The wildland-urban interface is an environment that is characterized by diversity, interconnectedness, and change along a number of critical dimensions that include people, resources, resource use, landownership, resource managers, management objectives, and man-

agement practices. Change is the rule within the interface, with increasing residential, commercial, and industrial development, as well as associated infrastructure among the major forces for change. Public lands are often the areas in the interface that undergo the least change in land use and cover over time. As such, these lands often experience mounting forces for change in

18.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................269 18.2 Types and Objectives of Public Lands in the Interface ........................................................................................270