The Soil, Water, and Air Program provides basic coordination for air issues, and site specific air quality studies are conducted as they relate to smoke from wildland fire. Kato Howard, at the Alaska Fire Service, coordinates most of the smoke management work. The program also cooperates with other agencies to monitor climate conditions and trends.
The purpose of the program is to:
A. Provide policy, information, and technical assistance in applying climate, air quality (including visibility), and other air resource data and information to support and guide BLM management decisions. These decisions include environmental analyses, land use authorizations, development of Resource Management Plans, energy development, smoke management, and other resource management activities and decisions.
B. Inventory, model, evaluate, and monitor climate and air quality conditions and trends that affect, are consequent of, or otherwise influence BLM resource management activities and decisions.
C. Ensure BLM activities are conducted in a manner that achieves and maintains air quality standards and noise objectives in cooperation with other Federal land management agencies, federal, tribal, state, and local regulatory agencies responsible for maintaining air quality.
D. Protect and enhance air resource values on the public lands.
E. Develop and maintain records on air resource management program issues (which include sources of emissions from BLM managed public lands), climate data, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and State government air quality classification status, and air quality regulations.
F. Understand the attainment, nonattainment, or maintenance classification status of BLM managed public lands as designated by the EPA/State and the effects of BLM programs and activities on that status.