ÿWPC² U"†Çƒú í¸Ð»À“,"$»WbÕÎkç ‚úDZYŒDú+Óû‰“¨ôÉ~ðmC»vŸö‡?¿ X¼£0#UšSNË] ©Þ4—ÓÇta“?0’8÷°°Ý ³/­³8'`(™‘Û¢^{w {´*ŸÖ.zƒ ­ŸA¼¸Oí¢³!NSÞ‰¯t#À”ùQ`˜®µD(±'ú— ÀòÕ™×TSëí­ópî“ÞÃúÛÓ ‘ÑpKv¡|Ê20o#`ÜJάñÕAû ž'Ò?üÚþó·‰_ßþ¤J@U¬¡D±ÄRSVŽõз¥ÔwgMöÜñÑÆ9lèÓ*dïâ….Ø{ÎóÇÈýA9ÁZHSUð< º0—˜òrÔ2ðæZâAa?ч©BK„àäElÏoŠîxZbÇš¬êJÑ•Ékm4KOÄ  òA’OÑŽYÄ–·íój†ºq}Äô (õÙšã|µ€ÀQö²ô´¢êDÞM\*6ÆÕŸ á»•ÍwøWÝ?2“qâúáqd-‹YöDDªiá°¶TÛ¯C¦ó¼M¤ùyñk¸D©júW›Õ¤9i\Pܶµ°Bg…-ôì¾­€•aÔR¦º¡3 # ŒUN— %å 0fëU:Q4‹Ÿ®w®˜HP LaserJet 4HPPCL5MS,ü,,,,,ü0nLLÎ(uHš Z ‹6Times New Roman RegularX(>ÇI$¡¡Ô€Â¸ÂÂÂÔÔ€Xó X¸Ô,†r‰AZ‹"Arial Regular‡MQ$3|xSÝ ƒÇI!ÝÔ€X0©XXXÔÔ€X0©XXX0©ÔÝ  Ýò òÑ7€näXXdìXXdð7ÑÑ  ÑComments€Regarding€the€Draft€Wildland€Fire/Air€Quality€PolicyÐ ° Ðó óÌSubmitted€by€Paula€Seamon,€Assistant€Director;€Fire€Management€&€ResearchÏProgram,€The€Nature€Conservancy;€Route€1,€Box€678;€Tallahassee€FL€€32312;€phoneÏ850„668„0827.ÌÌÌI€am€writing€on€behalf€of€The€Nature€Conservancy,€a€private€non„profit€conservationÏorganization€dedicated€to€preserving€biodiversity.€€The€Conservancy€is€also€a€privateÏlandowner€which€conducts€about€350€prescribed€fires€per€year,€burning€about€380,000Ïacres.€€Our€burns€are€usually€conducted€to€meet€ecological€management€goals,€such€asÏrestoration€of€rare€plant€populations€and€rare€animal€habitat,€and€maintenance€ofÏsuperior€examples€of€natural€communities.ÌÌIn€general,€The€Nature€Conservancy€would€have€little€difficulty€complying€with€the€termsÏof€the€program€outlined€in€the€Draft€Policy.€€Our€prescribed€fire€managers€routinely€takeÏmany€of€these€suggested€actions€for€better€smoke€management.€€The€proposedÏconsideration€of€air€quality€violations€from€prescribed€fires€seems€quite€reasonable.ÏThere€are€several€points€which€raise€my€concern,€however,€and€I€will€detail€those€byÏreferencing€specific€sections€of€the€text.€€ÌÌòòSection€IIIA€„€Background:€€The€Role€of€Fire€(p.€9)Ð ”ä ÐóóÌThe€explanation€of€the€natural€role€of€fire€is€good,€but€the€description€of€unintendedÏnegative€effects€of€fire€exclusion€misses€a€key€point,€from€our€perspective.€€€FireÏexclusion€leads€to€an€alteration€in€natural€community€types,€and€a€tremendous€loss€ofÏbiodiversity.€€Many€plant€and€animal€species€are€on€the€decline€because€they€exist€inÏfire„dependent€habitats€that€haven't€burned€in€decades.€€Also,€the€catastrophic€fireÏscenario€doesn't€play€out€in€the€southeast,€where€fire€exclusion€will€eventually€lead€to€aÏchange€to€vegetation€types€that€are€òòlessóó€flammable.€€€After€several€decades,€an€areaÐ Ä Ðmay€not€carry€fire€at€all.€€Again,€the€loss€of€ecosystem€types€or€species€is€the€greaterÏrisk€from€fire€exclusion€in€this€area.ÌÌThis€may€seem€like€a€fine€point€to€you,€but€it€is€frequently€òòtheóó€significant€argument€weÐ ^"®! Ðmust€make€when€we€have€to€persuade€state€air€regulators€or€the€public€that€fire€isÏessential€for€management€of€our€preserves.€€I'm€sure€there€are€also€federal€and€stateÏland€managers€who€burn€for€similar€ecological€goals.€€It€would€be€better€to€state€it€upÏfront,€and€not€try€to€justify€all€burning€via€the€scare€tactics€of€potential€catastrophe.€€ÌÌòòSuggestion:óó€€Add€a€sentence€„€"The€lack€of€fire€also€has€unintended€ecological€effects,Ð Ä'#' Ðleading€to€the€loss€of€habitat€for€rare€species€and€the€decline€of€ecosystems."ÌÌòòSection€V.A.1€„€Land€and€Vegetation€Management€(p€14„15)Ð x*È%* ÐÌóóGood€section.€€The€language€is€clear,€and€reflects€well€the€diversity€of€landÐ D,”', Ðmanagement€goals€met€with€fire.€€Section€V.A.1.c.€is€especially€good€in€that€it€points€outÐ *-z(- Ðthere€are€scenarios€where€alternative€treatments€won't€substitute€for€fire.ÌÌòòSection€V.A.6€„€Role€of€Air€Quality€Managers€(p€19,€line€5)Ð 0Ì ÐÌóóI€question€whether€air€quality€managers€have€the€knowledge,€time,€or€interest€to€helpÐ ü ˜ Ðidentify€when€fire€is€the€appropriate€land€management€tool.€€That€decision€should€resideÏwith€the€land€owner/manager.ÌÌòòSuggestion:€€óóStrike€the€sentence€beginning€with€"They€can€also€help€identify...Ð ” 0 ÐÌòòSection€VI.A.€€Authorization€to€Burn€(p€21)Ð bþ  ÐóóÌThe€Conservancy€requires€burn€plans€for€all€its€burns,€so€requiring€a€plan€does€notÏbother€us.€€However,€I€am€sure€a€plan€would€be€viewed€by€many€private€landowners€asÏa€costly€imposition.ÌÌI€strongly€feel€that€the€detail€of€the€plan€components€(i.e.€the€list€beginning€on€line€39)Ïshould€be€removed,€and€left€up€to€the€individual€states.€€There€are€specific€problemsÏwith€many€of€the€items€(e.g.€burn€date€„€fire€managers€cannot€predict€exactly€which€dayÏwill€present€good€burning€conditions),€and€regional€issues€that€should€be€considered.€ÏAlso,€some€of€these€issues€may€be€taken€into€consideration€in€the€authorizationÏprocess,€making€them€unnecessary€in€the€burn€plan€itself.€€ÌÌòòSuggestion:€óó€Remove€the€itemized€list€of€burn€plan€components.Ð ¬ ÐÌòòSection€VI.B.€€Minimizing€Air€Pollutant€Emissions€(p€22)óóÐ Þz ÐÌI€am€very€concerned€by€the€implications€of€granting€priority€authorization€to€burn€toÏowners/managers€who€use€alternative€treatments.€€The€document€acknowledges€earlierÏthat€there€are€situations€where€fire€is€the€most€appropriate,€or€only,€tool€available.€€NowÏit€suggests€penalizing€managers€for€using€the€most€appropriate€tool.€€What€doesÏ"among€other€things"€mean€(ln€23)?€€€I€suspect€these€couple€of€sentences€don't€sayÏwhat€you€really€mean.ÌÌòòSuggestion:€€óóChange€first€sentence€to:€€"The€SMP€should€provide€incentives€forÐ ô$" Ðwildland€owners/managers€to€consider€alternative€treatments€or€emission€reductionÏtechniques€before,€during€or€after€the€burn."€€Eliminate€the€sentence€beginningÏ"Incentives€may€include...€€€Then€leave€it€up€to€the€states€to€decide€what€the€incentivesÏwill€be.ÌÌòòSection€VI.C.€€Smoke€Management€Components€of€Burn€Plans€(p€23)€óóÐ Z*ö#( ÐÌAgain,€this€is€not€a€concern€for€the€Conservancy€since€we€require€smoke€managementÏplans€within€our€burn€plans,€but€many€private€landowners€will€be€alarmed€by€theÏprospect€of€doing€this.€€Ð ò-Ž', ЇMy€only€real€concern€here€is€with€point€VI.C.2.€€We€would€routinely€prescribeÏparameters€for€dispersal€conditions,€but€in€most€states€we€cannot€get€this€informationÏon€the€day€of€the€burn.€€The€National€Weather€Service€òòcannotóó€provide€privateÐ 0Ì Ðlandowners€with€this€sort€of€specific€meteorological€information€(although€they€did€in€theÏpast€„€this€is€a€policy€change).€€We€òòwantóó€to€prescribe€and€use€these€parameters€toÐ þ š Ðmake€go/no„go€decisions,€but€we€can't€get€the€information!ÌÌòòSuggestions:óó€€Strike€the€last€sentence€of€VI.C.2.€€Or,€specify€that€authorization€to€burnÐ ² N Ðwill€be€granted€based€on€favorable€dispersion€conditions€on€the€day€of€the€burn.€€TheÏstate€would€then€be€responsible€for€evaluating€these€parameters.ÌÌòòBetter€suggestion:óó€€Get€the€NWS€to€provide€private€landowners€with€dispersionÐ Lè  Ðforecasts!ÌÌòòSection€VI.C.5€€Exposure€reduction€precautions€(p€24)Ð œ  ÐÌóóFew€private€landowners€will€have€the€resources€to€take€many€of€the€actions€listed€inÐ Ìh Ðlines€16„29.ÌÌòòGeneral€comments€on€the€documentóóÐ ~ ÐÌThe€document€does€not€accurately€reflect€the€flexibility€Ms.€Shaver€and€Mr.€WoodardÏspoke€about€during€the€meeting€in€Atlanta.€€The€language€is€much€more€stringent€thanÏwhat€I€was€hearing€during€the€meeting.€€I€suggest€reviewing€the€plan€overall€to€look€forÏinstances€where€this€can€be€addressed.ÌÌI€think€some€of€the€people€at€the€Atlanta€meeting€were€confused€because€they€didn'tÏunderstand€the€flow€of€the€proposed€process,€and€who€did€what.€€I€suggest€a€flow€chartÏor€diagram€outlining€who€(feds,€state,€FLM's,€private€landowners,€etc.)€is€responsible€forÏwhich€actions.€€€This€should€make€the€document€clearer,€and€serve€as€a€key€forÏcommunications€between€interested€parties.€ÌÌÌÌÌThank€you€for€the€opportunity€to€comment.