Coming together

By Chuck Bushey

Back in February 2006, the IAWF invited the nation's wildland fire leaders to meet in Washington, D.C., at the Russell Senate Office Building to discuss the future of U.S. wildland fire policy and strategy. Assisted by two representatives from Canadian wildland fire agencies, the participants exchanged ideas on policy issues of importance to the entire wildland fire community, including wildland-urban interface fire. This meeting initiated discussions with a host of other organizations to take an in-depth look at the WUI fire problem and generated the idea of forming a national blue ribbon panel, or BRP, to look at WUI fire problems in the United States.

Later that year in November, a framework was developed and distributed to numerous groups and organizations with a recommendation to establish and convene a BRP to review and report on the issue of WUI fire. U.S. Sens. Jeff Bingaman (D-New Mexico), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and Max Baucus (D-Montana), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, both expressed their support for the BRP effort. The panel first met in June 2007 and issued a final report in March 2008.

One of the recommendations of the BRP Report was to establish a National Wildland Urban Interface Council; this effort was initially placed on hold due to the economic crisis but moved forward in March 2010. In April 2010, the National Association of Home Builders agreed to host the first NWUIC meeting, and in May the International Code Council and the National RC&D Councils agreed to co-sponsor the first meeting. During 2010, the NWUIC was legally established, procuring office space and distributing briefing packets to 50 key members of Congress. More than 120 people were invited to the NWUIC's first meeting.

Over Nov. 3-4, 2010, the NWUIC held that first meeting. The IAWF presented to the audience and hosted lunch on the first day for representatives from more than 70 organizations, agencies and industry representatives. Forty additional groups were unable to attend but expressed commitment to the effort. IAWF is proud to have been a leading partner in the process of developing the BRP Report and supporting the NWUIC's formation.

Our two-day meeting presented a comprehensive review of the past and present, with a focus on the future of WUI fire issues in the United States. Individuals, including many who had never met or participated together previously, were able to shake hands, visit and most importantly share what they are doing in relationship to WUI.

The group discussed the importance of not reinventing programs that are working or repackaging programs that were not working. Many highlighted the importance of building on new ideas and thoughts generated from discussions, and improving upon areas that seem to overlap or duplicate efforts. There's also a need to build on recommendations from the BRP Report and the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Strategy draft document.

With the meeting's conclusion, a basic framework and plan of action were developed to help set the stage for all of us to begin to work collaboratively. We also agreed to initiate needed improvements to manage the growing problem of devastating WUI fires that are destroying more and more homes and costing taxpayers billions of dollars.

I would like to thank our host and sponsors for pulling together this extraordinarily successful kickoff meeting. With everyone's help, a unique mix of community and homeowner representatives and national leaders of organizations, agencies and building products companies were brought together to begin an exciting chapter in working collaboratively on the issue of WUI fire. As we left the meeting, it was generally acknowledged that, as a group, we shared a unified goal to provide everyone invested in solving the growing WUI crisis an opportunity to be engaged, participate, share ideas and be equal partners in this new effort.

International Assn. of Wildland Fire
3416 Primm Ln.
Birmingham, AL 35216

ph: 205-824-7614
iawf@iawfonline.org

To join the IAWF, visit www.iawfonline.org

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Attn: Kevin Daniels
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