The members of the new Wildland Fire Management and Management Committee were announced today. The group is tasked with recommending federal policies and strategies to more effectively prevent, mitigate, suppress, and manage wildland fires, including rehabilitating land affected by wildland fires.
The commission’s creation was required by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, HR3684, signed by the President on November 15, 2021, and which became Public Law No. 117-58.
More than 500 applications were received, and 36 non-federal members were selected – 18 primary and 18 alternative. Along with the 11 federal members, the committee will be co-chaired by the departments of Agriculture and the Interior and FEMA leadership. Committee members represent federal agencies, tribes, state and local municipalities, and private entities, as directed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.
Stanton Florea, a fire communications specialist for the US Forest Service, told Wildfire Today that the selections were made by the House Natural Resources Committee.
A government official who was not authorized to speak publicly on the issue said the commission’s formation “has been done.” close Catch Between fire command and intergovernmental affairs. You need to know the basis; Tougher than budget issues or executive orders.”
The members’ work was cut short for them, late by up to seven months in the mile markers. Their appointments were to take place 60 days after the date the legislation became law, which runs until January 14, 2022. Their initial meeting was scheduled to take place within 30 days after all members were appointed – no later than February 13, 2022. They meet once At least one every 30 days, in person or remotely, and they will serve “without compensation” but can be reimbursed for travel expenses and daily subsistence allowance.
Achievements
Their tasks, according to the law, are divided into two main categories; These are some of the headlines:
1. Develop recommendations for the mitigation and management of wildland fires
By February 13, 2023, prepare a report describing recommendations for preventing, mitigating, suppressing, and managing wildland fires; consider the protection of human life, the management of forests in the short and long term; interface between wild and urban; utility corridors; post-fire rehabilitation; simplify environmental audits; and recommendations for modernizing and expanding the use of technology, including satellite technology, remote sensing, unmanned aircraft systems, and any other type of emerging technology to prevent, mitigate, suppress and manage wildland fires.
2. Report on Air Prairie Fire Equipment, Strategies and Inventory
By March 30, 2022, prepare an inventory of surplus cargo and passenger aircraft that can be used for wildland firefighting purposes.
By June 28, 2022, establish an assessment of the number of aircraft needed to fight wildland fires through 2030. The report will include an assessment of the federal government’s authorities to provide or sell surplus aircraft to federal, state, or local organizations for use in wildland firefighting, and identify any additional authorities required. The committee was directed to consider all public and private sector options for access to necessary aircraft and aircraft parts, including procurement, contracting, retrofitting and public-private partnerships.
membership (As announced on July 7, 2022). Legislation defined the categories of membership and types of experience. For example, “at least one representative of the prairie firefighters” was required. This was made possible by the selection of Kelly Martin, the former Chief of Fire and Air Forces of Yosemite National Park, and the current chief of the Grassroots Wildland Firefighters. One of 47. However, it is assumed that other members of the committee have had experience of shooting on the ground in the past.
Listed below are the members:
Federal Co-Chairs
Agriculture Department
Minister Thomas Vilsack
Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Director Dean Criswell
Interior Department
Secretary Deb Haaland
Federal members
Indian Affairs Office
Johnna Blackhair, Deputy Director
Land Administration Office
Mike Ned, Deputy Director of Operations
Environmental Protection Agency
Erica Sasser Director of Health and Environmental Effects, Office of Air and Radiation
FEMA- Mitigation Framework Leadership Group (MitFLG)
Angela Gladwell, Director of Risk Mitigation Assistance
FEMA – Recovery Support Function Driving Group (RSFLG)
Ana Montero, Director of Public Assistance
National Park Service
Jennifer Flynn, Associate Director of Visiting and Resource Protection
National Forest Fire Coordination Group (NWCG)
Shane MacDonald, CEO
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Cynthia Martinez, President of the National Wildlife Refuge System
US Forest Service
Gillith Hall Rivera, Vice President of State and Private Forests
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Guan Chen, Director of the Engineering Laboratory
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
John Murphy, Chief Operating Officer, National Weather Service
Non-Federal Members (including alternate members, and those included in the second list)
State risk mitigation
Cathy Holder, Utah State Risk Mitigation Officer, Utah
Tim Cook, Washington State Risk Mitigation Officer, Washington
State Department of Natural Resources, Forestry, Agriculture, or similar government agency
Sonia German, director of the Forestry Division/Montana State Forest, MT
Dan Gibbs, executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Colorado
Department of Energy or similar government agency
Elizabeth (Ely) King, director of the Washington State Energy Emergencies Administration, Washington
David Fogerson, Nevada Emergency Manager and Chief of Homeland Security, Nevada
Provincial government representative
Lucinda Andriani, Deputy District Administrator, Coconino County, Arizona
William (Bill) Cox, Commissioner of Rich County, Utah
Municipal government representative
Kathleen (Cat) McIntyre, Director of the Forest Health Program, Ph.D., Regional Planning Agency in Tahoe, California
Neil Chapman, Director of the Flagstaff Watershed Conservation Project, Arizona
utilities industry
Madeline MacDonald, Chief Watershed Scientist, Denver Water, Colorado
Andy Fico, General Manager, Placer County Water Agency, California
real estate development industry
David Sampson, CEO of the American Property Accident Insurance Association, Texas
Michelle Steinberg, Director of the Wildfire Division, National Fire Protection Association, Massachusetts
representative of the tribal government
Bill Tripp, Director of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy, Karoque Tribe, California
Gary Jackson, Deputy Chief of the Tribe, Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Indians, or
Wildland Firefighter
Kelly Martin, Chief Grassroots Wildland Firefighter, ID
Nathan Miller, Wildland Supervisor for the City of Santa Fe Fire Department, New Mexico
501(c)3 organization with expertise in forest management and environmental conservation
Marek Smith, North American Fire Director at The Nature Conservancy, North Carolina
Scott Miller, Senior Regional Director for the Southwest, Wildlife Society, Colorado
Forestry/Industry Representative
Cody Desauttle, Director of Natural Resources, Confederate Tribes at Colville Preserve, Washington
Neil Ewald, Senior Vice President and COO, Green Diamond Resource Company, California
Science (Social and Environmental)
Kimiko Barrett, Senior Wildfire Researcher and Policy Analyst, Headwaters Economics, MT
Scott Stevens, Ph.D., Professor of Fire Science, University of California, Berkeley, California
Cooperat
Jessica Morse, Deputy Secretary of Forests and Wildlands, California Natural Resources Agency, California
Ann Bartoska, Ph.D., Senior Advisor for Future Resources, Washington, DC
prescribed fire
John Weir, Associate Extension Specialist, Natural Resource Environment and Management, Oklahoma State University, OK
Craig Thomas, Director, Fire Restoration Group, California
Overseeing forests and reforestation
Sam Cook, Executive Director of Forest Assets and Vice President of the Natural Resources Foundation at North Carolina State University, NC
Brian Kettler, Senior Director of Forest Restoration, American Forests, OR
health justice
Jamia Adams, Senior Vice President for Diversity and Justice, Climate Reality Project, California
Carrie Nadeau, MD/PhD, director of the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research, Stanford University, California
National Wildland Fire Fighting Strategy
Jim Hubbard, Retired, Under Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (NRE)/Vice President of the US Forest Service, CO
Bob Roper, Senior Policy Adviser, Western Fire Chiefs Association, California
The country’s response to the fire
Mariana Ruiz-Temple, Oregon Fire Marshall, Oregon
Mike Morgan, Division Manager, Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and Control, Colorado
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