I attended a forum on the Cohesive Strategy for Wildland Fire Management in Olympia yesterday. This was the tenth of 13 forums sponsored by the Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC). They are part of the WFLC effort [here] to formulate a Cohesive Strategy for wildland fire management, as called for by Congress in the Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act (FLAME Act) which was bundled with the FY 2010 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act [here].

SEC. 503. COHESIVE WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY.
(a) STRATEGY REQUIRED.-Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, acting jointly, shall submit to Congress a report that contains a cohesive wildfire management strategy, consistent with the recommendations described in recent reports H. R. 2996-69 of the Government Accountability Office regarding management strategies.
(b) ELEMENTS OF STRATEGY.-The strategy required by subsection
(a) shall provide for-
(1) the identification of the most cost-effective means for allocating fire management budget resources;
(2) the reinvestment in non-fire programs by the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture;
(3) employing the appropriate management response to wildfires;
(4) assessing the level of risk to communities;
(5) the allocation of hazardous fuels reduction funds based on the priority of hazardous fuels reduction projects;
(6) assessing the impacts of climate change on the frequency and severity of wildfire; and
(7) studying the effects of invasive species on wildfire risk.
(c) REVISION.-At least once during each five-year period beginning on the date of the submission of the cohesive wildfire management strategy under subsection (a), the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall revise the strategy to address any changes affecting the strategy, including changes with respect to landscape, vegetation, climate, and weather. ...

The forum was by invitation only, but I managed to wangle an invite. The agenda included a form to fill out "to help formulate significant questions that the cohesive strategy development process". My filled-out form is [here]. The discussion followed the format on the agenda/form.

About 30 people attended the forum in Olympia. Two or three were private citizens (including myself) and the rest were government employees (some state, mostly federal). It was the only Cohesive Strategy forum to be held in the Pacific Northwest. No one from the Oregon Department of Forestry attended. No county officials or representatives of county organizations attended. Three BIA people attended, one being a Native American, but otherwise no Tribal representatives were there. No one from the National Park Service or U.S. Fish and Wildlife was there.

But the lack of diversity in the room did not bother me. I got my my points into the record, which was my goal. I can't hold everybody's hand. If your agency wasn't represented there, that's not my fault. It is not particularly to my credit either, though, nor yours, nor the WFLC's.

The discussion was cordial if dull, as befitting a government functionary meeting. I was reserved and held my sparkling wit in check for the most part, baiting the moderator only once or twice. Really, I was very nice and so was everyone else. The moderator and I are friends now, and see things very similarly with one or two exceptions. He likes fire use (whoofoos, foofurbs, niados [here]) and I don't.

The forums are something of a breakthrough for the WFLC. In prior manifestations they were a secretive and insular body that held closed door meetings. Now they are making an attempt to open the doors a little bit. Outreach is a new thing for them, and these first steps are toddling. They promise to set up an interactive (blog-like) website soon. When they do, I will let you know.