National Wildfire Coordinating Group ( NWCG ) and NWCG Working Team Chairs Joint Meeting Minutes

	National Wildfire Coordinating Group & Working Team Chairs Joint Meeting Minutes October 10, 2002

NWCG Members attending:	Jim Stires, Chair, Bureau of Indian Affairs Dave Cleaves, Vice Chair, Forest Service Research Phil Street, Fish and Wildlife Service Sue Vap, National Park Service Robert Krepps, NASF, Missouri Department of Conservation Kirk Rowdabaugh, NASF, Arizona State Land Department Tom Harbor, Forest Service Jim Erickson, Intertribal Timber Council Hugh Wood, National Fire Academy Jim Stumpf, Executive Secretary
Working Team Chairs attending:	Bill Leenhouts, FUWT Paul Broyles, SHWT Paul Solarz, FEWT Bob Leaverton, IOSWT Logan Lee, TWT Paul Schlobaum, FDWT Wayne Mitchell, FWWT Linda Riener, Social Science Task Group Shari Shetler, IRMWT Maureen Brooks, WFEWT David Halstead, WUIWT

SUBJECT: NWCG Website.

DISCUSSION: Ted Tower, NIFC is the webmaster for the site responsible for the care, maintenance and operation of the site. Ted provided a thorough over view of the website content and maintenance concerns. Some information contained on the website is outdated, Ted asked for updated information on Working Team rosters and other team information like meeting dates. The IRMWT will solicit potential changes, comments and modifications for the NWCG website. IRM will charter a work group to develop input and recommendations for NWCG at the January 2003 meeting. Three items are needed from each WT at a minimum.

Current membership roster
Current meeting minutes
Calender (one year out) of meeting dates and locations

SUBJECT: NWCG Operating Plan

DISCUSSION: The NWCG Bylaws and Operating Principles has been designed and distributed to WT Chairs for reference. These principles outline requirements for reporting, budgeting, and general business practices of NWCG and the Working teams. One recent addition to these principles establishes the policy for NWCG to send a task memo to WT Chairs if the team is assigned work or specific tasks as a result of NWCG decisions. This letter should reach the WT Chair within two weeks following the NWCG meeting.

The general budget process for NWCG was discussed. Following is the overview on budgets follows:
Each team will submit a strategic plan to cover a three year period. This is due annually by December 1 and it requested the NWCG budget format be used by all working teams.
In addition to the strategic plan the monetary needs to accomplish the strategy is due December 1 of each year.
The first review of the budget by NWCG will be at the January meeting.
From January to the Spring meeting NWCG reviews and modifies any needed changes in the budget proposals.
At the spring meeting NWCG provide preliminary approval to the budget
At the fall meeting NWCG provides final approval or modification of budgets following the enactment of agency appropriations.

SUBJECT: NWCG Liaison roles

DISCUSSION: A general discussion on the NWCG Liaison to the WT role was discussed. The needs of the WT Chairs for the liaison participation was reviewed. It was requested that Liaisons improve the communication flow between the liaison to the WT Chair by attending at least part of one WT meetings annually. If this can not be accomplished the liaison and WT Chair should communicate regularly via the telephone. The flow of information from and to NWCG is critical to accomplishment of the workload by the WT Chairs.

SUBJECT: Overall structure and problems in WT

DISCUSSION: A general discussion on current WT Chair problems. These include:

General business administration is difficult in the WT. It is difficult to keep up with current and new challenges.
Absence of WT members makes it difficult to make consensus decisions at meetings.
Members are feeling stress of normal job activities and completion of WT tasks.
Follow up on agreed projects does not always occur because of committed budget and/or positions.
Some of the WTs do not feel that they are as responsive as requested by NWCG. If NWCG is O.K. with the activities of the WT they would like that periodic feedback.
WT may need to sharpen their focus on activities they take on. The WT may be the wrong venue to present a problem or solution.

SUBJECT: Qualification of private sector contractors

DISCUSSION: A draft proposal was discussed on training requirements for private sector contractors. Follow up needs to be done at the January meeting - IBPWT will take the lead on this.

National Wildfire Coordinating Group & Working Team Chairs Joint Meeting Minutes October 10, 2002

National Wildfire Coordinating Group & Working Team Chairs
Joint Meeting Minutes
October 10, 2002