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Rangeland fire protection associations urge expanded access and formal partnerships with federal agencies
Summary
Rangeland Fire Protection Associations (RFPAs) and ranchers told the Senate agriculture committee that volunteer fire groups and Timber Protective Associations (TPAs) helped limit past fires and should be allowed to operate more broadly on federal lands, including formal partnerships with the Forest Service.
Representatives of local Rangeland Fire Protection Associations and multiple ranchers told the Idaho Senate Agricultural Committee that volunteer wildfire organizations are an underused resource and that formal agreements with federal agencies should be expanded.
"We cover approximately a million and a half acres," said Mike Gary, chairman of the 3 Creek Rangeland Fire Protection Association, describing RFPA coverage in the Jarbidge resource area and neighboring lands. Gary and other witnesses said RFPAs formed after large complexes of fires have helped reduce the size of subsequent fires, improve initial attack capability and provide trained local firefighters and equipment.
Witnesses described how RFPAs and some Timber Protective Associations (TPAs) already operate under memoranda of understanding with the Bureau of Land Management and, in a few places, with the Forest Service. Gary said the group trains with BLM firefighters and uses many of the same crew management systems but has "modified red cards" because volunteers do not necessarily complete the pack test.
Marlon Wolf and Steve Sutton, ranchers who lost cattle and grazing acres in recent fires, told the committee volunteer firefighters are often first on scene and that local knowledge of terrain and roads can be an asset. "Lots of times when these fires start... we're the first ones there," said Marlon Wolf, who described personal financial impacts including tens of thousands of dollars in lost livestock.
Mike Gary summarized recommendations his work group provided to the governor's wildfire round table, including policy changes to expand RFPA/TPA boundaries, funding to equip volunteers, programmatic environmental reviews for transmission rights-of-way and increased interagency collaboration and mapping to identify gaps in coverage. He also urged renewed use of prescribed cool-season burns where appropriate to reduce fuel loads.
Witnesses asked the committee to encourage the U.S. Forest Service to enter more memoranda of understanding with local groups and to broaden accepted training and deployment arrangements. No formal vote or rule change was made at the hearing; the testimony was submitted for committee consideration.
