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Rangeland fire protection groups describe volunteer firefighting role, limits on federal cooperation
Summary
Representatives of Rangeland Fire Protection Associations (RFPAs) told the Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee that volunteer RFPAs provide crucial initial attack and assets but face limits working on Forest Service land and need better interagency memoranda and funding support.
Mike Gary, chairman of the 3 Creek Rangeland Fire Protection Association, told the Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee that his RFPA and neighboring groups cover large swaths of rangeland and work closely with Bureau of Land Management firefighters but often lack formal standing with the U.S. Forest Service.
"We cover approximately a million and a half acres," Gary said, describing the Jarbidge resource area and partnership work with the Twin Falls and Boise BLM districts. Gary credited his RFPA's partnership with BLM fuels crews and said the groups supply trained personnel, engines, water tenders, dozers and other assets for initial and extended attack.
Gary and other witnesses described the RFPA model as volunteer and locally funded: RFPA organizations are 501(c)(3) corporations that assess dues, acquire grants for equipment, and outfit firefighters. Gary said costs run roughly $2,000 per firefighter for basic personal protective equipment and radios. He added that RFPA firefighters train with BLM crews and receive modified "red cards" while some TPAs (timber protection associations) have more experience on timber fires.
Witnesses urged expanded memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and better joint planning. Gary highlighted successes where an RFPA developed an MOU with the Sawtooth National Forest to provide intelligence and logistics on incidents, and he recommended the Forest Service and BLM expand programmatic environmental analyses to ease transmission‑right‑of‑way fuel treatments.
Marlon Wolf, a rancher from the Midvale/Crane Creek area, described being among the first on several fire starts and said local knowledge of terrain and roads can aid firefighting. Wolf said operational barriers sometimes prevent ranchers from using that knowledge; he described an incident where local backburning was curtailed by federal incident personnel and the fire later expanded when wind shifted.
Witnesses proposed several policy and funding steps: expand RFPA/TPA coverage into uncovered lands; fund equipment and training through grants; pursue programmatic EAs and EISs for recurring transmission‑corridor work; and consider joint cool‑season prescribed burning to reduce fuels. Gary said those recommendations were included in a work‑group report submitted to the governor and consolidated into the state's wildfire plan.
Committee members asked about training standards and red cards; Gary said RFPAs train with BLM but often do not require the pack test, so their red cards are modified.
No formal committee action was recorded at the hearing; witnesses requested that state and federal agencies improve formal agreements, grant support and operational coordination.
