 Forest & Rangeland Health
Recognizing the need for a broader focus on forest and rangeland health, the Governors’ Forest Health Advisory Committee was re-formed in December to address a wider range of issues, including sustainable forest management, forest mortality from insects and diseases, and the use of woody biomass for energy production. Sustainable healthy forests and rangelands help provide clean and abundant water, clean air, resources for renewable energy, carbon sequestration, fish and wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities.
The committee’s membership includes non-governmental entities representing a variety of interests, including communities, environmental conservation groups and international organizations. Governmental representation includes federal, state and county level agencies that deal with forestry and energy issues. The advisory committee also continues to work on implementing the National Fire Plan and the 10 Year Comprehensive Strategy for reducing wildland fire risks. Most significant this past year was the completion of the Community Guide to Preparing and Implementing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan. A newly created group called Partners in Fire Education is working on developing educational messages to help the public understand the role of fire in a forested ecosystem.
This past year WGA joined the Partner Caucus on Fire Suppression Funding Solutions, a coalition of 64 organizations. The group is working to address the issue of increased costs for wildfire suppression, which is hampering the ability of land management agencies to fund other programs. This trend in increasingly higher costs to suppress fires is expected to only get worse due to hazardous fuels build-up, changes in climate conditions, and increasingly populated wildland-urban interface areas. Without a resolution to the problem, suppression costs will continue to consume a larger percentage of agency budgets, while reducing or eliminating funding for fire prevention and hazardous fuels reduction projects.
Leads for this issue are Governors Huntsman and Kulongoski. Financial support is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service andU.S. Department of Interior.
Wildfires have always been part of our western landscape. However, America’s wildfire environment has changed. Our forests are denser and unhealthier and our climate is hotter and dryer. These factors have contributed to the increasing frequency of large fires and increasing costs. Forest fragmentation and the rapid expansion of the wildland-urban interface have also complicated managing the landscapes - and the wildfires that burn across them.
Forest Health Advisory Committee
The Forest Health Advisory Committee has played a key role in the development of the National Fire Plan. Lives, homes and natural resources have been saved, protected and restored through implementation of the National Fire Plan and the 10 Year Comprehensive Strategy- mplementation Plan.
Increased forest mortality from insects and disease, along with persistent drought conditions have diminished our vibrant landscape. Devastating wildfires continue to threaten our rural communities. In December, 2008, the WGA re-formed the FHAC to take aggressive action to resolve agency differences and to work collaboratively towards finding solutions to the devastation occurring in our western forests.
Current members of this Committee***(insert hyperlink to biographies document)*** will address several key concerns of the western Governors.
The FHAC Vision document is a DRAFT outline of the committee’s future work plans.
National Fire Plan/10 Year Comprehensive Strategy Implementation
The current WGA Forest Health Program lead Governors are Jon Huntsman(Utah) and Ted Kulongoski( Oregon). Lead Governors' staff for this program are Michael Carrier, Oregon's representative to the WGA Staff Council and John Harja, Utah Governor's Office of Planning and Budget. Ann Walker is WGA Forest & Rangeland Health Program Director.
National Fire Plan – 10 Year Strategy
WGA worked with the Forest Service, Department of the Interior, states, tribes, counties and interested stakeholders to develop an historic comprehensive plan outlining long-term wildland fire management strategy for the West. A revised implementation plan outlines specific goals, actions, and timeframes. The plan supports the 10-year Comprehensive Strategy endorsed by the WGA and the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture. WGA actively works with its Forest Health Advisory Committee to help implement, monitor and oversee progress.
WGA, and a coalition of other interests, are encouraging full implementation of all goals in the 10-year Comprehensive Strategy and Implementation Plan. In order to ensure we direct adequate resources to forest health and wildfire, we must address the continuing problem of escalating wildfire suppression costs. See monitoring and accomplishments report for progress for the 10 Year Plan.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan
WGA partnered with, among others, the Society of American Foresters, The National Association of Counties, the National Association of State Foresters and the Communities Committee of the American Forest Congress to develop additional guidance for communities on developing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). The process of developing a CWPP can help a community clarify and refine its priorities for the protection of life, property, and critical infrastructure in the wildland urban interface.
10 Year Strategy Implementation
10 Year Strategy Task 2-1
Convene a task force to make prioritized recommendations to WFLC regarding the information in NFPORS and LANDFIRE that should be available to the public. An example of such information might be the number and location of hazardous fuel reduction projects that involve multiple ownerships.
The task group assigned to this 10 Year Strategy task is still formed and communicating via email. Federal agencies within the Wildland Fire Leadership Council are working toward changing processes and computer software functions to accomplish this task.
10 Year Strategy Task 3A-2
“Further develop and implement a public education campaign such as the National Wildfire Coordination Group's (NWCG) Wildland Fire: A Natural Process to Complement Smokey Bear's Message of Fire Safety. The campaign will emphasize fire's role in ecosystems and the benefits of fire management to ecosystems and public health and safety.”
The Partners In Fire Education (PIFE) task group is chartered under the Wildland Fire Leadership Council and has developed a Strategic Plan for implementation and completion of this task. See:
Please contact a PIFE member for further information.
10 Year Strategy Task 4-2
Compile examples of local zoning ordinances and state planning efforts that have successfully reduced risks associated with wildland fire. Use such information to develop model CWPPs and wildfire ordinances. Make all such information available to states, counties, municipalities, and the general public via the web and other media.
Invasive Species*Financial Resources & Coordination
Coming soon...
Woody biomass and Energy Production
See CDEAC Biomass report
Livestock Grazing
This new video release by the Society for Range Management (~9 minutes) tells a story about the role of livestock grazing on western public rangelands. T he video discusses livestock grazing and its contributions to a variety of important public interests and values, including:
- the health, diversity and productivity of the rangelands;
- the quality of water resources;
- the health of habitat for diverse native species of plants and wildlife;
- the ability of rangelands to withstand noxious weed invasion and the impacts of wildfires;
- and the preservation of open spaces in the face of a growing human population and increased urbanization of the American West.
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