March 17 at 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern
March 19 at 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Eastern
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Wildfires in the U.S. have been growing in size, duration, and destruction over the past 20 years, reaching crisis proportions in the West. Nearly a quarter of the contiguous U.S. is faced with moderate to very high risk of wildfire; over half of that area at risk is in the West. This national emergency calls for decisive actions to protect people and communities and improve forest health and resilience. In response, the USDA Forest Service is developing a comprehensive 10-Year Strategic Implementation Plan with Tribes, employees and other partners to support the management and restoration of millions of acres of land toward improved forest health and watershed function and the protection of human infrastructure.

To facilitate the development of this plan, the Forest Service, in coordination with the National Forest Foundation, is hosting roundtable discussions in each of the nine Forest Service regions as well as nationally, to engage with Tribes, employees and other partners in the process.

Collaboration with Tribal communities is integral to developing this Plan. Forest Service-managed lands are co-located with and adjacent to Tribal lands and resources, including lands at risk for wildfire. Tribal practitioners bring critical knowledge and experience to wildland fire research and management. As a Tribe with in-depth understanding of the wildfire risk and unique challenges in your area, we would greatly appreciate your participation in the Region 8 Roundtable hosted virtually via Zoom on May 17 and 19. Click here for more information about the Roundtables.

The purposes of the Roundtable are to

• Share information, goals, and timelines for the 10-Year Strategic Implementation Plan;
• Collect Tribal, partner, and employee input to inform the Plan;
• Provide an opportunity for dialogue among Forest Service leaders and partners to identify key needs and opportunities of the Plan; and
• Gauge ongoing levels of interest and determine ways to leverage that interest and energy.

The Roundtable will take place over two days. 

• Day 1, Kickoff: Tuesday, May 17 (1–3 p.m. EDT) 
  Forest Service leadership will provide an overview and context for this effort and its significance in shifting the agency’s paradigm on wildfire risk and resilience. This portion also includes a Q&A panel session with Southern Area leaders.
• Day 2, Roundtable: Thursday, May 19 (10 a.m.–3 p.m. EDT) 
  We will invite participants to share their perspectives during breakout session dialogues on the following key topics: the science behind wildfire risk reduction, cross boundary partnerships, workforce capacity, outcome-based prioritization and metrics of success, and market and industry. The discussion questions for each topic can be found here.