How it began
In 2000, the President directed the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to recommend how best to respond to severe wildland fires, reduce the impacts of fire on rural communities, and ensure sufficient firefighting capacity in the future. As a result, Congress directed development of the National Fire Plan, which precipitated LF, along with the creation of a National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (Cohesive Strategy) addressing responses to wildfire, restoring and maintaining resilient landscapes, creating fire-adapted communities all based on a scientific foundation. LF is a shared program between the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and U.S. Department of the Interior's wildland fire management bureaus under the direction of the Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC). LF produces a comprehensive, consistent, scientifically based suite of spatial layers and databases for the entire United States and territories.
In 2001, the General Accounting Office (GAO) reported, "Federal land management agencies do not have adequate data for making informed decisions and measuring the agencies' progress in reducing fuels."
In 2002, GAO reported, "Data are not available to better prioritize communities and projects for funding" and "On the basis of our review, LANDFIRE is the only proposed research project so far that appears capable of producing consistent national inventory data for improving the prioritization of fuel projects and communities." (GAO-02-259)
LF started with a prototype in 2002 and was officially chartered in 2004 by WFLC. LF marked its 20th year in 2024.
LANDFIRE delivering data for over 20 years
In 2004, the Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC) signed the charter that launched LF - an innovative effort considered critical to natural resource and fire management programs. The USDA Forest Service and the Department of the Interior fund LF. Principle production partners are the U.S. Geological Survey, Forest Service, and The Nature Conservancy; other partners include the Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. New partners and collaboration contribute to the program's success, and partnerships are continually being formed.
In 2017, LANDFIRE was awarded the Department of the Interior Environmental Achievement Awards - "Environmental Dream Team" award.