Title page
Contents
Highlights 2
Letter 5
Background 10
Wildfire, Hazardous Fuels, and Prescribed Fire 10
Forest Service's Prescribed Fire Program 12
Planning and Implementing Prescribed Fire 16
Agency Staffing, Pressure, and Other Factors Contributed to Prescribed Fire Escapes 20
Forest Service Has Implemented Reforms Identified for Immediate Action, and Has Taken Steps to Address Some Other Reforms 25
Forest Service Implemented Seven Recommendations Its Program Review Identified as Necessary to Resume Conducting Prescribed Fires 25
Forest Service Is Taking Steps toward Implementing Five Actions It Committed to Taking, Including Developing a Strategy for Mobilizing Resources 30
Forest Service Has Taken Steps to Address Some of the Remaining Actions Identified for Its Consideration 33
Forest Service Has Partially Followed Most Selected Leading Practices for Agency Reforms, Leaving Gaps in Some Key Areas 35
Establishing Goals and Outcomes 37
Involving Employees and Key Stakeholders 39
Strategic Workforce Planning 40
Managing and Monitoring 43
Leadership Focus and Attention 44
Conclusions 46
Recommendations for Executive Action 47
Agency Comments 48
Appendix I: Forest Service Prescribed Fire Escapes, 2012 through 2021 49
Appendix II: Comments from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service 54
Appendix III: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments 56
Table 1. Factors the Forest Service Identified as Contributing to Prescribed Fire Escapes, 2012 through 2021 21
Table 2. Assessment of the Extent to Which the Forest Service Followed Selected Leading Practices for Effective Agency Reforms in Its Efforts to Improve... 36
Table 3. Forest Service Prescribed Fire Escapes, 2012 through 2021 50
Figure 1. Forest Sites with and without Hazardous Fuels Treatments 11
Figure 2. Map of the National Forest System, Forest Service Regions, and Priority Landscapes 14
Figure 3. The Forest Service's General Processes for Prescribed Fire Planning and Implementation 16