Pine beetle damage. USFS photo

The seven-person National Incident Management Teams were created primarily to manage complex wildland fires, but Steve Gage’s NIMO team out of Boise has been activated to assist in the management of the pine beetle problem in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming.

According to the U. S. Forest Service, the team….

…will coordinate activities among the three heaviest impacted bark beetle Forests (Medicine Bow–Routt, Arapahoe and Roosevelt, and White River National Forests). This team will provide support and personnel to the effort, and in many cases engage Forest Service employees from across the Rocky Mountain Region to assist in mitigation activities.

The NIMO team will immediately begin assessing the current situation, reviewing existing plans, and collecting data to prepare a strategic action plan for work priorities.

Steve Gage

Some of the objectives of the NIMO Team will be to manage the removal of hazard trees along roads, power lines and in campgrounds; develop safety protocols for those working in beetle infested area; and develop fire preparedness and management plans to address the increased wildfire threat posed by dead and falling trees.

While the management of complex wildland fires was the main reason for creating the NIMO program, the year-round teams are also available for All Hazard incidents, fuel management projects, and training. Presently there are four NIMO teams, operating out of Atlanta, Portland, Boise, and Phoenix.