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AMENDMENT
to the
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
NWCG 1976
The Memorandum of Understanding providing for the NWCG is hereby amended to update, incorporate and add the following features:
The Departments of Agriculture and the Interior are authorized to enter into cooperative agreements by the Protection Act of 1922 (42 Stat. 857; 16 U.S.C. 594) and the Economy Act of 1932 (31 U.S.C. 686). In addition, the Secretaries have entered into Memoranda of Understanding dated January 28,1943, and February 21, 1963, to provide adequate wildfire management and protection to the lands under their respective jurisdictions.
State representation is authorized by the Cooperative Forest Assistance Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-313, dated July 1, 1978).
No change.
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group shall consist of a representative from each of the following agencies, or offices, and two from the National Association of State Foresters:
a. Bureau of Indian Affairs g. Division of Forest Fire & Atmospheric Sciences Research, Forest Service b. Bureau of Land Management h. Division of Cooperative Fire Protection, Forest Service c. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service i. Boise Interagency Fire Center, Forest Service d. National Park Service j. National Association of State Foresters e. Boise Interagency Fire Center, Bureau of Land Management f. Division of Aviation & Fire Management, Forest Service
All other terms remain in effect.
NATIONAL WILDFIRE COORDINATING GROUP OPERATIONS GUIDE
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) held its first meeting in Washington, DC, in January 1973. The organization was formalized with the approval of a charter, signed March 16, 1976, by the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Interior. The charter's purpose was to establish an operational group designed to coordinate programs of the participating agencies so as to avoid wasteful duplication and to provide a means of constructively working together. Its goal is to provide more effective execution of each agency's fire management program. Agreed upon policies, standards, and procedures are implemented directly through regular agency channels.
As prescribed by the charter, as amended, the NWCG shall consist of one official or that official's representative from each of the following agencies, or offices, and two from the National Association of State Foresters (NASF):
· Bureau of Indian Affairs
· Bureau of Land Management
· U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
· National Park Service
· Boise Interagency Fire Center (BIFC), BLM
· Aviation & Fire Management, U.S. Forest Service
· Forest Fire & Atmospheric Sciences Research, U.S. Forest Service
· Cooperative Fire Protection, U.S. Forest Service
· National Association of State Foresters
· Federal Emergency Management Agency (Non-Voting Member)
A. Chairperson: The Chairperson for each calendar year is elected from among the members at the September meeting of the preceding year and may be reelected for one or more additional terms. A recorder, secretary, or other officers necessary for the functioning of the Group may be appointed by the Chairperson. Also the Chairperson may call and conduct meetings, establish working teams, and submit Group recommendations to member agencies for action.
B. Executive Secretary: The Chairperson may appoint an Executive Secretary to perform various administrative duties.
The duties would include:
- overseeing preparation & distribution of the minutes
- maintaining working team membership rosters
- providing advance study materials to members regarding agenda items
- tracking NWCG issues to provide for timely Group action
- soliciting input and preparing meeting agenda items
- preparing working team funding needs statement for NWCG resolution
- assembling background information from working team outputs and other sources for NWCG decision making
- preparing certificates of appreciation for presentation to Group and working team members on completion of their assignments
- overseeing maintenance of official NWCG documents and archives
C. Group Meetings: Meetings of the NWCG are generally held in January, May, and September each year (the Charter requires at least three meetings be held).
Minutes are sent out to members for comments and also to the Working Team Chairpersons. Approval of the previous meeting minutes is made at each meeting. The NASF representatives arrange for distribution of NWCG minutes to State Foresters.
D. Working Team Representative: A Working Team Representative (WTR), a member of the NWCG, is assigned by the NWCG Chairperson to each working team. The responsibility of the WTR is to provide continuing liaison in all matters concerning NWCG and working team business. It is essential that WTR's attend working team meetings so that team actions can be fully interpreted to the Group during Group meetings and so that Group actions and concerns can be fully shared with working teams during their meetings.
Working Teams are established by the NWCG Chairperson. Teams may be ad hoc until their assignment has been completed or they may be standing teams with an indefinite tenure. Standing teams may be placed on inactive status and later reactivated or they may be dismissed by action of the NWCG (majority vote).
A. Working Team Chairperson: The Chairperson is selected and removed by NWCG vote.
NWCG chair writes to the appropriate official of the Working Team Chairperson's agency to gain formal approval of his or her assignment.
B. Working Team Membership On forming a new team, the Working Team Chairperson selects members from a roster provided by the NWCG. This roster is developed specifically for this team and includes names supplied by the NASF for potential State members on the team. The Working Team Chairperson (WTC) may suggest additional names, but ail members are subject to approval by the NWCG Chairperson. When a vacancy occurs, the team representative is to be notified by the WTC within 2 weeks to discuss potential replacement candidates. The selected candidate is to be approved by the NWCG Chairperson.
No member agency maintains a "right" to one or more "slots" on a team. The intent of the NWCG is to seek membership from agencies with the most expertise and interest in the subject and to maintain a reasonable interagency balance insofar as this is possible.
Membership on any Working Team may not exceed eight, including chairperson, unless a greater number is expressly permitted by NWCG. However, the WTC may appoint advisors as non-voting participants in team activities. Alternates to Working Team members are not permitted.
C. Meetings: Working Team meetings are called by the WTC to conduct NWCG business. The intention of NWCG is that the number of meetings be limited to those absolutely necessary. The team's NWCG representative will approve meeting location. Meetings may only be held when a quorum of at least five members is to be present, except with the express approval of the NWCG Chairperson.
D. Minutes: Minutes of Working Team meetings should be completed and distributed within 30 days of the meeting. It is the responsibility of the WTC to reproduce sufficient copies of the minutes and mail them to addressees.
Only an executive summary of the minutes will be distributed to NWCG members except for the Working Team Representative who will receive a full set of the minutes and an executive summary.
The National Association of State Foresters' representatives will make appropriate arrangements for distribution of Working Team Executive Summary minutes to State Foresters.
E. Recommendations to NWCG: Working Team outputs frequently take the form of a recommendation to NWCG (to support in concept, reassign tasks, etc.). Recommendations prepared by the working teams shall be fully "staffed out," and only require approval or disapproval by the NWCG.
They should be submitted to the Team Representative sufficiently in advance that study copies can be distributed to members well ahead of the next NWCG meeting. It is the responsibility of the Team Representative, working with the Executive Secretary to see that NWCG members are provided study drafts in advance of meetings.
F. Outside Contacts: Prior to field contact by working teams, WTC should contact the NWCG agency member as a courtesy and for purposes of coordination. Working teams needing information from States should request this information from one of the NASF representatives of NWCG.
WTC will submit their proposed funding needs for the coming fiscal year by April 1 for review at the May NWCG meeting. Requests should be displayed by project and travel (See Exhibit-1). Travel costs will be supported by a listing of the travelers, meeting locations, dates, and estimated cost This information will be provided to NASF and used as authority for voucher payment Additions and changes must be negotiated with Cooperative Fire Protection.
Travel for State members will be paid through a cooperative agreement between the Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters administered by Cooperative Fire Protection. Travel for federal team members will be paid by their agencies.
Final approval of budget will be done at the May meeting. NWCG agencies will provide their portion of the agreed upon funding in accordance with the following percentages:
USDA FS 60%
USDI BLM 24%
BIA 8%
NPS 6%
F&WS 2%
The Forest Service will bill each agency for their share and redistribute per the approved budget.