Table 4 The three main categories of POD strategic response, their typical risk profiles, management activities emphasized, and potential risk-informed performance measures
Strategic response category | Typical area characteristics | Management emphases | Potential performance measures | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Land management | Fire management | |||
Protect | Resources and assets at high risk of loss from wildfire (e.g., homes, infrastructure, municipal watersheds, critical wildlife habitat) | Fire prevention and suppression, reduction of hazardous fuels, proactive protection of built assets, post-fire recovery | Fuels mitigation treatment area targets Hardening POD boundaries with length-based targets | Initial attack success Fireline effectiveness |
Restore | Resources and assets under moderate risk of loss to wildfire, or potential for beneficial fire | Mitigation of risk to key resources and assets via fuel treatment, hardening of POD boundaries, use of prescribed fire to maintain desired conditions, modified suppression response allowing for wildfire to maintain ecosystem resilience and provide ecological benefits | Fuels mitigation treatment, forest restoration, and prescribed burn area targets Hardening POD boundaries with length-based targets | Balance initial attack and wildfire area burned targets based on conditions Fireline effectiveness |
Maintain | Resources and assets under low risk of loss to wildfire, with many expected to benefit from fire | Use of prescribed fire to maintain desired conditions, modified suppression response allowing for wildfire to maintain ecosystem resilience and provide ecological benefits | Prescribed burn area targets Hardening POD boundaries with length-based targets | Attainment of wildfire area burned targets Fireline effectiveness |