NWCG accomplishes its mission using a system of committees and subgroups organized around the primary functional areas of wildland fire management. These committees and subgroups are categorized into the types listed below based on purpose and organizational hierarchy.

Committee

1. The proposed mission/objectives are necessary to accomplish the NWCG mission and are not already covered by an existing committee.
2. The scope, complexity, and relative autonomy of the proposed mission/objectives indicate the need for a stand-alone committee. This pertains to a newly proposed committee or an existing committee/subgroup whose mission has evolved.
3. The proposed committee meets the organization type definition for a committee.

The NWCG Staff serves and reports to the Executive Board. The staff provides national leadership and direction to accomplish the NWCG mission. This is primarily achieved by supporting the operations of the NWCG committees and their subgroups - the backbone of the NWXG effort. The NWCG committees and subgroups are comprised of national leaders and subject-matter experts representing the NWCG member agencies and the various functional areas of wildland fire management.

NWCG committees and subgroups are established and organized to accomplish the overall NWCG mission. They provide leadership to and represent the major functional areas of wildland fire management.