The severity of fires in disaster-declared areas of California during 2018 resulted in unprecedented impacts to resources important to communities and DOI lands (people, homes, infrastructure, water quality, fish and wildlife habitats, and recreational and other land uses).
Highlights:
- The USGS will update models of fire behavior and effects to include drivers of drought and wind, vegetation recovery, and indirect effects (sedimentation and water quality) and will provide information and scenario planning tools for communities and natural resources at risk on DOI lands.
- Updated models will aid land managers and communities to minimize fire effects on recovering communities and habitats and future fire risk.
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