway to the Core Banks area and Moorehead City. It is a major
concern for traffic hazards caused by smoke and safety to firefighters conducting fire
management activities alongside the road. NC 12 and Lola Road serve as access through the
refuge and points from which to observe wildlife. On the south side of the refuge, Old Cedar
Island Road takes local traffic from NC-12 east to the community of Atlantic and through a
portion of the refuge. The refuge is open to waterfowl hunting with many private blinds
surrounding the refuge out in the Sound. There is a public boat ramp maintained by the refuge at
the end of Lola Road and one at the Thorofare Canal.
4.0 Wildland Fire Operational Guidance
Fire management operations planned and conducted pursuant to this FMP will follow the
policies and guidelines of the Redbook and FWS Fire Management Handbook.
The Mattamuskeet Complex has one fire-funded employee based at Mattamuskeet NWR. This
employee works together with operations and maintenance, resource, and management personnel
to support the Mattamuskeet Complex’s fire program. They work closely with the other refuges
and cooperators within the FWS Southeast Region Fire Management District 1 to conduct fire
suppression operations and fuel treatment projects on national wildlife refuges and on
cooperator’s lands within the constraints of cooperative agreements. Complex fire qualified
personnel and the positions for which they qualify are listed in the Annual Operations Plan.
Fire-funded personnel that are responsible for district-wide duties are based at Alligator River,
Pocosin Lakes, Mattamuskeet and Mackay Island NWRs. The duties of all fire staff in District
1, whether District or Refuge employees, include the following:
• work together and with other refuge staff and cooperators to provide the primary staffing
necessary for making an appropriate management response on wildfires,
• perform planning and preparedness duties,
• maintain fire facilities and equipment, and
• plan, prepare for and implement prescribed burns on refuge and cooperator lands..
District 1 Personnel:
• District Fire Management Officer (DFMO) – responsible for the overall coordination and
oversight for the Fire Management Program in Fire District 1. The DFMO supervises the
District fire personnel and the Alligator River NWR fire crew.
• Fire Program Administrative Assistant – responsible for assisting the DFMO in
accounting and fire budgeting, and serves as the primary Dispatcher for District 1.
Assists with payroll, AD hires, purchases and personnel actions.
• Prescribed Fire Specialist (PFS) – responsible for overall coordination of the prescribed
fire program in District 1 and specifically responsible for fire management program
coordination on the Mattamuskeet Complex.
38
• Wildland Urban Interface Specialist (WUIS) – responsible for administering fire
assistance programs with rural fire departments and coordinating wildland fire issues
with communities near Refuges. The WUIS serves as the Fire Planner for the District.
Alligator River NWR Staff:
• Supervisory Forestry Technician (Fire Control Officer) - supervises fire operations at
ARNWR/PINWR and serves as an equipment management coordinator and trainer for
District 1.
• Three Engineering Equipment Operators – Fire
• Two Forestry Technicians – Fire
Pocosin Lakes NWR Staff:
• Refuge Fire Management Officer - supervises fire operations at Pocosin Lakes NWR and
serves as Assistant District FMO when needed. Serves as District 1 Training Officer and
subject matter expert on smoke management and fire environment issues.
• Three Engineering Equipment Operators – Fire
• Two Forestry Technicians – Fire
Mattamuskeet NWR Staff:
• One Forestry Technician – Fire
Mackay Island NWR Staff:
• One Forestry Technician - Fire
The Redbook and FWS Fire Management Handbook spell out the fire management
responsibilities for the Regional Director, Regional Fire Management Coordinator, Project
Leader, and Refuge Fire Management Officer. Policy also allows for certain authorities to be
delegated from the Agency Administrator to the District Fire Management Officer (Appendix
G). The remaining fire-funded members of the Fire Management Team have duties established
through their position descriptions and annual performance plans. Fire qualification goals and
trainings are worked out with individual fire-funded and collateral team members when
employees’ Individual Development Plans are developed for the year. A current copy of the
approved District 1 Fire Staffing Chart and a description of Fire Team responsibilities are
included in Appendix H.
Goals for the development of the Refuge Fire Management Team are:
1. Develop Safety as the number one awareness issue within the fire program on the Complex.
2. Develop/maintain appropriate level of staffing of trained and qualified firefighting personnel
to meet the fire management needs of the three refuges, within funding constraints.
3. Develop and organize available resources on the refuges and within the District into an
experienced fire organization capable of safely attacking wildfires with a successful control
rate of 95%. Refuge resources must be able to interface with cooperators and outside FWS
resources to successfully control the remaining 5%. Selected refuge staff will be trained and
developed to assist other refuges and interagency cooperators locally, regionally, and
nationally.
39
4. Actively seek ways to encourage and develop cooperative relationships with NCDFR, U.S.
Forest Service (USFS), local Volunteer Fire Departments, DOD, Emergency Management,
and local law enforcement agencies. Cooperative relations must be mutually beneficial to all
parties in an agreement, result in more effective protection of values from threat or loss from
wildfire, and improve safety for all wildland firefighters.
4.1. Appropriate Management Response (AMR)
Safety is the number one priority in all fire suppression actions. The 10 Standard Fire Orders
and 18 Watch Out Situations will be the guide in all fire operations. Structural fire suppression
is the responsibility of local governments. We may assist with exterior structural protection
activities under formal Fire Protection Agreements that specify mutual responsibilities, including
funding (Redbook 01-3).
A Wildland Fire Situation Analysis (WFSA) or other appropriate analysis tool will be prepared
for any wildfire that escapes initial attack. Multi-jurisdictional incidents will require a
collaboratively developed WFSA that is approved and signed by each of the respective agencies.
The wildfires on the Mattamuskeet Complex have varied greatly in size with small wildfires
managed as Type 4 incidents punctuated by larger incidents of varying complexity under a Type
3 organization. An NWCG complexity analysis will be completed on all incidents to determine
the appropriate level of management organization. Higher complexity incidents may result in
Type 2 incident management teams being ordered. Complexity factors for incidents that rank
out as higher complexity would likely be influenced by impacts to human communities and
multiple jurisdictional involvement and the expected duration of the fire. The extent and severity
of ground fire is often the deciding factor in the duration and complexity of an incident. Ground
fire of any size may have detrimental effects to the neighboring communities due to health
concerns (smoke) and difficulty of containment. It may last for months before it is extinguished
by suppression efforts or precipitation, and any ground fire suppression will be very expensive
due to the duration of the tractor and water moving operations. Suppression costs will always be
subordinate to values to protect for fires that escape refuge boundaries and threaten residences,
businesses and private timber resources. Increasing WUI areas on or adjacent to all refuges
could easily see the complexity of wildfire events increase in the future. Details on refuge fire
history can be found in the refuge files or in FMIS.
4.1.1. AMR Direction
• General AMR Direction
All wildfires will receive an AMR as quickly as possible. AMR is the response to a wildland fire
that most effectively, efficiently, and safely meets objectives identified in this approved Fire
Management Plan. Evaluation and selection of an AMR to a wildfire will include consideration
of risks to public and firefighter safety, threats to the values to protect, the cost of the various
mitigation strategies and tactics, and the potential resource benefits. Refer to Sections 3.2 – 3.4
under each FMU for specific direction.
40
The response may range across a spectrum of strategic options including the following examples:
• A monitoring strategy would entail periodic reconnoitering of the fire to ensure that it
does not threaten key values or escape into another compartment or area.
• Indirect attack strategies use existing or constructed fire breaks to burn out and hold key
areas of terrain so that the fire cannot escape from a particular compartment or area.
• Direct attack strategies use ground and/or aviation resources directly engaged in the
immediate fire environment in order to contain or slow the fire to prevent it from
escaping an area or affecting key values to protect.
• A point protection strategy is often used to protect high values when a fast moving fire
threatens and time is critical.
At times, more than one or perhaps all these strategic responses may be required in combination
to meet the needs for an AMR. Often burning out sections of an area or an entire compartment
will be the most effective strategy to ensure containment. Tactical operations to accomplish an
AMR may include the use of aircraft, low ground pressure fire tractors, tracked brush cutters,
engines, boats, and fire crews using hand tools, ignition devices or portable pumps. Due to
accessibility and the volatile nature of pocosin and marsh fuels, only tactics that can ensure the
safety of all assigned personnel and that pose a good probability for success will be selected for
an AMR.
Smoke impacts to Smoke Sensitive Areas (see Section 4.2.1.5.) will be a consideration when
choosing an AMR. Potential smoke impacts can include visibility hazards and/or public health
impacts. When smoke impacts are expected, fire mangers will attempt to work with interagency
partners to monitor smoke and inform the public of any associated hazards.
Because of heavy fuels and organic soils in pocosins, once a fire is contained it still has a high
probability for escape. Specific steps must be taken to ensure the success of holding resources.
Often the first step is to widen firelines with multiple tractors plowing lines around the perimeter.
Sometimes vegetation is masticated with chippers or sheared and piled with dozers with KG
blades to widen the control lines. Next, if conditions are fairly dry in the upper soil and duff
layer, sprinkler systems will be installed using irrigation equipment and pumps deployed from
nearby canals. If an area can be flooded using landscape-scale water management techniques,
this will be the next option. Hose lays with engines and portable pumps are used if the area is
not extremely dry or has predominantly mineral soils. These methods may be used separately or
together on any fire to attempt to achieve successful holding operations. Regardless of the type
of AMR, leaders must ensure that decisions are timely and actions are decisive. All actively
burning wildfires will monitored, and then staffed as needed until declared controlled or out.
All wildfires will be supervised by a qualified Incident Commander (IC) responsible to
• Assess the fire situation and make a report to dispatch as soon as possible.
• Use guidance in this FMP or a Delegation of Authority to determine and implement an
appropriate management response.
• Determine organization, resource needs, strategy and tactics.
• Brief incoming and assigned resources on the organization, strategy and tactics, weather
and fire behavior, LCES, and radio frequencies.
41
• Order resources needed for the AMR through the designated dispatch office.
• Manage the incident until relieved or the incident is under control.
The FMP and a delegation of authority with an associated WFSA from the agency administrator
can provide a general strategy to an IC, who has discretion to select and implement appropriate
tactics within the limits described for the FMU(s), including when and where to use minimum
impact suppression tactics (MIST) unless otherwise specified. Each wildland fire is unique with
its own set of weather, fire behavior, resource, and event variables that must be taken into
consideration by the IC when choosing an AMR. Impacts to the land and cost considerations
will always be considered in fire management planning, but will take second priority to
firefighter and public safety. All resources, including mutual aid resources, will report to the IC
(in person or by radio) and receive a briefing and assignment prior to tactical deployment.
• General AMR Constraints
1. Aerial or ground application of fire retardants, foams, and water enhancers should be avoided
within 300 feet of waterways unless life or property is threatened and their use can
reasonably be expected to alleviate the threat. Other exceptions can be found in Chapter 12
of the Redbook.
2. Use of retardant, foam, and aircraft in wilderness, RNA, and other special areas will require
approval from the Refuge Manager.
3. The Refuge Manager is the decision authority for equipment use in wilderness areas on
Swanquarter NWR and Research Natural Areas (RNA) on Mattamuskeet NWR. Use of
heavy equipment in wilderness areas will require Regional Office concurrence.
4. Agency firefighters will not take direct suppression actions on structure, vehicle, or landfill
fires, but limit firefighting efforts to areas where the fire has spread onto agency protected
lands.
5. Refuge equipment will be washed prior to leaving the District and before returning to help
prevent the spread of invasive species.
6. Extreme fire weather conditions occur more frequently in the coastal areas of the State due to
especially strong winds. Also, large water bodies in close proximity to the refuges create
localized winds that can defy general and spot weather forecasts.
7. Organic soils which are prone to ignite and cause significant impacts.
8. The remoteness of Cedar Island NWR, which takes 3-5 driving hours for FWS fire resources
to reach, always increases response time and costs for wildland fire activities.
9. Wetland soils and protection considerations must be taken into account on all fire
management activities.
10. Access and availability of specialized equipment capable of working in the wetland soils is
always a factor in wildland fire activities.
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• Interagency Operations
The statewide interagency Master Agreement and the AOP for interagency resources in the
District spell out how non-refuge resources will respond to wildland fires on Mattamuskeet,
Swanquarter, and Cedar Island NWRs. Following the closest resource concept, the NCDFR will
make an initial response to wildfires at Cedar Island NWR while simultaneously informing the
Service. The Forestry Division employed by USMC at Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station
(MCAS) is a primary cooperator, especially at Cedar Island NWR. A Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) for fire management between the MCAS and Cedar Island NWR covers
both wildfire suppression and prescribed burning. Through annual cooperative meetings, refuge
staff will make cooperators and partners aware of the AMR for these refuges.
Pre-attack planning will focus on continuing the excellent cooperation between the FWS and the
NCDFR, as well as continuing to develop cooperative relations with the Volunteer Fire
Departments and local Emergency Management. Some of this planning will be captured in the
AOP or in Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) as they are developed. Local and
agency law enforcement personnel will be utilized as needed to protect the public and to close
portions of a refuge to the public during wildfire incidents if necessary.
Refuge Cooperating Fire Department
Swanquarter NWR Swan Quarter VFD
Cedar Island NWR Cedar Island VFD
Cedar Island NWR Atlantic VFD
4.1.2. Preparedness
• Fire Management Planning
District fire staff in conjunction with refuge managers will annually update the FMP and
appendices as needed and review pre-incident planning to resolve as many logistical and
operational questions as possible in advance of a major incident. District staff will update the
District Station Aviation Plan every two years or as needed to update the Aerial Hazards Maps
and incorporate policy changes. All interagency agreements will be reviewed to ensure currency
and relevancy to the fire management needs of the refuges and our partners.
• National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS)
The NFDRS is a set of numeric indices that describe the potential over a given geographic area
for fires to ignite, spread, and require fire suppression action. Fire weather information is
integrated with fuel and topographic information to calculate NFDRS indices. To establish the
initial indices for the District, weather data for the years 1998-2008 from the Alligator River
NWR (ALR) and Pocosin Lakes NWR (POR) RAWS (Remote Access Weather Station) were
processed with the FireFamily Plus program (See Figure 8). This program identifies staffing
level breakpoints for use in the District’s Step-up Plan.
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Figure 8: Graphs of the Mean NFDRS values (BI, ERC, and KBDI) and fuel moistures
calculated using Fire Family Plus software. Weather data uses an average of the Alligator River
NWR (ALR) and Pocosin Lakes NWR (POR) RAWS data with equal weighting (1998-2008).
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Of the indices available through the NFDRS, Burning Index (BI) has been selected as the basis
to rank fire danger in the Service’s Southeast Region. Burning Index therefore provides the basis
for increased readiness and determining staffing class levels. BI, defined as flame length times
10, is designed to reflect the difficulty in controlling a new fire start. It is driven by the variables
of wind speed and fine dead fuel moisture, which in turn are directly related to relative humidity.
BI (and all NFDRS outputs) relate only to the potential of an initiating fire that spreads, without
crowning or spotting, through continuous fuels on a uniform slope. Additional NFDRS indices,
such as Energy Release Component (ERC) and Keetch-Byrum Drought Index (KBDI) will be
used in determining Step-up Plan staffing levels.
• Step-up Plan
Step-up Plans are designed to direct incremental preparedness actions in response to increasing
fire danger. “Staffing Levels” delineate those actions. The level of fire danger is expressed as a
“Preparedness Level”, which is determined by incremental measures of burning conditions, fire
activity, and resource commitment. The refuges’ predetermined responses to increased fire
danger for a burning period follows District 1’s Step-up Plan found in Appendix A. Staffing
levels correlate directly to preparedness levels and the terms are used interchangeably. Given the
small number of fire-qualified Complex staff and where they are located, successful initial attack
will not occur without the assistance of firefighters from other refuges in the District.
Fire managers will participate with interagency partners in sharing and coordinating weather
station information relating to fire danger assessments. A RAWS at Cedar Island NWR will be
used in conjunction with other area weather stations to assess fire danger on the Mattamuskeet
Complex. The District Dispatch Office will keep Refuge and District personnel appraised of fire
danger and weather conditions, ensuring all stations are aware of current fire danger and are
taking appropriate actions. This function will be monitored by the District FMO to ensure
responsiveness and consistency in the program. Members of the Mattamuskeet Complex fire
staff will assist other refuges as members of the Fire Management District 1 Fire Team as needed
for wildfire assignments.
If National and Regional preparedness levels reach 4 or 5, the District may step-up a level in
preparedness as a result. This will also signal that prescribed burning activities may need to be
postponed or receive Regional concurrence.
• Emergency Preparedness
During the fire season there will be short-term weather events and increased human activity that
increase fire danger beyond what may be predicted for the Step-up Plan. These types of events
cannot be planned or budgeted and may call for lengthening the duty day, extending the work
week, or detailing extra resources to meet the anticipated danger. The District FMO has the
authority to make this decision with notification to the Regional Fire Management Coordinator.
Limitations on utilizing emergency preparedness funds are listed in the Redbook Chapter 10 and
the FWS Fire Management Handbook.
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• Severity
Severity funds are available subject to the National Fire Coordinator’s approval whenever there
is a longer term high fire danger event, such as a drought that extends or prolongs the normal fire
season or causes a severe strain on normal refuge activities due to higher staffing requirements,
or an above average wildfire activity that has a “drawdown” effect on local suppression forces.
Severity requests will be done on a District basis. Severity funds may be requested whenever the
KBDI exceeds the 532 level and or staffing needs exceed those that can be supported by the
District. If ongoing wildfires are tying up resources (FWS and cooperators) for extended periods
of time, and the local refuges are having difficulty meeting minimum staffing needs, they may
request severity funds at lower KBDI levels.
All incoming resources arriving on severity details (as with all other incidents) will be briefed
prior to being assigned. This briefing will cover this FMP as well as local fire cards, expected
fire behavior, tactics, communications and other necessary information.
• Training and Qualifications
Refuge staff on the Mattamuskeet Complex are all encouraged to pursue and fill fire
qualifications for which they are able. They must meet the medical standards for firefighters,
including a physical, before they can be declared fit for duty. Agency firefighting personnel are
encouraged to participate in a fitness program for which they are allowed official duty time for
physical training depending on their fitness qualification. Firefighters are required to pass a
Work Capacity Test appropriate for their qualification skill.
Annual training is geared to increase the safety awareness, technical skill, and fire-job
qualifications of firefighters in the Fire District. All training is oriented to the NWCG standards.
Requirements for annual refreshers and physical and medical testing are provided in National
Interagency Incident Management System Wildfire Qualification System Guide (also known as
310-1, http://www.nwcg.gov/pms/docs/pms-310-1_2008.pdf) or listed in the FWS Fire
Management Handbook. Each employee has an IDP which is developed annually with their
supervisor to determine training and development needs including fire related training needed for
skill and leader positions. Training is obtained through cooperators and Regional and National
interagency training courses. Often, one or two 200-level courses are taught yearly by district
firefighters. The NCDFR offers 200 and 300-level training courses across the state, most of
which meet NWCG requirements. Additional training needs are obtained by sending personnel
to interagency training coordinated through the State and Regional Coordination Centers or
cooperators. As a minimum, the Annual Firefighter Safety Refresher training is offered prior to
the Spring Fire Season.
• Readiness
Prior to the beginning of the established fire season, a readiness evaluation must be conducted to
evaluate detection, communication, dispatch and response capabilities. The DFMO will use the
Fire and Aviation Preparedness Review Guide provided by BLM as a format to determine and
document pre-season readiness. This document can be found at
http://www.blm.gov/nifc/st/en/prog/fire/fireops/preparedness/preparedness_review.html.
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The only fire dedicated facilities on the Mattamuskeet Complex are a military storage container
at Mattamuskeet NWR used as a fire cache and a 2-bay metal storage building at Cedar Island
NWR. However, a new shop is under construction at Mattamuskeet NWR which will be
completed in 2010. This shop will have one bay devoted to the fire program for storage of an
engine and fire cache. Fire cache and equipment will be maintained in readiness condition year-round
on the refuges because of the nature of fire occurrences and prescribed burning activities.
A fire cache inventory at Mattamuskeet NWR will be kept up-to-date reflecting the items in the
cache at all times with an annually updated list kept in the Dispatch Office. Normally the cache
will be replenished after each wildfire and prescribed burn season in coordination with the
DFMO. Orders reflecting emergency needs will be made any time. As funds and staff allow, a
second cache with additional equipment will be set up at Cedar Island NWR.
The Dispatch office at Alligator River NWR serves as the District Dispatch Office for the entire
Fire Management District. The District Dispatch Office will be staffed on all PL-III
(Preparedness Level III) days or higher during the fire season and on demand during the
remainder of the year. A description of Dispatch duties is included in the Appendix and the AOP
includes a discussion on how the Office will interact with our interagency partners.
Table 9: Annual Refuge Fire Preparedness Activities
Activities – Complete before end of month J F M A M J J A S O N D
Fire Equipment Inspections x x x x x x x x x x x x
Update Interagency Fire Agreements/AOPs x
Inventory Fire Engine and Cache x
Annual Refresher Training x
Pre-Season Engine Preparation and Inventory x x
Weigh Engines to verify GVW Compliance x
Equipment Preparation and Maintenance x
Annual Medical Examinations x x
Annual Fitness Testing x
Annual Work Plan for upcoming FY x
Prescribed Fire Plans Preparation x x x x x
Weather Station Maintenance and Calibration x
PLDO Annual Refresher x
Complete Training Analysis x
Review and Update FMP and Appendices x
Winterize Fire Management Equipment x
Aircraft Pre-Accident Plan x x
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• Community Assistance
The DFMO will work with the District Wildland-Urban Interface Specialist (WUIS) to identify
community assistance projects and grant programs (e.g., Rural Fire Assistance, Ready Reserve,
or Firewise) for funding consideration. The District WUIS will also work with refuge staff,
communities and cooperators to establish Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) and/or
Firewise Communities/USA Mitigation Plans that detail project actions and responsibilities for
community protection. Cooperators will be consulted for project prioritization and coordination
of efforts. The District WUIS will work with refuge staff to ensure implementation of any
funded projects.
• Fire Season
Wildfires can occur on the Mattamuskeet Complex at any time of year as evidenced by fire
history. The primary season of consistently high fire danger is March1 through August 1 when
high winds, low humidity and low fuel moisture create optimal conditions for wildfires. Ignition
sources during this time of year are normally agricultural burning on adjoining property,
lightning, arson, and military use. During drought years, high fire occurrence in Eastern North
Carolina can extend into the fall and even winter months. During this extended season, military
and agricultural operations are the primary ignition sources.
Figure 9: The total number of wildfires by month on Mattamuskeet (MTR),
Swanquarter (SWR), and Cedar Island (CDR) NWRs. Fire data is from FMIS
from 1980-2008.
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4.1.3. Detection
Refuge resources are not normally used exclusively for detection purposes. Fires are primarily
discovered through aerial detection flights or called into 911 by local citizens.
No fire team in Eastern North Carolina would be complete without a competent air-attack
qualified pilot in a light, maneuverable aircraft. The pilot must be skilled in fire suppression
tactics, fire behavior in local fuels, and directing ground resources by two-way radio
communication. The pilot needs to be knowledgeable of equipment capabilities in heavy fuels
with marginal trafficability in wetland soils.
The NPS pilot and aircraft stationed at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore (NS) have in the past
met this criteria. As long as the NS maintains a pilot position with fire qualifications, this pilot
and aircraft will be used for performing aerial detection flights in the District. Detection flights
are done once or twice daily on PL-III or higher days during the regular fire season and on an
intermittent basis during the remainder of the year. Once a smoke is spotted, the pilot contacts
the District Dispatch Office to report the location and give a size-up of the fire. Often the pilot
will direct personnel into the fire, watching for their safety serving the function of a lookout. If
additional air resources are needed, a qualified air attack pilot will be requested.
Refuge detection flights will be coordinated with detection flights flown by the NCDFR to avoid
duplication. NCDFR pilots are trained to report any fires or smokes that they discover on
Service lands when flying their regular patrol flights. When NPS aircraft is unavailable, vendor
aircraft that meet the DOI National Business Center – Aviation Management Directorate
requirements may be ordered though contract arrangements to assist with aerial detection and
wildfire response. A qualified aviation manager will be used as required and needed to direct the
flights.
4.1.4. Dispatch, Initial Response and Initial Attack
All wildland fires will be reported to the Dispatch Office at Alligator River NWR. Usually
human-caused wildfires will be located either on a road shoulder, dike or sound shore, but
lightning fires can show up anywhere and are often a good distance off the highway. As a
minimum, one Initial Attack Incident Commander or a Type-6 engine with two firefighters will
be sent to size up the fire and take action as needed. District or a combination of District and
Refuge resources may be necessary to meet this requirement. If the fire cannot be easily seen
from the road or other access point, then a helicopter will be dispatched if available, or else
reconnaissance aircraft from the NPS or NCDFR will be requested. Another option is for an
aerial observer to board an approved contract aircraft to scout out the fire. The resource which
arrives first is responsible for providing Dispatch with an accurate fire size-up and determining
an AMR. The interagency Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG) carried by each firefighter
contains a fire size-up checklist. The AOP contains a checklist for fire size-up as well as initial
attack response considerations.
Once the fire is adequately sized up and an AMR determined, the on-scene IC will request any
additional resources that are needed to accomplish the AMR. A pre-determined initial attack
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taskforce will often be available on stand-by at Alligator River or Pocosin Lakes NWR during
PL-IV and higher days and will be quickly dispatched. The closest resource concept will be
utilized in all urgent wildfire dispatch operations. Refuge and cooperator resources will be
requested and dispatched per the AOP, which also includes an annually updated list of radio
frequencies.
Occasionally, due to the location of the fire, intense fire behavior, and/or threats to values to
protect, a fire, using the NWCG Complexity Analysis, may be classified at a complexity higher
than the currently responding resources are qualified to handle. At this point, the District fire
management staff and agency administrator will review and begin the procedures for initiating
large fire management right away.
4.1.5. Extended Attack and Large Fire Management
The Mattamuskeet Complex maintains a preparedness planning package (Appendix A) annually
updated and kept at Complex Headquarters and in the DFMO’s and District Dispatch’s offices
along with copies of this FMP. This package consists of sample analysis tools for large fires and
a sample delegation of authority for incident management. It also includes a guide for Extended
Attack Organization (Type 3) specific to Fire Management District 1, maps showing major
values to protect and private lands within and adjacent to the Mattamuskeet Complex, and a local
vendors list.
Extended attack may go far beyond the resources listed in the Appendices noted above. When
wildfire incidents exceed the capabilities of the Fire Management District and local cooperators,
the District Dispatch Office will coordinate orders for additional emergency resources through
State and Federal area dispatch centers and the Southern Area Coordination Center (SACC).
Policies and procedures for completing incident analysis, delegations of authority, and providing
incoming briefings for Incident Commanders and fire teams are found in the Redbook, Incident
Management Information. The District Fire Management Officer will assist the Refuge Manager
in completing these procedures.
In the event the selected initial attack AMR is unsuccessful, an analysis will be used to evaluate
realistic alternative strategies against selected safety, environmental, social, economic, political,
and resource management objectives. Through the analysis, a management alternative will be
recommended for selection by the Refuge Manager. The selected alternatives will use one (or a
combination) of AMR strategies to manage the incident. A new analysis will be made whenever
significant changes occur that may affect the intended outcomes. The Refuge Manager will
direct the Incident Commander to put together the resources to manage the incident in line with
the current selected alternative.
When multi-jurisdictions are involved, the FWS will consult its partners during the Complexity
Analysis process, and order the corresponding level team. Unified Command will be
recommended.
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4.1.6. Aviation Operations
The Mattamuskeet Complex makes use of aircraft on a fairly regular basis. All fire-related
aviation operations follow applicable guidelines of the DOI National Business Center - Aviation
Management Directorate. The Aviation Plan will provide local refuge aviation direction, policy
and guidance that is consistent with national agency and interagency policy. It will also contain
the station pre-accident plans, risk assessments, and Aviation Hazards Map. This plan should be
updated every two years or as needed to update the Aerial Hazards Maps and incorporate policy
changes, and can be found in Appendix B.
4.1.7. Reviews and Investigations
Reviews and investigations are used by wildland fire and aviation managers to assess and
improve the effectiveness and safety of organizational operations. Brief descriptions of various
reviews and associated procedures and requirements, including those for serious wildland fire
accidents, entrapments, and fire trespass are listed in the Redbook. All prescribed fires declared
a wildfire will have an investigative review initiated by the Refuge Manager. The level and
scope of the review will be determined by policy and procedures of the Redbook and the FWS
Fire Management Handbook.
Incident Commanders and Single Resource Bosses will ensure AARs take place in a timely
manner and that any significant issues are brought to the attention of the District FMO or
Refuge Manager.
A formal review of each significant initial attack and extended attack operation will be made by
Agency and cooperator personnel as needed. The purpose of these reviews will be to address
safety, organizational, operational, fiscal, and biological issues with regards to the wildfire.
4.1.8. Reports
Mattamuskeet Complex staff will contact the District FMO or District Dispatch Office to report
all wildland fires. Th