Wildfire Management Report: White Sage Fire and Sustainable Development Goal Alignment

Executive Summary

This report details the status of the White Sage Fire and associated incidents, focusing on operational activities and their direct contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Efforts are concentrated on fire suppression, ecosystem restoration, public safety, and inter-agency partnerships, aligning with SDG 15 (Life on Land), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Incident Status

• White Sage Fire: 58,985 acres. Fire activity is low, with containment efforts focused on repair and rehabilitation.
• Oak Point Fire: 85 acres. This smaller, separate incident is 100 percent controlled.

Operational Actions and Alignment with SDG 15: Life on Land

Fire management operations are actively contributing to the protection and restoration of terrestrial ecosystems, a core objective of SDG 15.

1. Combatting Land Degradation (Target 15.3): Crews are repairing suppression lines created during firefighting efforts to mitigate long-term soil erosion and landscape damage.
2. Promoting Sustainable Forest Management (Target 15.2): Firefighters are actively spreading seed throughout repair areas. This crucial action promotes the regrowth of native plants, accelerating the restoration of the fire-affected ecosystem.
3. Protecting Biodiversity (Target 15.5): By reseeding with native species, operations support the recovery of local flora, which is fundamental to restoring habitats for wildlife and halting biodiversity loss.

Smoldering fuels within the fire perimeter are being monitored, representing a managed approach to reducing fuel loads and supporting long-term forest health.

Public Safety, Infrastructure, and Community Resilience (SDG 11)

Actions have been taken to ensure public safety and maintain critical infrastructure, aligning with the goals of creating safe and resilient communities.

• Protecting Cultural and Natural Heritage (Target 11.4): A series of coordinated closures and reopenings are in effect to protect the public and vital natural areas.
  • Closures: Public lands within the Kaibab National Forest North Kaibab Ranger District and the Jacob Lake Campground remain closed. State Route 67 is also closed.
  • Openings: U.S. Route 89A and the BLM 1065/House Rock Valley Road have reopened. The Jacob Lake Inn, gas station, and Kaibab Camper Village are open, supporting local economic activity.
• Ensuring Road Safety (Target 11.2): Drivers are formally advised to exercise caution due to the continued presence of firefighters and equipment along roadways.

Inter-Agency Collaboration (SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals)

The response demonstrates a strong multi-stakeholder partnership, essential for effective sustainable development outcomes.

• Coordinating Agencies: The Color Country Type 3 Team is in close coordination with:
  • North Kaibab Ranger District
  • BLM Arizona Strip District
  • Local cooperators
• Objective: This partnership ensures a unified and adaptive response to changing fire conditions, pooling resources and expertise to meet shared land management and public safety objectives.

Weather and Smoke Outlook

Forecast

• Weather: Sunny, with temperatures from 89 to 93 degrees and minimum humidity of 8 percent.
• Winds: Southwest winds at 5-10 mph, with afternoon gusts reaching 20-30 mph.

Smoke Conditions

• White Sage Fire: Light, individual smokes may be visible from Highway 89A as interior fuels continue to smolder.
• Dragon Bravo Fire: This separate fire remains active. Visible smoke columns are expected in the afternoon, drifting northeast towards House Rock Valley, Lake Powell, and Page.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • The article focuses on a large wildfire that has burned 58,985 acres of land. This directly relates to the protection, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. The efforts to “spread seed into repair areas to promote regrowth of native plants” are a clear action towards restoring a degraded ecosystem, which is a core component of SDG 15.

2. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Wildfires are natural disasters whose frequency and intensity are often exacerbated by climate change. The article describes the management of such a disaster, which falls under strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards. The mention of weather conditions like high temperatures (89-93°F), low humidity (8%), and strong winds highlights the climate factors influencing the fire.

3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • The article details the impact of the wildfire on community infrastructure and safety. This includes the closure of public lands, a national forest, a campground, and major transportation routes like State Route 67. Managing the disaster to protect the public and infrastructure is central to making communities safer and more resilient, as outlined in SDG 11.

4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • The response to the fire involves multiple agencies working together. The article explicitly states that “The Color Country Type 3 Team is coordinating closely with the North Kaibab Ranger District, BLM Arizona Strip District, and local cooperators.” This multi-stakeholder collaboration is a key principle of SDG 17.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.3: “By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil…” The article directly addresses this target through the description of restoration efforts. The fire has degraded 58,985 acres, and the action of “spreading seed… to promote regrowth of native plants” is a direct measure to restore this degraded land.
   • Target 15.5: “Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity…” The wildfire represents a significant degradation of a natural habitat within the Kaibab National Forest and BLM lands. The entire firefighting and repair operation is an urgent action to mitigate this degradation.

2. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: “Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.” The coordinated, multi-agency response to the wildfire, involving fire suppression, line repair, and public communication, is a clear example of building resilience and adaptive capacity to a natural disaster.

3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.5: “By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected… caused by disasters…” The article details measures to protect people, such as closing roads and public areas (Jacob Lake Campground, State Route 67) and issuing smoke advisories. These actions are aimed at reducing the number of people affected by the disaster.

4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.16: “Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships…” The article provides a specific example of this target by mentioning the close coordination between the “Color Country Type 3 Team,” the “North Kaibab Ranger District,” the “BLM Arizona Strip District,” and “local cooperators.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For SDG 15 (Life on Land)

   • Indicator 15.3.1 (Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area): The article provides a direct measure of degraded land: “The White Sage Fire is 58,985 acres.” This figure serves as a baseline for measuring the extent of degradation. The success of the seeding efforts could be measured in the future by the proportion of this area that is successfully revegetated.

2. For SDG 13 (Climate Action)

   • Implied Indicator for Target 13.1: The article implies an indicator of adaptive capacity through the description of the organized response system. The containment level (“The Oak Point Fire… is 100 percent controlled”) is a direct quantitative measure of the effectiveness of the disaster response strategy.

3. For SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)

   • Implied Indicator for Target 11.5: While not providing a number of people affected, the article lists the specific infrastructure impacted, which can be used as a proxy indicator. This includes the “Kaibab National Forest North Kaibab Ranger District,” “Jacob Lake Campground,” and “Grand Canyon Highway (State Route 67).” The reopening of these facilities (e.g., “U.S. Route 89A has reopened”) serves as an indicator of recovery.

4. For SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

   • Implied Indicator for Target 17.16: The article provides a qualitative indicator by explicitly naming the organizations involved in the partnership: “Color Country Type 3 Team,” “North Kaibab Ranger District,” “BLM Arizona Strip District,” and “local cooperators.” The existence and functioning of this multi-agency coordination serve as evidence of an active partnership.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article. In this table, list the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their corresponding targets, and the specific indicators identified in the article.

Source: blm.gov