The transfer of LANDFIRE data to users is the most important aspect of the Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools Project (LANDFIRE Prototype Project). The creation of an accurate, consistent, nationwide data set provides the foundation for a successful project. The final step is to make the data readily available to the user community. User capabilities and needs vary widely. Many users require LANDFIRE data to solve day-to-day wildfire management problems such as planning fuel treatments or managing active wildfires. Others use LANDFIRE data to gather information over large geographic areas for strategic planning and analyses. The diversity of users and the variety of applications of LANDFIRE data present an interesting challenge: to develop a data dissemination system that is comprehensive, user-friendly, and flexible. The system must be functional across many levels of technology, ranging from powerful computing capability to support national-scale strategic planning to field-level tactical wildfire operations support. The system must be sustainable, dependable, affordable, and adaptable to various levels of and changes in technology.
