Wildland Fire Leadership Council Meetings

Wildland Fire Leadership Council Meeting
January 13, 2003

The following decisions were made during this meeting:

1. Identification of Issues for WFLC
   Adopt the recommended meeting agenda determination with the amendment for establishing a clearly identified time at which there will be a cut off for accepting new issues prior to each WFLC meeting. Coordinate with appropriate directors within agencies and agency heads.
2. Meeting Format - Public Attendance
   Accept the recommendation and narrow down the number of presentations. Work closely with the WGA to convene meetings with stakeholders.
3. Membership Requests
   Maintain the current membership and non-FACA approach. Continue to invite input from stakeholders.
4. Implementation Plan Update
   Clarify the roles and responsibilities by using the letter provided. Will provide WFLC members with a status report every 2 - 4 weeks and will have key areas presented at future WFLC meetings. Hold WFLC conference calls once a month. On the conference calls, have discussion topics and only those folks who have an interest need to attend. Work with WGA to get information to the leads of non-Federal implementation tasks.
5. Base 8 Policy
   Will have one way of doing the Base 8. Adopt the DOI method starting Oct 1, 2003 to coincide with adoption of interagency fires cost accounting standardization with the exception of fuels people and non-fire people. The DOI will adopt the FS method for accounting for fuels and non-fire people. Will develop charter to explore the long-term issues of fire budget alignment and structure.
6. Policy for Rehabilitation of Burned Areas (ESR/BAER)
   
   • Limit initial treatment ES to 1 year post-fire.
   • Monitor, using emergency funds, the effectiveness of ES treatments for 3 years post-fire.
   • Repair or replace ES structures or other treatments for 3 years post-fire where failure to do so would imperil watershed functionality or result in serious loss of downstream values.
   • Fund ES and monitoring from emergency ES/BAER account for tracking purpose, not directly from the incident suppression account.
   • Supplement ES funding using the Secretaries' emergency transfer authority for wildland fire if annual appropriations plus carryover funds are insufficient to implement emergency treatments.
   • Fund rehabilitation treatments for up to 3 years post-fire from a non-emergency, non-suppression, wildland fire account.
   • Do not supplement fund rehabilitation treatments using the Secretaries' emergency transfer authority for wildland fire.
   • Adopt the enclosed ESR/BAER definitions and timeframes table dated 8/15/02.
7. Federal Fire Policy Update
   Jerry Williams and Larry Hamilton (in consultation with agency fire directors) will provide a staffing assessment (pro and con) to provide recommendations on three concerns: human caused ignitions for resource benefits, NEPA compliance standards (emergency vs. projects), and appropriations direction (emergency vs. Projects), by March 20, 2003. They will obtain OGC and Solicitor review and will try to resolve unwanted differences in agency interpretation of the 2001 Federal Fire Policy prior to bring forward to WFLC.
8. Human Capital Planning
   Nina Hatfield will develop a charter and recommend a team to work on this issue. This will be shared by teleconference with WFLC. Expand the charter to address all fire fighting resources, not just federal resources. The team will report back to WFLC on a strategy by March 31, 2003. The strategy must be completed and presented to WFLC by 9/15/03.
9. Frequency of Meetings
   Need to keep up the quarterly meetings, but will monitor it and as issues decrease can look at frequency again.
10. Meeting Locations
    
    • Plan for a spring meeting at White Mountain Apache, AZ (tentative dates April 1-2, 2003)
    • Plan for a summer meeting in Missoula, MT in June 17-19 in conjunction with the Western Governors' Forest Health Summit