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National Initiatives - National
Interagency Fuels Management, National Interagency Fuels Coordination
Group: "Protecting Communities and Environments"
(Note: If, after reading the below, anyone feels more
"protected," or feels their "environments" have
been made safer, please visit and have a look around. Seeing The
Nature Conservancy as an apparent "equal partner" with the
Department of Interior, Forest Service, etc., including its clout to
approve or deny funding requests -- "Each request will be
reviewed collectively by the National Interagency Fuels Coordination
Group" -- should also raise a raft of Red Flags. This could
almost be perceived as a "school for arsonists.")
Undated.
There are several National Interagency Initiatives jointly supported by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and USDA Forest Service. Supporting the National Initiatives listed below provide a unique opportunity to collaborate efforts toward our common purpose of reducing risks to communities while improving and maintaining ecosystem health.
Funding Requests
Each National Initiative is responsible for completing the National Fuels Funding Request annually. Each request will be reviewed collectively by the National Interagency Fuels Coordination Group. Please submit these using the form listed below: National Fuels Funding Request Form
http://www.nifc.gov/fuels/downloads/initiatives/National%20Fuels%20Funding%20Request.doc [see
below]
National Interagency Fuels Technology Team http://www.nifc.gov/fuels/initiatives/niftt.html The National Interagency Fuels Technology Team (NIFTT) has recently been chartered by the National Interagency Fuels Coordination Group (NIFCG) and includes participation from federal wildland fire agencies and The Nature Conservancy. The NIFTT team will assist the NIFCG in fulfilling its purpose of developing and implementing “an effective, interagency fuels management program to address risks from severe fires in wildland urban interface communities and to restore healthy ecological systems in other wildland areas.” LANDFIRE http://www.landfire.gov LANDFIRE is a five-year, multi-partner wildland fire, ecosystem, and wildland fuel mapping project. This project is generating consistent, comprehensive maps and data describing vegetation, fire, and fuel characteristics across the United States. These maps can assist in prioritizing and planning hazardous fuel reduction and ecosystem restoration efforts. The consistent and comprehensive nature of LANDFIRE methods ensures that data will be nationally relevant, while the 30-meter grid resolution assures that data can be locally applicable. LANDFIRE meets agency, partner, and stakeholder needs for data to support landscape fire management planning, prioritization of fuel treatments, collaboration, community and firefighter protection, and effective resource allocation. Fire Regime Condition Class http://www.frcc.gov Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) is an interagency, standardized tool for determining the degree of departure from reference condition vegetation, fuels and disturbance regimes. Assessing FRCC can help guide management objectives and set priorities for treatments. FIREMON http://fire.org/firemon The FIREMON project's primary objective is to establish a standard Fire Effects Monitoring and Inventory Protocol. Monitoring the effects of wildland fire is critical for: documenting fire effects; assessing ecosystem damage and benefit; evaluating the success or failure of a burn; and appraising the potential for future treatments. Specific objectives for monitoring depend on the type of fire. National Interagency Prescribed Fire Training Center http://fire.r9.fws.gov/pftc The National Interagency Prescribed Fire Training Center (NIPFTC) is a unique program blending maximum field prescribed burning experience with a flexible curriculum of instruction on topics of interest to prescribed fire practitioners. Attendees will have the opportunity to complete portions of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) approved prescribed fire task books under the guidance of invited specialists. Fire Use Training Academy http://www.nationalfiretraining.net/sw/futa The Southwest Fire Use Training Academy (FUTA) is an interagency program uniquely blends classroom and prescribed burning field experience on forests and rangelands throughout the United States. During the 8-week program, participants have the opportunity to complete individual tasks leading to aptitude within the prescribed fire qualification system. Fire Environment Working Team The Fire Environment Working Team (FENWT) was formed in 2004 to establish an integrated programmatic approach to the activities that were formerly the responsibility of the NWCG Fire Danger, Fire Weather, and Fire Use Working Teams; and some activities associated with the NWCG Training Working Team (Fire Behavior Committee); and to coordinate with Geographic Center Manager's Predictive Services Group, WFLC's Fire and Air Issues Coordinating Group, and the National Weather Service Corporate Board. The commonality of these groups is that they are focused on measuring and predicting the wildland fire environment. Fire Environment Working Team Charter http://www.nifc.gov/fuels/downloads/initiatives/FENWT_charter.pdf (5 pages; 17 KB) [see below] The Nature Conservancy http://www.tnc.org
There are three overarching objectives within this national initiative
agreement between the Department of the Interior (DOI), USDA Forest
Service (FS), and the Nature Conservancy (TNC) including the Fire
Learning Network, Wildland Fire Education and Wildland Fire Training.
For specific information about the goals and actions of these
objectives, please contact Ed Brunson, Fire Education Director
208-343-8826 x 12 ebrunson@tnc.org
Additional related reading:
Fire Environment Working Team Charter
http://www.nifc.gov/fuels/downloads/initiatives/FENWT_charter.pdf
DRAFT version June 29, 2004
FIRE ENVIRONMENT WORKING TEAM CHARTER
I. BACKGROUND
The Fire Environment Working Team was formed in 2004 to establish an integrated
programmatic approach to the activities that were
formerly the responsibility of the NWCG Fire Danger, Fire Weather, and
Fire Use Working Teams; and some activities associated with the NWCG
Training Working Team (Fire Behavior Committee); and to coordinate
with Geographic Center Manager’s Predictive Services Group, WFLC’s
Fire and Air Issues Coordinating Group, and the National Weather
Service Corporate Board. The commonality of these groups is that they
are focused on measuring and predicting the wildland fire environment.
II. NAME
The name of this Team is Fire Environment Working Team of the National
Wildfire Coordinating Group; hereinafter referred to as the Team.
III. AUTHORITY
This Team is established pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding
establishing the National Wildfire Coordinating Group and the
Interagency Agreement for Meteorological Services.
IV. MISSION
The purpose of the Team is to provide interagency oversight, strategic
direction and vision relating to measuring and predicting the wildland
fire environment.
V. GOALS
The Team’s goals are:
· To ensure the capability to monitor environmental conditions
concerning wildland fire
· To ensure the organizational structure exists to feature emerging technologies that further our understanding of the wildland fire environment · To provide for the archiving of environmental information · To ensure the wildland fire fighting agencies and the National Weather Service have the capability to predict the future characteristics of the wildland fire environment · To provide an interagency forum to collect, address, and make recommendations on application, training, and enhancements to the models and systems of the wildland fire environment · To actively solicit information to ensure customer needs are assessed and prioritized · To identify and implement products that meet customer needs · To ensure that our customers can effectively use the products · To ensure interdisciplinary strategy coordination and collaboration · To provide a forum for input into research priorities · To coordinate organizational funding and in-kind contributions to wildland fire environment initiatives
VI. ORGANIZATION
The Team is under the direction of the National Wildfire Coordinating
Group. A member of NWCG is assigned as a liaison for the team's
activities.
The team is composed of members, strategic partners, and support
personnel.
Team leadership will consist of a two person executive committee
including a chair and vice chair elected by the members. Team
leadership should be reevaluated every two years by the team.
Standing committees operate under the direction of the Team. They are:
weather, behavior, fire danger. Each standing committee is represented
by their respective chair and has an approved charter and operating
plan under the Team. Other standing committees or task groups may be
organized as needed.
VII. MEMBERSHIP
The membership shall be comprised of:
Federal Fire Director
National Interagency Fire Budget Team Representative National Interagency Fuels Team Representative Fire Weather Committee Chair Fire Behavior Committee Chair Fire Danger Committee Chair National Predictive Services Group Chair Fire/Air Issues Coordination Group Chair Fire Regime & Condition Class Working Group Chair National Weather Service Corporate Board Representative
The Team’s strategic partners are:
USFS Research Representative
Joint Fire Science Program Representative IRMWT – Chair
Representatives and alternates will be selected by the entity they
represent and will serve for a minimum of 2 years. The Team requires
continuity in representation.
The Team’s support organization will consist of:
Executive Secretary
Facilitator
VIII. RESPONSIBILITIES
Executive Committee (Chair and Vice-Chair)
· Drafts program of work and budget proposals
· Sets agenda for regularly scheduled meetings in conjunction with the facilitator · Schedules special meetings as needed · Makes decisions on behalf of the team between team meetings as needed
Chair
· Submits a 3 year strategic plan to NWCG Executive Secretary
· Submits an annual strategic plan update by December 1 each year · Submits annual accomplishment report by September 15 each year · Serves as the team’s spokesperson as needed · Accountable for achieving meeting objectives in conjunction with the facilitator · Assigns work for special projects or assignments · Selects ad hoc subject matter experts to assist in issue resolution · Prepares and signs correspondence approved by the members · Solicits replacement team members as vacancies occur
Vice Chair
· Responsible for tracking on going projects
· Draft annual accomplishment report · Provides follow up on project assignments to members and/or standing committees to ensure timely completion · Acts in the capacity of the chair in the absence of the chair
Executive Secretary
· Accountable for documenting meeting proceedings and decisions in
accordance with NWCG standards and guidelines
· Maintains a permanent file of the group activity · Distributes team documents to team members and NWCG Webmaster
Facilitator
· Manages the meeting according to the direction of the chair
· Develops strategies and processes to work through various agenda items · Follow the meeting schedule according to established timeframes
Members
· Solicit issues and agenda items from the constituents they
represent for inclusion in the Team meeting agenda
· Attend and engage in all regularly scheduled meetings o In the rare occasion that a member cannot attend, an alternate must be identified who will fully represent the absent team member · Provide background information relating to agenda items to the executive secretary three weeks prior to the scheduled meeting · Accept and complete work assigned by the chair · Disseminate information to constituents and agencies Strategic Partners · Engage in a customer to customer relationship with the team · Attend and engage in all regularly scheduled meetings o In the rare occasion that a strategic partner cannot attend, an alternate must be identified who will fully represent the absent strategic partner Subject Matter Experts · Provide expertise from their subject matter areas to the team as requested
IX. MEETINGS AND REPORTS
A. Meetings: At least three (3) meetings will be held annually. One of
the three meetings will be designated to prepare annual operational
plans and to identify areas of investigation.
Meetings will be scheduled and agendas provided in advance to members of the Team. Meeting locations and times will be scheduled one year in advance. Five Team members will normally constitute a quorum.
B. Reports: Special findings and reports will be appropriately
published after being approved by the NWCG. Work plans will be
submitted to the NWCG annually. Meeting schedules, financial
considerations, recommended areas of investigation, work schedules,
and work area descriptions will be submitted with the work plan.
X. APPROVAL
This Charter is effective as of the date of approval by the Chair of
the NWCG and the Director, NWS Office of Services. The Charter may be
revised upon recommendation of a majority of the Team members with the
concurrence of the signatory parties.
__________________________________ ______________
NWCG Chair Date
__________________________________ ______________
Director, NWS Office of Services Date
National Fuels Funding Request Form
National Hazardous Fuels Funding Request Procedures All
requests for national fuels funding must be made by February 1st of
the preceding year in order to be considered.
Requests should be less than 2 pages in length, and follow the
attached format. Separate
requests must be submitted for individual activities/projects rather
than a single request for a program consisting of several
activities/projects. All
requests must indicate a schedule of product development and
activity/project completion. Additional
funding requests may be submitted at any time, but are unlikely to be
funded because all funds have been committed.
Occasionally there is some year end funding available between
August and September, but there is strong competition for these funds. National Hazardous Fuels Funding Request § Requesting Unit or Organization:
§ Activity/Project Description
§ Deliverables
§ Applicability to Hazardous Fuels Reduction Program Funding
§ Budget
§ Accomplishment Report
§ National Fuels Group Action Taken:
§ Summary of action taken by the National Fuels Group. |