Western Governors Association

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Western Governors Association
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Committee Member Caitlyn Peel Pollihan
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• FLAME Act
• Good Neighbor Authority
• Federal Planning Rule
• FLRA - future funding
• Climate Change
• Wax-Markey Bill / Kerry-Boxer and Stabenow
• RFS2 EPA draft language definition of biomass

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Committee Members John Mankowski Sandy
Shaffer Butch Blazer Chuck Burley
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COORDINATION
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WGA- Forest Health Advisory Sub- Committee 10
year strategy and National Fire Plan
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Committee Members Co-chairs Lynn Jungwirth and
Carol Daly Tony Cheng Sandy Shaffer Chuck
Bushey Greg Aplet Crawford Tuttle Steve
Kimball Julia Altemus Thomas Sisk Tom Atzet
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WFLC Needs the People The People Need WFLC
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Recommendation 1

• Support WFLC
• A national stakeholder process is key to the
  10-year strategy
• A Comprehensive National Coordinating body is key
  to the 10-year strategy

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Climate Change Adaptation is about restoration
and prescribed fire
Thinned stand
Fight the Fuels Not the Fire
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Recommendation 2

• Goals 3 and 4 need more focus and funding.
• Goal 3 is restoration of fire adapted
  ecosystems.
• Restoration is better understood as climate
  change adaptation strategies for forestlands.
• There is support for large scale treatments.
• The Science
• The Society
• The Legislation (FLRA)
• The Funding (10 million FLRA various
  appropriated line items

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Goal 4 is now Goal 1

• The QFR has declared the new mission of making
  fire adapted communities.
• Only 9 of communities at risk have CWPPs
• Biomass utilization is under realized
• ARRA is opportunity to create jobs and
  investments
• Local workers can provide
• Trained crews for prescribed fire
• Trained crews for fuels reduction
• On-call first responders in fire emergencies

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Recommendation 3

• Our mission is fire adapted communities in fire
  adapted landscapes.
• Continue monitoring and evaluation
• It is key to effectiveness
• It is crucial to societal support
• It provides the only opportunity for learning and
  change
• The cornerstones of the National Fire Plan were
  correct and have our support
• Safety
• Suppression
• 3. Rehabilitation
• 4. Restoration/Adaptation
• 5. Community Protection

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Committee Members Co-Chairs Tom Atzet and
Chuck Bushey Tony Brunello Maia Enzer Steve
Kimball Joe Lowe Gordon Cruikshank Patrick
Heffernan Lee Heinrich Vicki Christiansen
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Achieve a balance between financial and human
resources allocated to suppression and
preparedness

• Quadrennial Fire Review
• More Coordination with local communities
• Planning
• Preparedness
• Response
• 10 Year Strategy - NFP

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Text

• Preparedness for people and the landscape - fire
  adapted communities.
• Strong Commitment by all agencies to work
  together to support community involvement and
  education.
• Prioritizing resources to achieve cross-agency
  preparedness.
• Fires managed for resource benefit work well in
  some areas, but not anywhere close to communities.

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• State/Local planning for growth.
• Initiate and enforce local ordinances to reduce
  risk.
• Insurance industry support for risk reduction.
• Home builders associations involvement.

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EVALUATE NATIONAL LEVEL ALLOCATION OF FUNDING

• Analysis of desired outcomes
• FuelsDefensible Space / Large-Scale
• CommunitiesCWPPs / Equipment accountability
• Monitoring and adjustments
• Coordinate strategic planning
• Align priorities of local, state and federal
  through statewide/regional assessments

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Committee Members Co-Chairs Julia Altemus and
Crawford Tuttle Maia Enzer Greg Aplet Ray
Sowers Geoff McNaughton Tom Atzet
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Trees and forests are effectively included in
climate change and adaptation policy in our
nation.

• Western Governors lead the discussion on the role
  of forest ecosystems in climate
  change/adaptation.
• Develop a strategy to incorporate new
  technologies and research in climate change
  adaptation.
• Develop a funding mechanism to achieve goals.
• Review existing WGA forest policy resolutions.

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Coordinate with existing efforts such as state,
federal, tribal, academia, research and NGOs.

• Develop and share an informational list and
  contact information.
• Develop WGA webpage as central clearinghouse.

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Sustain biodiversity in the west.

• Improve forest resiliency by diversifying forest
  stand sizes and makeup.
• Promote a landscape scale, rather than land
  ownership specific monitoring and management of
  biodiversity in the west.
• Promote sustainable forestry practices across the
  landscape. Conform third-party certification
  processes.