Evidence of effectiveness in the Cohesive Strategy: measuring and improving wildfire response
Toddi Steelman
A C and Branda Nowell B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, 9 Circuit Drive, Box 90328, Durham, NC 277708-0328, USA.
B School of Public and International Affairs, North Carolina State University, 212 Caldwell Hall, Campus Box 8102, Raleigh, NC 27695-8102, USA.
C Corresponding author. Email: toddi.steelman@duke.edu
International Journal of Wildland Fire 28(4) 267-274 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF18136
Submitted: 13 August 2018 Accepted: 15 February 2019 Published: 10 April 2019
Abstract
The United States’ National Cohesive Wildfire Management Strategy aims to achieve greater social and ecological resilience to wildfire. It also raises the question: cohesive for whom and for what purpose? In this article, we address the wildfire response goal and what a cohesive response means. Namely, we define a cohesive response as the ability to co-manage across scales for a more effective wildfire response. Our approach is grounded in the reality of the growing complexity of wildfire – both biophysically and socio-politically. We suggest that suppression and fire operations are necessary, but insufficient in the face of this growing complexity as we seek safer and effective wildfire response. Using network-based concepts and drawing from the literature on socio-ecological resilience, we consider how scales can be matched, what can and should be communicated across scales, and what this means for creating more adaptable institutions for more effective wildfire response. Survey results from 21 fires during the 2013 wildfire season are presented to illustrate relative areas of strength and weakness related to wildfire response and how these measurements can feed into processes to facilitate social learning, adaptation and ultimately more resilient socio-ecological wildfire response institutions.
Additional keywords: co-management, disasters, networks, network governance, resilience, socio-ecological.
References
Abrams JB, Knapp M, Paveglio TB, Ellison A, Moseley C, Nielsen-Pincus M, Carroll MC (2015) Re-envisioning community–wildfire relations in the US West as adaptive governance. Ecology and Society 20, 34| Re-envisioning community–wildfire relations in the US West as adaptive governance.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Armitage D, Marschke M, Plummer R (2008) Adaptive co-management and the paradox of learning. Global Environmental Change 18, 86–98.
| Adaptive co-management and the paradox of learning.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Belval EJ, Wei Y, Calkin DE, Stonesifer CS, Thompson MP, Tipton JR (2017) Studying interregional wildland engine assignments for large fire suppression. International Journal of Wildland Fire 26, 642–653.
| Studying interregional wildland engine assignments for large fire suppression.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Berkes F (2002) Cross-scale institutional linkages: perspectives from the bottom up. In ‘The drama of the commons’. (Eds E Ostrom, T Dietz, N Dolsak, PC Stern, S Stonich and EU Weber) pp. 293–321 (National Academy Press: Washington, DC, USA).
Berkes F (2009) Evolution of co-management: role of knowledge generation, bridging organizations and social learning. Journal of Environmental Management 90, 1692–1702.
| Evolution of co-management: role of knowledge generation, bridging organizations and social learning.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19110363PubMed |
Calkin DE, Thompson ME, Finney MA (2015) Negative consequences of positive feedbacks in US wildfire management. Forest Ecosystems 2, 9
| Negative consequences of positive feedbacks in US wildfire management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Canton-Thompson J, Gebert KM, Thompson B, Jones G, Calkin D, Donovan G (2008) External human factors in incident management team decision-making and their effect on large fire suppression expenditures. Journal of Forestry 106, 416–424.
Cash DW, Adger WN, Berkes F, Garden P, Lebel L, Olsson P, Pritchard L, Young O (2006) Scale and cross-scale dynamics: governance and information in a multilevel world. Ecology and Society 11, 8
Comfort LK, Kapucu N (2006) Interorganizational coordination in extreme events: the World Trade Center attacks, September 11, 2001. Natural Hazards 39, 309–327.
| Interorganizational coordination in extreme events: the World Trade Center attacks, September 11, 2001.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Crona BI, Parker JN (2012) Learning in support of governance: theories, methods, and a framework to assess how bridging organizations contribute to adaptive resource governance. Ecology and Society 17, 32
| Learning in support of governance: theories, methods, and a framework to assess how bridging organizations contribute to adaptive resource governance.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Donovan GH, Brown TC (2005) An alternative incentive structure for wildfire management on national forest land. Forest Science 51, 387–395.
Dunn CJ, Calkin DE, Thompson MP (2017) Towards enhanced risk management: planning, decision making and monitoring of US wildfire response. International Journal of Wildland Fire 26, 551–556.
| Towards enhanced risk management: planning, decision making and monitoring of US wildfire response.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Faas AJ, Jones EC, Tobin GA, Whiteford LM, Murphy AD (2015) Critical aspects of social networks in a resettlement setting. Development in Practice 25, 221–233.
| Critical aspects of social networks in a resettlement setting.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Folke C, Hahn T, Olsson P, Norberg J (2005) Adaptive governance of social-ecological systems. Annual Review of Environment and Resources 30, 441–473.
| Adaptive governance of social-ecological systems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hand M, Katuwal H, Calkin DE, Thompson MP (2017) The influence of management teams on the deployment of wildfire suppression resources. International Journal of Wildland Fire 26, 615–629.
| The influence of management teams on the deployment of wildfire suppression resources.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hand MS, Wibbenmeyer MJ, Calkin DE, Thompson MP (2015) Risk preferences, probability weighting, and strategy trade-offs in wildfire management. Risk Analysis 35, 1876–1891.
| Risk preferences, probability weighting, and strategy trade-offs in wildfire management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 26269258PubMed |
Holling CS (1978) ‘Adaptive environmental assessment and management.’ (John Wiley and Sons: London, UK)
Ingalsbee T (2017) Whither the paradigm shift? Large wildland fires and the wildfire paradox offer opportunities for a new paradigm of ecological fire management. International Journal of Wildland Fire 26, 557–561.
| Whither the paradigm shift? Large wildland fires and the wildfire paradox offer opportunities for a new paradigm of ecological fire management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Jolly WM, Freeborn PH (2017) Towards improving wildland firefighter situational awareness through daily fire behaviour risk assessments in the US Northern Rockies and Northern Great Basin. International Journal of Wildland Fire 26, 574–586.
| Towards improving wildland firefighter situational awareness through daily fire behaviour risk assessments in the US Northern Rockies and Northern Great Basin.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kapucu N (2005) Interorganizational coordination in dynamic context: networks in emergency response management. Connections 26, 33–48.
Kapucu N (2006) Interagency communication networks during emergencies boundary spanners in multiagency coordination. American Review of Public Administration 36, 207–225.
| Interagency communication networks during emergencies boundary spanners in multiagency coordination.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kapucu N, Arslan T, Collins ML (2010) Examining intergovernmental and interorganizational response to catastrophic disasters: toward a network-centered approach. Administration & Society 42, 222–247.
| Examining intergovernmental and interorganizational response to catastrophic disasters: toward a network-centered approach.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Katuwal H, Calkin DE, Hand MS (2016) Production and efficiency of large wildland fire suppression effort: a stochastic frontier analysis. Journal of Environmental Management 166, 227–236.
| Production and efficiency of large wildland fire suppression effort: a stochastic frontier analysis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 26513321PubMed |
Katuwal H, Dunn CJ, Calkin DE (2017) Characterising resource use and potential inefficiencies during large-fire suppression in the western US. International Journal of Wildland Fire 26, 604–614.
| Characterising resource use and potential inefficiencies during large-fire suppression in the western US.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Magsino SL (2009) ‘Workshop summary: applications of social network analysis for building community disaster resilience.’ (National Academies Press: Washington, DC, USA)
Mahanty S, Keen M (2012) Collaborative learning: bridging scales and interests. In ‘Social learning in environmental management’. (Eds M Keen, VA Brown, and R Dyball) pp. 119–135. (Routledge: London, UK).
McGuire M, Schneck D (2010) What if Hurricane Katrina hit in 2020? The need for strategic management of disasters. Public Administration Review 70, s201–s207.
| What if Hurricane Katrina hit in 2020? The need for strategic management of disasters.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Nowell B, Steelman T (2013) The role of responder networks in promoting community resilience: toward a measurement framework of network capacity. In ‘Disaster resiliency: interdisciplinary perspectives. (Eds N Kapcu, CV Hawkins and FI Rivera) pp. 232–257 (Routledge: New York, NY, USA)
Nowell B, Steelman T Beyond ICS: how should we govern complex disasters in the United States? Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (in press)
Nowell B, Steelman T, Velez A-L, Goddette SK (2016) Perspective matters: the challenges of performance measurement in disaster networks. In ‘Social network analysis of disaster response, recovery, and adaptation, 1st edn’. (Eds EC Jones and AJ Faas) pp. 59–73 (Elsevier: Oxford, UK).
Nowell B, Steelman T, Velez A-L, Yang Z (2018a) The structure of effective governance of disaster response networks: insights from the field. American Review of Public Administration 48, 699–715.
| The structure of effective governance of disaster response networks: insights from the field.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Nowell B, Steelman T, Sudweeks J, Hano M, Velez A, Albrech K (2018b) Studying networks in complex problem domains: advancing methods in boundary specifications. Perspectives on Public Management and Governance 1, 273–282.
O’Connor CD, Thompson MP, Rodriguez Y, Silva F (2016) Getting ahead of the wildfire problem: quantifying and mapping management challenges and opportunities. Geosciences 6, 35
| Getting ahead of the wildfire problem: quantifying and mapping management challenges and opportunities.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Olson RL, Bengston DN, DeVaney LA, Thompson TAC (2015) Wildland fire management futures: insights from a foresight panel. USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, General Technical Report NRS-152. (Newtown Square, PA, USA)
Pinkerton EW (1992) Translating legal rights into management practice: overcoming barriers to the exercise of co-management. Human Organization 51, 330–341.
| Translating legal rights into management practice: overcoming barriers to the exercise of co-management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Reed M, Evely A, Cundill G, Fazey I, Glass J, Laing A, Newig J (2010) What is social learning? Ecology and Society 15, R1
| What is social learning?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Steelman T (2016) US wildfire governance as a social-ecological problem. Ecology and Society 21, 3
| US wildfire governance as a social-ecological problem.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Steelman TA, Burke C (2007) Is wildfire policy in the United States sustainable? Journal of Forestry 105, 67–72.
Steelman TA, McCaffrey SM (2011) What is limiting more flexible fire management – public or agency pressure? Journal of Forestry 109, 454–461.
Stonesifer CS, Calkin DE, Hand MS (2017) Federal fire managers’ perceptions of the importance, scarcity and substitutability of suppression resources. International Journal of Wildland Fire 26, 598–603.
| Federal fire managers’ perceptions of the importance, scarcity and substitutability of suppression resources.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stringer LC, Dougill AJ, Fraser E, Hubacek K, Prel C, Reed MS (2006) Unpacking ‘participation’ in the adaptive management of social-ecological systems: a critical review. Ecology and Society 11, 39
| Unpacking ‘participation’ in the adaptive management of social-ecological systems: a critical review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Thompson MP (2014) Social, institutional, and psychological factors affecting wildfire incident decision making. Society & Natural Resources 27, 636–644.
| Social, institutional, and psychological factors affecting wildfire incident decision making.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Thompson MP, Bowden P, Brough A, Scott JH, Gilbertson-Day J, Taylor A, Anderson J, Haas JR (2016a) Application of wildfire risk assessment results to wildfire response planning in the southern Sierra Nevada, California, USA. Forests 7, 64
| Application of wildfire risk assessment results to wildfire response planning in the southern Sierra Nevada, California, USA.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Thompson MP, MacGregor DG, Calkin DE (2016b) Risk management: core principles and practices, and their relevance to wildland fire. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-350. (Fort Collins, CO, USA)
Thompson MP, Lauer C, Calkin D, Rieck J, Stonesifer C, Hand M (2018) Wildfire response performance measurement: current and future directions. Fire 1, 21
| Wildfire response performance measurement: current and future directions.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
US Department of Interior and US Department of Agriculture (2014) National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy. Available at https://www. forestsandrangelands.gov/strategy/ [Verified 10 April 2017]
Wei Y, Belval EJ, Thomspon MP, Calkin DE, Stonesifer CS (2017) A simulation and optimisation procedure to model daily suppression resource transfers during a fire season in Colorado. International Journal of Wildland Fire 26, 630–641.
| A simulation and optimisation procedure to model daily suppression resource transfers during a fire season in Colorado.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
