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The requirements and expectations for fire management vary across Ontario - forests and fire loads vary, as do the impact of fires on society, wood supply, tourism, the ecosystem or wildlife habitat.

The province has been divided into six Fire Management Zones (Figure 6) based on common management objectives, land use, fire load, and forest ecology. The six zones are the:

" Hudson Bay Zone; " Northern Boreal Zone; " Boreal Zone; " Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Zone; " Parks Zone; " Southern Ontario Zone.

Each Zone is described in detail in Appendix A. To provide guidance for the delivery of this Strategy, each Zone has management objectives and direction regarding fire response, operational direction and the use of prescribed fire.

Levels of protection in these Zones cover a continuum - from Zones where fires have the potential to cause major social disruption and significant economic loss, to Zones where fires cause little economic hardship and should be encouraged to support ecological sustainability.

Figure 6 Fire Management Zones

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Fire Response Decision Making

Day-to-Day Fire Operations

Fire Assessments

The policies that follow in Appendix A define the type of responses that are available to the fire manager in each Fire Management Zone. All fires will receive a response, which may range from Full Response to Monitoring the fire.

Specific fire response direction provided by resource managers to meet objectives through the various land-use planning initiatives (i.e. Forest Management Plans, Wildlife Management Plans, Statements of Conservation Interest or land use guidelines) will be incorporated into the fire management decision and priority setting exercises using current and up to date electronic technologies.

The fire management program decision making process operates within three levels of fire activity: Day-to-Day Operations, Fire Assessments, and Escalated Situations.

During the day-to-day operations of the fire management program, fire managers will use the most current land use databases, electronic applications, and technology to assist in making an informed decision for fire response. These technologies will provide the linkage for the fire management program to meet the resource managers' direction identified in the various land use planning initiatives. As more detailed direction is made available (i.e. Enhanced Forest Productivity Areas, fire response in budworm or blowdown areas or fire response in specific Parks and Protected Areas), it will be incorporated into these electronic applications and databases.

All fires will receive an initial assessment to determine the most appropriate fire response. A more detailed Fire Assessment Report (FAR) will be completed and approved if:

" fires are exhibiting (or are anticipated to exhibit) problematic control while employing Full Response;

" control is not achieved within determined perimeters during Modified Response; or

" there is a switch to Full or Modified Response during Monitored Response.

The FAR describes the current and anticipated fire activity, values at risk and options for fire response. Approval of the FAR will determine subsequent action permitted on a fire and is used as a decision-making tool to determine priorities and response commitments.

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Escalated Fire Situations

In situations where multiple fires require Sustained Action and many FARs need to be evaluated, OMNR's administrative regions will convene a Priority Setting Team to evaluate each fire assessment against the immediate values at risk, the capacity of the fire management program, and the objectives of this Strategy. OMNR's Aviation and Forest Fire Management Branch (AFFMB) will facilitate provincial priorities based on input from these Regional teams.

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Section 3: Fire Management Zones

Keeping the Strategy Current

Minor Amendments

Major Amendments

Amendments to Ontario's Forest Fire Management Strategy may be required at any time to accommodate changes in intent or administration of the Strategy. For example, an amendment may result from implementation of key initiatives arising from Ontario's Land Use Strategy, the Northern Boreal Initiative, Intensive Forest Management, Resource Management, or Park Planning. As these land use planning exercises are completed, resource management objectives will be clarified regarding the role of fire, which may result in amending this Strategy.Amendments can range from simple corrections of the text of this Strategy to substantial alterations that require comprehensive opportunities for analysis and public consultation.

Minor Amendments will be completed internally and approved by the Director of OMNR's Aviation and Forest Fire Management Branch (AFFMB). As the majority of Minor Amendments result from public consultation and other management planning exercises such as Forest or Park Management Plans, minor amendments will not require a separate consultation process. Minor Amendments will be used to incorporate changes to this Strategy resulting from:

" editorial changes to the text of the approved Strategy;

" clarification of boundaries, names or organizations;

" changes to evolving resource management plans such as Wildlife Management Plans, Forest Management Plans, Park Management Plans, etc.;

" changes due to Fire Management Program Policy or Regulations under the Forest Fires Prevention Act (FFPA) such as Restricted Fire Zones, Emergency Area Orders, etc.; and

" development of new negotiated agreements with fire management program partners.

Major Amendments will occur if there are changes to the strategic direction of the Strategy or fire response within the Fire Management Zones; or if there is a significant change in land-use direction within OMNR. The fire management program will advertise its intent to conduct a Major Amendment to the public; post the intent on the Environmental Registry for Ontario; and provide for a 60-day public review of the proposed amendment to the Strategy. The approval of major amendments will move through OMNR's approval processes to its Executive Committee. Examples of when Major Amendments will occur include but are not limited to:

" changes due to evolving provincial policy initiatives such as Ontario's Land Use Strategy;

" creation of large new Provincial Parks or Sustainable Forest Licenses (SFLs); and,

" development of Park Management Plans that require consideration of new fire zone designation (additions to the Parks Zone).