FIREPLAN
Project leader: Jeremy Russell-Smith, Bushfires Council of the
Northern Territory
Full title: FIREPLAN: Fire management for the savanna
community
Summary | Objectives | Rationale |
Approach and Methods | Fire management of woody vegetation in the Gulf |
Prescribed burning and wildfire control
| Evaluating fire management on
conservation reserves | Fire-management planning
associated with energy supply | Impacts of
fire and sustainable land management in Indonesia and northern
Australia | Fire-information products |
Arnhem Land Fire Abatement | Outcomes | Outputs 2002- 2006 |
Milestones | Project
team | More information |
FIREPLAN is a Tropical Savannas CRC project that builds on
directions set in the previous CRC fire project, Fire and
Savanna Landscapes.
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Project Leader Dr. Jeremy
Russell-Smith
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In 2004-05 FIREPLAN will continue to assist with the
development and implementation of regional fire management
initiatives (e.g. Cape York, western Arnhem Land, the Kimberley,
and eastern Indonesia), as well as commence the undertaking of the
across-north Australia, NHT Competitive Regional project,
Developing knowledge-based fire management for northern
Australia savanna communities: Phase 1.
The FIREPLAN project will continue to assist the
development of, and, where feasible, contribute strategic core
funding to, research initiatives which further the aims of
developing sustainable fire management practices on savanna lands
under all tenures, particularly in northern Australia, but also in
the SE Asian region, as opportunities permit. In this regard
it is anticipated that a major new project will come on board this
coming financial year, the North Australia Fire Abatement (NAFA)
Project, with core funding through the Australian Greenhouse
Office’s, Greenhouse Gas Abatement Program.
As well as commencing the major project, Developing
knowledge-based fire management for northern Australia savanna
communities: Phase 1, other core activities in 2004-05
include: continuing major regional fire management projects
in the Gulf (in partnership with MLA) and in eastern Indonesia (in
partnership with ACIAR); continuing the review of fire management
practice on conservation reserves in QLD; an ongoing PhD fire
management research program with ERGON Energy in NW QLD; continuing
to support the community fire program in the Kimberley;
promoting the use of remote sensing and associated GIS products as
aids for improving fire management at property, regional and
continental scales; continuing to provide input and facilitate
partnerships in the Arnhem Land Fire Abatement (ALFA) project, and
assisting generally with the development of, and attaining funding
for, fire management and research programs of relevance to the
savanna community.
The key objectives of the FIREPLAN project are as
follows:
- continue to assist with the undertaking of ongoing regional
fire management projects, e.g. in the Kimberley, and the Gulf
region of north QLD
- assist with the ongoing development and establishment of
identified priority regional fire management research initiatives,
e.g. Gulf MLA project, eastern Indonesia ACIAR project, Kimberley
community fire management project, fire management on QLD
conservation reserves, etc.
- in collaboration with regional community stakeholders and
relevant research institutions and staff, promote and assist with
the development of, and funding for, applied fire management
research projects which have potential to deliver significant land
use sustainability, conservation, and community outcomes
- promote the undertaking of patchy fire regimes as part of
sustainable management of lands under all tenures, but especially
conservation lands, including the undertaking of demonstration and
associated research activities
- explore the potential for achieving improved and sustainable
land management, environmental, and employment outcomes,
particularly with reference to indigenous communities and lands,
arising out of opportunities associated with carbon credits trading
from reduced emissions from savanna fires
- promote the development, wider use, and better delivery of,
appropriate information packages and technological aids (including
satellite imagery) for improving savanna fire management
- promote linkages with other relevant research programs and
institutions, e.g. Desert Knowledge and Bushfires CRCs, the
Australian Greenhouse Office, etc.
- promote the undertaking of post-graduate training
opportunities
The philosophy underlying FIREPLAN is to develop research
projects in response to community/stakeholder requirements—as
opposed to research agency core interests. Such an approach
invites the involvement of community groups and sectors which
otherwise might be loathe, hostile even, to being involved with
research activities (as scientifically worthwhile as these might
be) undertaken in isolation. It provides opportunities for the
TSMCRC to engage the wider community in cross-cultural,
cross-sectoral activities which have the potential to result in
long-lasting social benefits. Effective (“Good”)
fire management is as much about improving cross-sectoral and
cross-cultural understanding, as it is about better applying
biophysical, scientifically-based, management principles.
Over the next few years a particular focus of FIREPLAN
will be to collate and deliver fire management information relevant
to the diverse information needs of savanna land managers and
stakeholders. As such, FIREPLAN contributes to all four Key
Result areas, but particularly addresses the issues surrounding the
development of Sustainable Management Systems.
The first two years of the FIREPLAN project necessarily
involved developing a broader project and associated funding
base. That foundation work is almost complete, save with
impending decisions about the establishment of the North
Australia Fire Abatement (NAFA) Project (see above). A
number of projects are now, or soon will be underway, as outlined
below.
Many parts of the Gulf region have experienced
increases in woody vegetation cover in recent decades. This
thickening in the cover of trees (e.g. eucalyptus) and shrubs (e.g.
gardenias, and acacias) has reduced pasture production and made
cattle management more difficult. These changes have probably
resulted from a combination of the effects of grazing, changes in
fire regimes and climatic conditions. The strategic use of
fire has the potential to reduce woody vegetation cover and
facilitate increased pasture production. This project will
develop and test recommendations for the use of fire for management
of woody vegetation in the gulf savannas through a collaborative
effort between landholders and woodland ecologists. It will be
conducted under the umbrella of the TSCRC.
As part of that project, the TSCRC directly
contributes $20,000 towards engaging community stakeholders.
In the first year of the project those funds were directed towards
travel and associated costs of community workshops, and the running
of the community-based steering committee. Given other sources of
funding available for those activities the regional community
partner, the Northern Gulf Resource Group (NGRG), has advised that
they would like to use those funds for developing a photo-based
regional environmental history—similar to that undertaken for
the VRD and published by the TSCRC as Slower than the eye can
see. Preliminary work has been undertaken with funding
allocated in 2002/03. Discussions are underway to determine
how this component can be progressed.
This is an ongoing project in partnership with the Kimberley
Regional Fire Management Committee (KRFM), with full support of
community partners and agencies, including PGA, KLC, KAPA, CALM,
AGWA, FESA.. The rationale for the project is set out in full in
last year’s proposal.
Specifically, for 2004-05, the KRFMC is seeking funding for the
holding of a strategic workshop in late 2004 to bring together
community, business, agency, and philanthropic partners to progress
the economic sustainability of indigenous NRM contract employment
in the Kimberley, based on ‘fire team’ model developed
by the KRFMC.
This is an ongoing project, with funding sought for the third
and final year (refer previous proposal for project details). The
purpose is to identify and address impediments to the application
of desirable fire management on reserves. The project is
linked to the ‘The Knowledge-building Project’ (3.1.3
in Theme 3. The project focuses on north Queensland. The
project has been going extremely well, thanks principally to Leasie
Felderhof (QPWS), and Dr Carl Smith (attached to ‘The
Knowledge-building Project’). Funding of $25,000 is
sought to run a series of final participatory workshops.
This is ongoing PhD project which commenced 2003-04, being
undertaken by Leasie Felderhof. No additional resources are
sought for the project this financial year.
This is a large project, funded principally by the Australian
Centre for Agricultural Research (ACIAR). The project commenced
late in 2002 and will be undertaken over three years in the first
instance. Partners to the project include
Australia—NTU, TSMCRC, BFC, and Indonesia—Sekolah
Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Kristen Wira Wacana, Center for International
Forestry Research (CIFOR), and a range of Indonesian national and
regional (especially Nusa tenggara Timur, NTT) agencies and
institutions, including the Provincial Planning Board NTT (BAPPEDA
NTT), Ministry of Agriculture, BPTP Naibonat NTT (Research
Centre for Agricultural Technology of NTT), Ministry of Forestry,
Ministry of Environment, Nusa Tenggara Community Development
Consortium, and the Universitas Nusa Cendana, Kupang.
Direct involvement of the TSMCRC is required in the form of
assisting the development and coordination of the applied research
agenda, and in educational and training activities. From the
project brief:
The primary objectives of the proposed project are
to:
- determine current and past patterns of fire in a range of
strategically located sites in western Indonesia (southern Sumatra,
East Kalimantan), eastern Indonesia (Sumba and Flores), and
northern Australia;
- review national, state/regional policy frameworks regarding
underlying fire management issues and past/current impacts of these
policies;
- determine positive and negative impacts of a range of fire
management strategies, particularly for forestry;
- determine appropriate fire management strategies and
identify enabling policies (that facilitate improved livelihood
options) for different land-use objectives through participatory
planning methods; and
- enhance land and forest management capacity of stakeholders
and associated institutions through technology transfer, training
and education.
The core component will be the undertaking of the 2.5 year
project, commencing April 2004, Developing knowledge-based fire
management for northern Australia savanna communities: Phase
1. The project is being undertaken through the TSCRC on
behalf of five north Australian NRM bodies (Cape York, Northern
Gulf, Southern Gulf (all QLD), the NT, and WA’s
Rangelands). The project comprises three interlinked
components:
- Developing, implementing and monitoring regionalised best
practice fire management guidelines, focusing particularly on
biodiversity and sustainability outcomes—the development of
such guidelines would be a key Phase 1 activity, with
implementation and monitoring undertaken over the life of NHT II in
Phase 2 of the project;
- Developing fire management capacity, in each of three
overlapping key sectoral areas, with activities in each commencing
in Phase 1
2.1 indigenous
interests
2.2 pastoral
management
2.3 biodiversity
- Building a north Australian fire management Knowledge Forum,
also commencing in Phase 1. The Forum will be largely
web-based, and substantial resources will be given both to
development of the site, as well through the employment of three
‘information brokers’, respectively in QLD, NT,
WA. As well, the current NAFI site
(http://eon.ntu.edu.au/nafi/ )will be maintained and further
developed, including ongoing provision of remote sensing products
derived from WA’s Department of Land Information. Work on the
development of fire mapping products and analyses will be
undertaken in association with the Desert Fire project of the
Desert Knowledge CRC.
This is an ongoing project with funding mostly through the NHT
(particularly for on-ground management) and, at least for 2003-04,
the Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO) particularly for developing
emissions protocols. As well, we are currently awaiting a
decision for funding from the AGO’s Greenhouse Gas Abatement
Program, of a broader project, North Australia Fire Abatement
(NAFA) Project, which would focus primarily on developing
emissions-based fire management in Arnhem Land, but also other
fire-prone areas of the northern savannas.
For 2004/05 the ALFA project will be ongoing thru NT Regional
NHT funding of the project, Capacity building for fire and land
management in central and west Arnhem Land. As part of that
program, ongoing work on developing greenhouse emissions protocols
will be undertaken, building on work commenced with AGO funding in
2003-04, specifically: (1) refining preliminary vegetation
structure mapping; (2) extending fine-resolution fire mapping of
the region from 1991-2004; (3) undertaking detailed ground-truth
assessment of fire affected areas mapping for 2004; (4) detailed
assessment of fuel load accumulation in different vegetation
structure types; and (5) assessment of patchiness of fires
throughout the year, and associated refinement of burning
efficiency factor estimates.
Complementary to the above project, two Honours projects will be
undertaken through CDU with funding from FIREPLAN, as follows:
- Fire management planning—essentially
involving the ongoing mapping of fire throughout 2004, including
assessment of fire ignition success and rate of spread, and
interaction with the operational program (aerial and on-ground
burning) to provide constant feedback, refinement and
adaption. This project is being undertaken by Ben Lewis,
under the academic supervision of Dr Guy Boggs.
- Refined mapping of sandstone heath habitats, and fire regime
assessment---building on the structural vegetation map being
developed thru the ALFA project, detailed mapping of fire-sensitive
heath communities is required as a basis for assessing status of
sandstone heaths. Such mapping will underlie the nomination of
Arnhem sandstone heaths as a threatened community. This project is
being undertaken by Graeme Blake, also under the academic
supervision of Dr Guy Boggs.
- engage the savanna community through fostering, and assisting
the development of major regional community-based fire-management
projects;
- promote applied fire-management research in savanna
landscapes;
- further develop fire-management capacity in regional
communities, sectors, and institutions;
- disseminate research findings and other information products of
relevance to savanna land managers and institutions;
- provide opportunities for postgraduate training;
- further develop linkages with other relevant national and
international fora/undertakings.
The outputs below follow generally the list of projects
described briefly above:
1. Developing, implementing and evaluating fire
management of woody vegetation in the Gulf region.
2.Investigating prescribed burning and wildfire control:
Training and skills development for on-ground property level fire
management in the Kimberley, WA
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2.1 Development and implementation of 2-year NHT
Regional funding proposal for ongoing program for 2004-05, to
2005-06
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2.2 In collaboration with a range of community, agency
and business partners, development of strategic plan addressing
sustainable deployment of indigenous fire control / contract
employment teams
3. Evaluating fire management on conservation
reserves
Note that this project, as currently proposed, addresses fire
management issues on conservation reserves in northern QLD.
It is proposed to build on this project and extend it more
generally to northern Australia. The outputs below, however,
relate specifically to the current proposal as it relates to QLD,
and not more broadly:
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3.1 Guidelines for the management of fire in major north
QLD habitat types by June 30 2005
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3.2 A review of fire management practice, limitations,
and opportunities on protected areas in north QLD, by June 30
2005
4. PhD research project—fire management planning
associated with energy supply in NW QLD
5. Impacts of fire and its use for sustainable land and
forest management in Indonesia and northern Australia
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5.1 Review of legislative & regulatory frameworks,
implementation and practice-based impacts of fire policy on
land-use management in northern Australia and Indonesia, by Dec 31
2004
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5.2 Review of appropriate fire management strategies for
different land-use objectives, and recommendations for communities,
private owners and governments, by Dec 31 2005
6. Fire information products for the savanna
community
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6.1 Dissemination of north Australia fire mapping
products on the NAFI and linked websites, ongoing from to June 30
2006
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6.2 Development of north Australia web-based Knowledge
Forum, incorporating various information products and Regionally
based best management guidelines, ongoing to June 30 2006
7. Arnhem Land Fire Abatement Project
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7.1 Documentation of habitat-specific fuel load
accumulation (FLA), burning efficiency factor (BEF), biomass
burning and greenhouse emissions estimates, for the western Arnhem
Land ALFA project area, by June 2005.
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7.2 Ongoing technical assessment of reliability of
fire mapping products, to June 2006, but including detailed
assessment of 2004 operational program as product of targeted
Honours project
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7.3 Refined mapping of Arnhem Land sandstone heath
communities by end of 2004, as product of targeted Honours
program
