I have received a copy of your Council's resolution #88-05 concerning fire
management on the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge this past fire season.
It was sent to me by Bob Polasky of the Rural Alaska Community Action Program,
Incorporated.

I will limit my response to the first five issues. The last four pertain to training and employment policies that are basically the responsibility of the Alaska Fire Service. Your first resolution asks that we take steps to resolve the problems raised in this resolution. I feel that this letter is one step that will help to develop better lines of communication. I know that the refuge manager of the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge has recently met with the Subregional Advisory Board of the Tanana Chiefs Conference, Inc., in Fort Yukon to discuss the past fire season. The Board also presented him with additional resolutions adopted by them and he has offered to meet with the Board again in the near future. Similarly, by copy of this letter I am directing the manager of the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge to meet with the Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments to discuss these issues in detail should the Council request such a meeting. Obviously as neighbors on the Flats we must strive for good communication to resolve problems.

Your second resolution asks that the Fish and Wildlife Service participate in
funding an assessment program to document and estimate the overall long range
income loss to individuals on the Yukon Flats as a result of the 1988 summer
fire season. This agency does not have adequate funds to conduct such an
assessment; however, we will assist in the process by providing information to
help the Council to map the fire boundaries and determine acreages burned.
Beginning this winter, the refuge staff will be conducting habitat and
furbearer surveys to try to measure the impacts to the natural resources.
These ongoing surveys may, in the future, help to document the long range
economic impacts of wildfires many of which may be more beneficial than
perceived in the past.

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The third and fourth resolutions request that your Council become part of any future fire management planning effort that will effect the Yukon Flats. We would welcome your input now as we did in the past when the fire management plans were initially developed. For the next several months the fire manage

ment program nationwide will be reviewed by a host of concerned agencies, groups, and individuals. Alaska is included in this review and I can assure you that the Council will be advised of any meetings and processes that relate to this planning effort on the Yukon Flats. Again, I would urge your Council to arrange a meeting with the staff of the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge to discuss this past fire season. This would provide for a better understanding of what actually happened, why some decisions were made and determine what might be the most appropriate course of action for the future. Your fifth resolution asks that a reforestation program be instituted in the Yukon Flats utilizing local Native hire from the Yukon Flats. This kind of effort would be cost prohibitive and I believe unnecessary since the burned areas will naturally regenerate with trees and shrubs. However, there is another possibility that could be investigated that might provide opportunity for Native employment. Fire crews might be used to cut fire lines around important areas or resources during an off fire year as a preventative

measure. This is done in the lower 48 and is something that could be explored with the Alaska Fire Service.

I think it might be helpful to point out some important elements of the 1988 fire season and the fire management plans. This was a very dry year and the large fires occurred in part due to the drought as well as the past buildup of hazardous fuels. Large fires also occurred prior to implementation of the fire management plans in 1984 when there was full fire suppression throughout the Flats. With the state-of-the-art fire suppression techniques currently used by primarily non-local smoke jumpers and hot-shot crews, about 90-95 percent of all fire starts are put out. To initial-attack all fires as in the past may actually have the effect of decreasing the employment of local fire crews. With the current fire management plans, the buildup of hazardous fuels will be reduced and future fires should be smaller and cooler although fire crews will always be needed to "steer" and manage the fires. Finally, within three to five years we believe that the furbearer populations should return to their pre-fire level and may even be considerably better.

I hope that I have adequately addressed the major concerns of the Council's resolution. I know that further explanation and discussion will be required on some points and that is where a meeting with the Yukon Flats refuge staff would help. I believe that such a meeting needs to be arranged soon. It will

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only be through good two way communication on the fire issues that they can be resolved. If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me or the refuge manager of the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge.

Sincerely,

Joten P. Rogers

Dr. John P. Rogers

Assistant Regional Director,
Refuges and Wildlife

cc: Ms. Susan Peter, Subregional Director

Mr. Bob Polasky, Rural Alaska Community Action Program, Inc.
Refuge Manager, Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge