Introduction

1. Introduction • North Central Washington Prescribed Fire Council representing individuals and organizations recognizing the need for prescribed fire as a land management tool and prescribed burning as a • landowner right and responsibility. • Letters of Support from: • Washington State Conservation Commission • Okanogan County Board of Commissioners • Conservation Northwest • Okanogan County Cattlemen’s’ Association • Washington Cattlemen’s Association • USDI - Bureau of Land Management (BLM) • Okanogan Conservation District • Whitestone Reclamation District • Okanogan Valley Land Council • The Nature Conservancy • Washington Forest Protection Association • USDA – Forest Service (FS) – Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest • Backcountry Horsemen – Okanogan Valley Chapter • Chelan – Douglas Land Trust • Landowners of the Havillah Community Wildfire Protection Plan Area (CWPPA) • The Wilderness Society • Society of American Foresters – Mid Columbia Chapter

2. In addition to organizations providing a letter of support other organizations are participating on the NCW PFC Steering Committee Including: Port District of Chelan County WSU Cooperative Extension Washington State Parks Washington Farm Forestry Washington Department of Natural Resources Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife North Central Washington Fire Chiefs Association Natural Resource Conservation Service Private landowners & managers

3. Respectfully Request LegislaturetoSupport EffortstoIncrease the Use of Prescribed FireinWashington State Specific help or needs: - Increase Capacity for prescribed (Rx) fire in Washington State - Limit Liability related to Rx burning and damage from fire and smoke - Clarify policy, laws and rules regarding fire, prescribed fire and prescribed fire smoke - Assist in increasing general public understanding and acceptance of Rx fire

4. Increase Capacity to Use Prescribed Fire • Additional detail regarding requested support • Capacity for prescribed (Rx) fire in Washington State • Today only DNR, BLM, USFS, USF&WS, BIA, NPS have resources and capacity to conduct Rx burning and it is restricted primarily to their own lands, with limited alternatives for private lands • Certification program to certify/decertify Rx burn managers to provide a source of qualified (trained in Rx burn techniques and smoke management) people to conduct Rx burns on private lands as well as other lands if and when needed – Contract firefighters • Certification program to certify Rx burns/burn plans

5. Liability • Additional detail regarding requested support: • Liability related to Rx burning and damage from fire and smoke • Legislated indemnification for Rx burn managers with burden of proof at gross negligence level • Affordable insurance for Rx burn managers

6. Unclear and confusing state policy, laws and rules regarding fire and smoke • Additional detail regarding requested support: • Unclear and confusing state policy, laws, and rules regarding fire and smoke in general • Burn permits issued by local fire districts, DNR, DOE, Clean Air Authority • Two different state agencies and one federal agency deal with smoke • A flow chart is needed to assist landowners wanting to conduct Rx burns on their property • Currently there is no “oversight” for rangelands – who provides fire protection, who issues burn permits?

7. General Public Understanding and Acceptance of Rx Fire • Additional detail regarding requested support: • Over 64 years of Smokey the Bear messages that fire is bad • Public needs to understand that: • No Fire is Not an Option • No Smoke is Not an Option • There are many benefits of ecologically appropriate fire • North Central Washington Prescribed Fire Council (NCW PFC) or a Washington State PFC can serve as a collective voice of many (Federal, Tribal, State, County, City, NGO, private organizations) to educate the public about Rx fire and the benefits of Rx fire • Ecosystems are not defined by the objects they contain, e.g., plants and animals, but by the processes that regulate and sustain them, e.g., fire, weather, succession. • There is no “Balance of Nature” rather a “Flux of Nature” a constant state of change • Fire dependent ecosystems need fire and are dysfunctional without fire

8. Good Fire vs. Bad Fire Fire is an Ecological Imperative -        As long as there is life, which produces the fuels, there will always be fire -        Become masters of fire or continue to be at the mercy of wildland fire

9. Fire Dependent Ecosystems • Ponderosa pine – historically frequent low severity fires • South Sound Prairie – historically frequent low severity fires • Oak – pine woodlands – historically frequent low severity fires • Lodgepole pine – historically infrequent high severity or stand replacing fire • Shrub-steppe – historically infrequent stand replacing fires • Mixed conifer – mixed severity fires

10. History Fire and Man Indians – Native Americans – understood the value of fire and used fire accordingly to create favored foraging areas for game animals, promote growth to cultural and economic importance, e.g., berries, tubers, seeds, nuts, bulbs for food; stems, roots, bark for basketry, twine and rope; clearing and keeping land cleared of brush to maintain openings for hunting, travel and visibility; rejuvenation and renewal of vegetation for maintenance of diverse mosaic of plant communities on the landscape Historic Policy, particularly in the last century, has been total fire suppression Allowing wildfires to burn or conducting prescribed burning was considered wasteful of vegetation that livestock could eat or trees that would someday grow into harvestable timber Smokey the Bear Demon Fire Bambi Facts are facts, but perception is reality – despite the increased visibility of wildfires (national news); wildfire prevention and protection efforts (Firewise, Smokey the Bear); people continue to buy (parcels of former ranches and timber lands) and move in to fire prone areas

11. Present Conditions High fuel loads needing restructuring and reduction Ineffectiveness in applying Rx fire – laws prohibiting burning on weekends and holidays; difficult to get assistance (advice) for Rx burning DNR testified that Rx fire is a cost effective tool for fuels and forest management National Fire Plan Washington State Forest Health Plan  2007 Washington State Legislature passed SB 6141

12. Forest Health Report to Washington State Legislature 2004 Forest Health Strategy Work Group report ‘A Desirable Forest Health ProgramFor Washington’s Forests’ REPORT PREPARED IN RESPONSE TO SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6144 • Page 9 - “A great deal of effort is currently being expended to remedy forest health problems. • Federal land management agencies have implemented several administrative changes • aimed at restoring forest health as prescribed by the President’s Healthy Forest • Initiative (HFI) and the Healthy Forest restoration Act (HFRA). • In FY 2004 the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation treated 6,047 acres • of hazardous fuel treatments with prescribed fire. • Bold added for emphasis

13. Forest Health Report to Washington State Legislature(page 9 continued) 2004 Forest Health Strategy Work Group report ‘A Desirable Forest Health ProgramFor Washington’s Forests’ REPORT PREPARED IN RESPONSE TO SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6144 • Almost all of these treatments were in designated Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) • areas. Over the next five years they plan to treat about 10,000 acres per year, of • which 80% will be within the WUI and approximately 50 percent of the acreage • will be mechanically treated. • In FY 2004 the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests (NF) completed 22,577 • acres of hazardous fuels treatments. Treatments were approximately 50 percent • mechanical, 50 percent prescribed fire on the Wenatchee NF and approximately • 33 percent mechanical 67 percent prescribed fire on the Okanogan NF. • Bold added for emphasis

14. Forest Health Report to Washington State Legislature(continued) 2004 Forest Health Strategy Work Group report ‘A Desirable Forest Health ProgramFor Washington’s Forests’ REPORT PREPARED IN RESPONSE TO SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6144 pg 14 - "The Forest Protection statutes should be changed to hold landowners responsible for reducing extreme accumulations of fuels, regardless of how the condition developed. Fire ecology is the key to restoring proper forest health. Forest managed for resistance to fire damage will also resist damage by native insects, disease organisms, and extreme weather conditions with the additional advantage of protecting fish, wildlife, watersheds, and other public resources." Bold added for emphasis

15. Forest Health Report to Washington State Legislature(continued) 2004 Forest Health Strategy Work Group report ‘A Desirable Forest Health ProgramFor Washington’s Forests’ REPORT PREPARED IN RESPONSE TO SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6144 page. 23- “Prescribed fire can be an effective method to reduce fire and insect risk, manage smoke emissions, restore some fire resistant forest overstory types, and improve soil nutrition and forest health.If periodic prescribed fire is not possible, then the success of this plan may be jeopardized and not fully achievable.Current state implementation of the Clean Air Act substantially limits the potential for using prescribed fire through the daily permission requirements and standards.” Bold and underline added for emphasis

16. Forest Health Report to Washington State Legislature (continued) 2004 Forest Health Strategy Work Group report ‘A Desirable Forest Health ProgramFor Washington’s Forests’ REPORT PREPARED IN RESPONSE TO SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6144 page 23 –“Recommendation: The legislature consider directing coordinated changes to the statewide smoke management plan that would encourage maximum use of silvicultural burning where appropriate for forest health improvement. The direction should address areas where the state smoke management plan is more stringent than the National Clean Air Act and allow brief exceedence of standards to alleviate future wildfire events that are uncontrolled and have a greater, more prolonged impact on the public.” Bold and underline added for emphasis

17. Forest Health Strategy Work Group Report to the Legislature December 2006 page 4 - “The Work Group feels the draft legislation appropriately requests the Forest Practices Board evaluate their rules in the context of providing for forest health. We also believe prescribed fire should be promoted as a valuable tool for achieving forest health. However, smoke management actions must be coordinated among agencies to address issues related to prescribed burning and human health. After discussion with Department of Natural Resources and Department of Ecology, it appears that some of the issues related to limitations on silvicultural burning and burning for forest health purposes may be resolved through administrative means. We urge DNR, DOE, and the Legislature to continue to make progress on this important issue.” Bold added for emphasis

18. Forest Health Strategy Work Group Report to the Legislature December 2006 (continued) • Pages 38-41 Appendix 4 • Table 1: Opportunities and Barriers to Implementation of a Forest Health Strategy for Washington State. Barriers below are specific to the Opportunity of Prescribed Fire • Costs Not feasible on small parcels • Loss of sustainable economic return Regen is destroyed during repeated overstory maintenance burns • Lack of capacity (FTE's, people, skill sets, funding) We are losing our skill set in prescribed fire. • Liability exposure All groups face high risk with prescribed burn • Parcelization (land ownership pattern) Small landowners find prescribed fire cost prohibitive and administratively difficult • Lack of education on the benefits Beneficiaries may not be aware of either benefits or their costs

19. Forest Health Strategy Work Group Report to the Legislature December 2006 (continued) • Regulations RMZ/owl circle protection. Smoke caps. • Implementation of regs Unintended consequences • Proximity to human populations Smoke and fire • Clean air act implementation Remove the '0' tolerance approach and allow federal guidelines to prevail • Hot fires (i.e. damaging fires because of high fuel loads) Risk too high until ladder fuels are removed • Smoke Especially close to urban centers • Lack of spatial data Harder to prioritize • Lack of inventory data Can't design reliable treatments

20. Basic Truths to Remember • No Fire is not an Option • No Smoke is not an Option • Wildfire is a War • Prescribed (Rx) Fire is a Tool • Prescribed fire is a wildfire prevention tool • More Prescribed fire means fewer severe wildfires • Prescribed fire is the fire of choice

21. A Review Prescribed fire is an essential tool for managing forest and rangeland landscapes and natural resources. Fire is an integral part of the ecosystem, particularly fire-dependent ecosystems. The support and action of the legislature is needed to provide incentive based programs to encourage use of prescribed fire • Specifically to increase prescribed burning: • Smoke management policy needs to be addressed to allow • increased prescribed burning. • Policies that are disincentives to prescribed burning need addressed, • e.g., state liability laws, hard to understand laws, multi-agency • regulation vs. “one-stop shopping” • Public understanding and acceptance of prescribed burning needs to • be addressed.

22. Thank you for your Time and Attention Questions ?