Planning for summer implementation work begins long before crews set foot on the ground- and timing is just one of the many complexities involved.
Seasonal snowpack and moisture levels in soil and vegetation are two key factors that determine when work can start- and when it may need to pause. Early in the season, lingering snow can delay access, and mechanical operations must wait until conditions are dry enough to avoid soil compaction from heavy equipment.
This creates a real challenge for project managers: the longer implementation is delayed, the greater the risk that increasingly dry conditions will contribute to wildfire hazards—the very threat we’re trying to reduce.
So how do we decide when it’s safe to fire up a chainsaw or run equipment during fuels reduction work? We use a structured decision-making tool known as the Project Activity Level system, or PALs.
What is PALs?
PALs is a decision-making framework used by land managers across California (and beyond) to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfire during fuels management operations. On any given day, based on real-time weather data like temperature, humidity, and wind, PALs assigns a risk level for activities that might spark a wildfire.
Those levels range from A (low) to E (extreme), and each level comes with clear restrictions about what types of work can and cannot happen.
Why It Matters
Whitebark Institute works in some of the most fire-prone forests in the country. We’re actively thinning dense stands, clearing ladder fuels, and improving forest health, but none of that matters if we accidentally start a fire in the process.
PALs gives us a science-based structure to prevent that from happening.
If the risk is too high, chainsaws shut down, heavy equipment gets parked, and our crews pivot to lower-risk tasks. There are no exceptions, because even with all of our training and planning, the weather ultimately determines the level of risk.
What It Looks Like in the Field
This year, PALS levels have already dictated a stop for implementation. Before crews head out, we check the PALs level for that specific unit, based on current weather conditions and forecasted fire danger. If it’s a Level C day, we may continue operations with extra precautions in place. If it’s Level E, we stop work. In the Junkyard unit, PALS levels have meant that work has had to pause for numerous days at a time, so flexibility is required of both project managers and contractors.
This system might mean we get fewer workdays in peak summer months—but that’s the tradeoff for doing this work responsibly.
Managing Risk is Part of the Job
We talk a lot about reducing risk in our work, whether it’s to homes, wildlife habitat, or recreation areas. But we’re also just as serious about minimizing risk while we work. PALs is one of many tools that helps us do that.
Want to dive deep into PALs? Click here!