Monday, May 1 at 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Pacific at the Edith Green Wendell Wyatt Federal Building, 1220 SW 3rd Avenue, Portland, Oregon in Conference Room 1A and 1B

Monday, May 2 at 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Eastern via Virtual.
Register in advance for this meeting

Thursday, May 4 at 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Pacific at the Radison Phoenix Airport, 427 44th Street, Phoenix, Arizona in Cactus Conference Room

The Offices of the Assistant Secretary -Policy, Management and Budget and the Assistant Secretary -Indian Affairs within the Department of the Interior (Department) propose to consult on the best methodology to accurately determine the number of tribal wildland firefighter full-time equivalents.
At present, there is no documented and agreed upon methodology to accurately determine the number of Tribal wildland firefighter full-time equivalents (FTEs). Such a methodology is needed for the Office of Wildland Fire (OWF) to inform annual allocations to fund tribal wildland firefighter salaries and inform out-year budget proposals. Tribal wildland firefighters are valued partners in interagency wildfire response efforts.

The Department’s Wildland Fire Management program budget includes annual funding for an estimated 500 tribal wildland firefighter FTEs. The methodology used to generate this estimate may be outdated. The Department believes the actual number of tribal wildland firefighter FTEs may be significantly higher based on feedback from, and on-going engagements with Tribes, the Inter-Tribal Timber Council, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The present Departmental methodology to determine federal wildland firefighter FTEs thus may not be the best methodology to determine tribal wildland firefighter FTEs.

The Department invites you to consult based upon these four framing questions:

1. Which methodology would Tribes propose to count tribal wildland firefighter FTEs?
2. How do Tribes staff tribal wildland fire programs including seasonal and/or full-time personnel?
3. To what degree do Tribes include fire-related duties in position descriptions for personnel that contribute to tribal wildland fire programs?
4. How do Tribes determine the rate of pay for tribal wildland fire program personnel?

They welcome your written comments, which should be submitted by email to: consultation@bia.gov by 11:59 pm EDT on Friday, May 12, 2023.

If you have any questions regarding this effort, please contact Jeff Rupert Director of the Office of Wildland Fire via email at jeffery_rupert@ios.doi.gov or Samuel Kohn Senior Counselor to the Assistant Secretary- Indian Affairs, via email at samuel.kohn@bia.gov.