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Wildland Fire Leadership Council Meetings

Wildland Fire Leadership Council Meeting
Emmitsburg, Maryland
December 7-8, 2004

Summary Decision and Action Items

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7

NEW MEMBERS TO THE COUNCIL (M. Rey)

NACO- Gary Gilbert
BIA - Arch Wells
NASF - Jeff Jahnke
WGA - Jim Caswell (representing Gov. Kempthorne)

FEMA NIMS INTEGRATION (G. Jamieson)

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WGA REPORT: IMPLEMENTATION OF 10-YEAR PLAN (J. Caswell, P. Orbuch, J. Jensen)

Action Items: WGA Report

  • B. Powell and the OWFC/NFP staffs will work with WGA on following up with a review of the report suggestions and discussions of timeline/process. Their findings/discussions will be shared with the WFLC at their spring meeting (C. Newman / J. Hubbard).

EE-NET CAPABILITIES/TOUR (A. Conners)

Action Items: EE-NET Capabilities

  • OWFC/FAM training staffs will meet with the NETC to follow up to begin discussions on next steps for integration (J. Hubbard and B. Latapie).

NATIONAL FIRE PLAN / HFI INTEGRATION (C. Newman / J. Hubbard)

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STRATEGIC COST PANEL FEASIBILITY REPORTS (B. Powell)

Recommendation 1. Increase the level of accountability and interest for large fire costs and their impacts by allocating suppression funds on a regional or equivalent basis.

Decision Items: Recommendation 1

  • The Department of the Interior bureaus and the Forest Service will analyze the options for establishing a Headquarters Comptroller (Recommendation 1-h).
  • DOI and the FS will convene and examine what has been done in recent years in terms of cost containment measures and identify additional options that enhance the level of accountability of large fire costs and better align decision-making incentives to pursue cost-effectiveness.
  • The FS will move forward with a test model for regional fund allocations.

Recommendation 2. Set policy and direction on agency Land Resource Management Planning to incorporate cost management on large wildfires.

Decision Items: Recommendation 2

  • Recommendation 2 was adopted by the WFLC.

Recommendation 3. Plan, budget and manage resources effectively for large fire suppression such that resources for effective initial response and extended attack are not compromised.

Decision Items: Recommendation 3

  • Recommendation 3 was adopted by the WFLC with the caveat that we will not wait for FPA to be implemented, and that the agencies will ensure that they are doing everything they can to address the associated issues.

Recommendation 4. Ensure initial responses are always aggressive and driven by the principle of utilizing the closest appropriate resources, including those of local and tribal governments.

Decision Items: Recommendation 4

  • Recommendation 4 was amended: The request will be transmitted to NWCG via a letter outlining specific target dates.
  • Recommendation 4 was adopted by the WFLC; the request will be transmitted to NWCG via a letter from the WFLC.

Recommendation 5. Incorporate fuels management and future fire management cost considerations when planning all resource management projects for public and private lands.

Decision Items: Recommendation 5

  • Recommendation 5 was amended to include collaborative efforts with non-federal land managers to incorporate fuels management into decision-making.
  • Recommendation 5, as amended, was accepted.

Recommendation 6. Commit to improving the fire cost data infrastructure as a prerequisite step toward improving accountability and strengthening fire management performance.

Decision Items: Recommendation 6

  • Recommendation 6 was amended to request that the National Fire and Aviation Executive Board work with DOI and USDA Forest Service Research and Development and the National Wildland Fire Enterprise Architecture Steering Group to develop a work plan and timeline, with cost considerations, to present back to the WFLC.
  • Recommendation 6 as amended was accepted.

Recommendation 7. Develop and use a benefit cost measure as the core measure of suppression cost effectiveness.

Decision Items: Recommendation 7

  • Recommendation 7 was accepted with more detailed direction to be given to the Joint Fire Science Program.

ADDITIONAL ACTION ITEMS ON COST PANEL FEASIBILITY REPORT: The Feasibility Team will come back to the WFLC with action items on the recommendations.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 8

BLUE SKY RAINS (S. Foster / A. Ribeau)

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MONITORING FRAMEWORK (B. Powell)

ACTION ITEMS: MONITORING FRAMEWORK

  • WFLC members are to get their feedback on the framework to B. Powell in a month's time.
  • B. Powell will work with the monitoring framework team to incorporate the comments/suggestions of the WFLC members and to finalize the framework to be presented at the spring WFLC meeting.

IAFC / NATIONAL FIRE PLAN MEETING (C. Newman / J. Hubbard)

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LANDFIRE UPDATE (J. Hubbard)

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COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN GRANTS (Anderson / Conners / Murphy)

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MEMBER ISSUES: Stakeholder Involvement in WFLC Meetings (P. Orbuch)

ACTION ITEMS: STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT

  • The team working on the review of the 10-Year Strategy will consider the issue of stakeholder involvement and will present the topic at the next WFLC meeting.

NEXT WFLC MEETING

The next WFLC meeting will be held in late March or early April, possibly in the Northwest or Northeast; it will be a two-day meeting that includes a one-day field component and a one-day business meeting. Members with suggestions for the meeting location are asked to pass along ideas to Brad Powell within the next two weeks; the dates/location of the meeting will be determined before the end of the year.