The members of a new Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission were announced today. The group is tasked with recommending federal policies and strategies to more effectively prevent, mitigate, suppress, and manage wildland fires, including the rehabilitation of land affected by wildland fires.

The establishment of the commission was required by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, H.R.3684, signed by the President on November 15, 2021, which became Public Law Number 117-58.

More than 500 applications were received, and 36 non-federal members — 18 primary and 18 alternates — were selected. Along with 11 federal members, the commission will be co-chaired by Departments of Agriculture, the Interior, and FEMA leadership. Commission members represent federal agencies, Tribes, state and local municipalities, and private entities, as directed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

*The selections of the members were made by the co-chairs of the Commission.

A government official who is not authorized to speak publicly on the issue said the makeup of the commission “Has been close hold between fire leadership and intergovernmental affairs. Need to know basis; tighter than budget issues or executive orders.”

The members have their work cut out for them, already up to seven months late on mileposts. Their appointments were to be made no more than 60 days after the date the legislation became law, which works out to January 14, 2022. Their initial meeting was to be held within 30 days after all members have been appointed — no later than February 13, 2022. They are to meet at least once every 30 days, in person or remotely and will serve “without compensation” but can be reimbursed for travel expenses and per diem.

Deliverables

Their assignments, according to the law, fall into two broad categories; here are some of the highlights:

1. Develop recommendations to mitigate and manage wildland fires

By February 13, 2023 develop a report describing recommendations to prevent, mitigate, suppress, and manage wildland fires; consider protection of human life, short- and long-term forest management; wildland-urban interface; utility corridors; rehab after fires; streamlining environmental reviews; and, recommendations for modernizing and expanding the use of technology, including satellite technology, remote sensing, unmanned aircraft systems, and any other type of emerging technology to prevent, mitigate, suppress, and manage wildland fires.

2. Report on aerial wildland firefighting equipment, strategy, and inventory

By March 30, 2022 prepare an inventory of surplus cargo and passenger aircraft that may be used for wildland firefighting purposes.

By June 28, 2022 develop an assessment of the number of aircraft needed to fight wildland fires through 2030. The report will include an assessment of the federal government’s authorities to provide or sell surplus aircraft to Federal, State, or local organizations to be used for wildland firefighting, and, identify any additional authorities that are needed. The Commission is directed to consider all private and public sector options for accessing necessary aircraft and aircraft parts, including procurement, contracting, retrofitting, and public-private partnerships.

Membership (as announced July 7, 2022). The categories of membership and types of expertise were specified by the legislation. For example, “not fewer than one representative from wildland firefighters” was required. That was fulfilled by the selection of Kelly Martin, former Chief of Fire and Aviation at Yosemite National Park, currently president of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters. One of 47. However, other members of the committee presumably have on-the-ground fire experience in the past.

Listed below are the members:

Federal Co-Chairs

Department of Agriculture
Secretary Thomas Vilsack

Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Administrator Deanne Criswell

Department of Interior
Secretary Deb Haaland

Federal Members

Bureau of Indian Affairs
Johnna Blackhair, Deputy Director

Bureau of Land Management
Mike Nedd, Deputy Director Ops

Environmental Protection Agency
Erika Sasser Director of Health and Environmental Impacts, Office of Air and Radiation

FEMA- Mitigation Framework Leadership Group (MitFLG)
Angela Gladwell, Director Hazard Mitigation Assistance

FEMA- Recovery Support Function Leadership Group (RSFLG)
Ana Montero, Director, Public Assistance Division

National Park Service
Jennifer Flynn, Associate Director Visitor and Resource Protection

National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG)
Shane McDonald, Executive Director

US Fish and Wildlife Service
Cynthia Martinez, Chief National Wildlife Refuge System

US Forest Service
Jaelith Hall-Rivera, Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Joannie Chin, Director, Engineering Laboratory

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
John Murphy, Chief Operating Officer for the National Weather Service

Non-Federal Members (includes alternate members, listed second)

State Hazard Mitigation
Kathy Holder, Utah State Hazard Mitigation Officer, UT
Tim Cook, Washington State Hazard Mitigation Officer, WA

State Department of Natural Resources, Forestry, or Agriculture, or similar State agency
Sonya Germann, Montana State Forester/Forestry Division Administrator, MT
Dan Gibbs, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, CO

State Department of Energy or similar State agency
Elizabeth (Eli) King, Washington State Energy Emergency Management Director, WA
David Fogerson, Nevada Emergency Manager and Homeland Security Chief, NV

County Government Representative
Lucinda Andreani, Deputy County Manager, Coconino County, AZ
William (Bill) Cox, Rich County Commissioner, UT

Municipal Government Representative
Kathleen (Kat) McIntyre, Forest Health Program Manager, PhD, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, CA
Neil Chapman, Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project Manager, AZ

Public Utilities Industry
Madelene McDonald, Senior Watershed Scientist, Denver Water, CO
Andy Fecko, General Manager, Placer County Water Agency, CA

Property Development Industry
David Sampson, CEO of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, TX
Michele Steinberg, Wildfire Division Director, National Fire Protection Association, MA

Tribal Government Representative
Bill Tripp, Director of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy, Karuk Tribe, CA
Gary Jackson, Tribal Vice-Chairman, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, OR

Wildland Firefighter
Kelly Martin, President of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, ID
Nathan Miller, Wildland Superintendent for the City of Santa Fe Fire Department, NM

501(c) 3 organization with expertise in forest management and environmental conservation
Marek Smith, North America Fire Director for The Nature Conservancy, NC
Scott Miller, Senior Regional Director for the Southwest Region, The Wilderness Society, CO

Forestry/Industry Representative
Cody Desautel, Natural Resource Director, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, WA
Neal Ewald, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Green Diamond Resource Company, CA

Science (social and ecological)
Kimiko Barrett, PhD Senior wildfire researcher and policy analyst, Headwaters Economics, MT
Scott Stephens, PhD, Professor of Fire Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA

Innovation
Jessica Morse, Deputy Secretary for Forest and Wildland Resilience, California Natural Resources Agency, CA
Ann Bartuska, PhD, Senior Advisor, Resources for the Future, Washington DC

Prescribed Fire
John Weir, Associate Extension Specialist, Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, OK
Craig Thomas, Director, The Fire Restoration Group, CA

Forest Stewardship and Reforestation
Sam Cook, Executive Director of Forest Assets & Vice President, NC State University Natural Resources Foundation, NC
Brian Kittler, Senior Director of Forest Restoration, American Forests, OR

Health Equity
Jamiah Adams, Senior Vice President of Diversity and Justice, The Climate Reality Project, CA
Kari Nadeau, MD/PhD, Director of the Sean N. Parker Center of Allergy and Asthma Research, Stanford University, CA

National Wildland Fire Cohesive Strategy
Jim Hubbard, retiree, USDA NRE Under Secretary/US Forest Service Deputy Chief, CO
Bob Roper, Senior Policy Advisor, Western Fire Chiefs Association, CA

State Fire Response
Mariana Ruiz-Temple, Oregon State Fire Marshal, OR
Mike Morgan, Division Director, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, CO

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*The article was corrected on July 9 to show that the selections of the Commission’s members were not made by the House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee as we were told by a USFS fire communications specialist, but they were instead made by the co-chairs of Commission, as verified by Larry Moore, the Communications Coordinator of the Office of Communications, US Department of Agriculture.