In many of the places where we work, fire can be a conservation
threat, a natural and even necessary ecological process, and an
irreplaceable, life-sustaining tool for rural communities. Where
the fire-related needs of ecosystems and people are at odds, The
Nature Conservancy has found that it is possible to reconcile
these needs through a framework called Integrated Fire
Management. Although Integrated Fire Management is not a new
term, IFM — as it is defined by the Conservancy (see definition
below) — is a scale-able framework that works in places with
fire-dependent ecosystems as well as places with fire-sensitive
ecosystems. Its effectiveness is not dependent on a country’s
development status. The Nature Conservancy uses this framework
to address fire-related conservation threats at global,
national, regional and local scales. The first step of
Integrated Fire Management includes identifying potential
environmental, social and economic benefits and consequences of
fire. When used at a local scale, this in