January 2008 Smoke Signals Volume 8 Table of Contents Fort Apache Hotshots Celebrate Administration...... 3 Silver Anniversary! Fire Use/Fuels...... 6 ~ By Ron Miller, Supervisory , Fort Apache Agency; Prevention...... 12 Ralph Thomas, Former Fort Apache Hotshot Superintendent; Mark Burnette, Squad Boss, Fort Apache Hotshots Training...... 13 Blacksnakes Corner. 15 “You call yourself a Publishers& Info..Back and I must bow to you. I must tip my feathers to you.”

~ Chairman Ronnie Lupe addressing the Fort Apache Hotshots during their 25th anniversary banquet

The Fort Apache Then & now ~ Above: The Fort Apache Hotshots at home on a block during the early years in 1984. Below: The Shots in 2006 on Interagency Hotshot assignment in Glacier National Park, Montana. Crew (IHC) hosted their 25th year reunion in style at the White Mountain Apache Tribe’s Hon-Dah Casino and Resort on October 29, 2007. Over 315 people attended this historic event. Guest speakers included the White Mountain Apache Tribal Chairman Ronnie Lupe, Former Hotshot Superintendents Gibson Pinal and Ralph Thomas, Former Fort Apache Agency Fire Management Officer Ken Butler and others. An entire royal court of tribal representatives and crown dancers also livened up the evening.

Ralph Thomas, who served as Hotshot Superintendent from 1984-1993, discussed some of the earlier days. “The earliest days were pretty rough getting acceptance from other agencies and their hotshot crews but we proved ourselves on the line. I think the longest tour was 42 days straight. There were no time frames at all back then. You didn’t know when you’d come home. On that 42-day assignment alone, we fought fires in Utah, California, Montana, and Oregon. We helped open the door for other BIA crews across the country.” Cover Page 2 being called a Fort Apache Hotshot Four Type 1 Incident Management during this first 25 years. Teams (IMTs) were brought in to manage over 2,500 and Through the years the Fort Apache the numerous aircraft, engines and IHC has been on hundreds of fires all dozers needed to fight the incredible across the United States. An annual blazing inferno. Even among all those report from 1998 discusses how dedicated professional firefighters, the the Fort Apache hotshots began the Fort Apache IHC distinguished itself. season on the Sheep Ranch Fire in Rick Lupe, former superintendent of Minnesota in April and then moved the crew and a Division Supervisor on to assignments in Florida, Oregon, for one of the Type 1 IMTs during the Colorado, Nevada and Montana. fire, specifically chose the Fort Apache As stated in the report “the crew Hotshots to help in the last ditch effort Crewmember wears the 25th Anniversary performed in an exemplary manner.” to stop the fire’s northeast spread. shirt. And this was not an isolated year. Rick and the crew were declared Former Acting Hotshot Some of the more exotic assignments national heroes when their efforts Superintendent Varnell Gatewood have included a stint in Alaska, a succeeded in stopping the “monster” Jr. gave an excellent PowerPoint hurricane assignment in Puerto Rico, before it hit the community of Show presentation which brought back a and a fire off the Mississippi coast on Low, Arizona in all its fury. ABC’s host of memories to those present. Horn Island. “We had a 45-minute Nightline with Ted Kopple recognized Varnell recalled that “We as a tribe boat ride out to that fire,” recalls the major contributions of this special made this work. We are warriors as Brian Quintero, current assistant hotshot crew in a documentary aired were our ancestors.” He also thanked Superintendent for the crew. “There nationwide after the fire. Rick Lupe the hotshot families and noted how were dolphins swimming next to our was honored as Grand Marshall of invaluable their day-to-day support boat.” the Show Low parade the following was to the program as a whole. month.

There was plenty of reason to celebrate this 25th anniversary. The Fort Apache IHC was the first Native American Hotshot crew when they were established in March, 1982. Ken Butler, FMO for the Fort Apache Agency at the time remembers wanting to establish a hotshot crew because “our guys already had a lot more experience Crew on fire on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. than other hotshot crews around the Probably one of the crew’s greatest Sadly, after his heroic efforts, Rick country.” The crew was hand-picked challenges, however, occurred at Lupe died from burns sustained on a from local Type 2 crews based on home. In June, 2002, the Rodeo and prescribed burn the following year. A important criteria such as their work then the Chediski Fire started on the bronze statue of Rick now stands in ethic, positive attitude, abilities, Tribe’s own turf. Before it was over front of the town library in Pinetop- endurance and willingness to endure the Rodeo-Chediski Fire consumed Lakeside, Arizona--a fitting reminder the tough conditions. A total of 114 455,000 acres (276,000 acres on the to all of the extreme sacrifice he gave firefighters have had the honor of Reservation) and over 450 homes. to the people and communities that he Cover Page 3 loved. His funeral, complete with a Department of Interior Honor Guard was attended by many dignitaries and included entire hotshot crews. Letters of condolence also poured in from all parts of the country and included ones from the President of the United States, the Secretary of the Interior,

Fort Apache crew buggies on the Navajo Mountain Complex on the navajo Indian Reservation in 2006. and the Governor of Arizona. The for this historic event: “You are one of Governor also provided the U.S. flag the best. I have heard it so many times that draped over Rick’s casket. and I honor you. God bless you.”

Trenton Prins, the current Fort Apache Hotshot Superintendents superintendent for the crew, didn’t 1982-1983 Gibson Pinal speak at the banquet but confided, “I’ve 1984-1993 Ralph Thomas always looked up to the Fort Apache 1993-2001 Rick Lupe Hotshot crew. It is a great honor and 2003-2005 Dan Philbin privilege for me to be working with a 2006-2007 Trenton Prins crew with such a legendary status in the fire world.” * Varnell Gatewood and Marco Minjarez also filled in as Acting Superintendents White Mountain Apache Chairman for the Fort Apache Hotshots. Memorial to former Fort Apache IHC Lupe summed up his remarks to the Superintendent Rick Lupe. current and former members of the Fort Apache Hotshot crew that had gathered have been trying to comprehend the complexities, and plan for the coordination and management of these fires.

During this past fire season, the Agency Administrators of the Boise, Salmon-Challis, and Payette National got together and took a Administration critical look at the large fires within their jurisdictions. They not only Large and Long Duration Fires acknowledged these fires could not be “put out” by traditional suppression ~ Appropriate Managment efforts, they also accepted the fact that their large fires were going to Response burn until nature produced a season ~ Rowdy Muir, IC, Great Basin Type 1 IMT ending event. These administrators This is an excerpt from a more detailed “Lessons Learned” document by Rowdy Muir. This took a look at the “big picture”. They document focuses primarily on the subject of Appropriate Management Response (AMR). decided to collaborate, and in doing Over the past several years we have seen an increase in large, long duration so, created a “Mega-WFSA”, which fires. As a result, these fires have required more involvement from Multi encompassed fires burning on all three Agency Coordination Groups, Agency Administrators, Line Officers, Incident forests. The Mega-WFSA provided Management Teams, Fire Management Officers, and other land managers who for consistency, and eliminated the Administration Page 4 potential conflict of differing priorities complex is a phenomenal under the circumstances of having idea. It allows managers multiple fires with multiple IMT’s. to use full suppression, It also gave IMT’s the opportunity limited suppression, to adjust tactics and strategies confinement, containment, according to the values to protect. control, or let the fire do These managers looked at the reality what it wants to do in a of the situation and made the true specific area. Sometimes, appropriate management responses. we get locked into These courageous managers may have using single tactics and set a new standard and paved the way strategies. This multiple for the future of fire management. strategy philosophy should be seriously considered The following bullets are some my for adoption and use on 2007 “Lessons Learned”: public lands. This gives us an opportunity to take • Large and long duration fires make away the lines that border a huge impact to grazing, wildlife, us from RX, , agriculture, and the way of life in a and wildfire use, and community. It doesn’t matter where practice all three under one the fires are. Regardless of the umbrella. appraised value, the acres that are burned and the impact it has on those • Mega-WFSA’s must be acres are similar from one fire to the crafted carefully, so as not next. Loss of grazing allotments to become so large and and wildlife habitat are equal to the costly that cooperators loss of structures and the devastation are afraid to become which occurs in the urban interface. partners in this process. The impacts are life changing to all Whether the suppression or the individuals involved. In other management costs are $1 words, my desert is as important as Cascade Complex August 2007 million or $10 million, one your . Photo ~ Bryan Day, BLM NIFC or two percent can break a our suppression tactics are county or state budget. • It often takes a great deal of comprised of digging line (using patience to implement “appropriate natural barriers etc.) and mopping • Allow communities to use their management response”. There is up. We need to incorporate own fire protection districts to an incredible amount frustration chipping, use of massive pump and take responsibility for their own involved when allowing fire to move sprinkler systems, cabin wrapping, community. The community pays across the landscape in an under- GPS, thinning, gel applications, taxes for these services and has story type burn without interference. etc. to our training curriculum. The a right to receive the protection We’re taught to be aggressive, days of mopping up large and long they are paying for. Rather than burnout, contain and control. We are duration fires are for the most part, preventing or limiting these “suppression” oriented and we want gone, however there will always be organizations from protecting their to put the fire out. It is not in our situations where the use of mop up community, help them to work culture to want to let a fire continue will continue. through State Homeland Security to burn. However, we should look at representatives for assistance. In opportunities to backfire and burnout • Mega-WFSA’s are great tools which many cases, under emergency under low to moderate prescriptions. allow for a variety of strategic and declarations, the federal government There is nothing “wrong”, and are tactical options. They can provide will assume 75% of the cost for many things “right” with a fire that a management team with options suppression efforts. Homeland is accomplishing fuels reduction, and to suppress where needed, confine Security officials are often able to promoting good vegetative growth where needed, and monitor where find additional resources for the vs. the results of massive burnouts needed. Operations personnel community. under extreme conditions. We have the tools to implement need to learn to mix and match our true AMR. The need to better • When faced with large and long tactics to achieve our suppression understand “values to protect” is duration fire probability, the public goals while providing for vegetative time consuming but critical. It may be unwilling to accept AMR health. may involve keeping the fire from as a strategic plan. The public does crossing a certain road, away from a not know what AMR really means • Our national training curriculum specific stream or meadow, or away since the term itself is ambiguous needs to be adjusted so the whole from any other area identified for and non-descriptive. When AMR spectrum of fire management protection. The flexibility to use has been explained during public strategies is considered. Currently, multiple tactics on one incident or meetings, the public will usually Administration Page 5 accept AMR and allow managers to communication should always be of the innovative strategies, tactics, implement it. It is the responsibility done prior to the arrival of an IMT and oversight you witnessed in 2007. of the local management unit to have and will go a long way to providing Review the use of creative approaches, candid, open and honest discussions for a stronger and more trustworthy open minded thinking, and anything about AMR with the public. This relationship with the community. else which contributed to successes. should be done immediately, in Then, please share your experiences order for managers to present both Please take the opportunity prior to with the fire community so we can all short and long term plans. This the next fire season to look at some benefit from your “lessons learned”. Native American Month...

The NIFC Celebration ~ Laurel Simos, NIFC providing support to the foundation and told the group he is, “honored to be a part of this celebration”.

Teresa Wesley, coordinator and host for the event, recognized an honored guest, Jack Wilson, BLM Director of Fire and Aviation, ret., and WWII veteran.

Teresa thanked all of the volunteers and fry-bread makers who had stayed up particularly late the night before, for providing this delicacy. Teresa went on to say “We are here to commemorate Native Americans and interlink those warriors who fight fires on homeland soil with those who fight in foreign lands. Born as warriors, our people are taught to protect their homeland as soldiers or as wildland The Umatilla Intertribal Drum Group opens the event. firefighters.” She went on to say, Photo ~ Bryan Day, NIFC “They fight for the safety of family, BIA and the other NIFC agencies event with a message to remember our home and country.” celebrated Native American Month fallen firefighters and our veterans. at the Fire Center in Boise, Id. In Teresa also said, “The Wildland respect to Veterans Day, the theme for The festivities began at the Wildland Firefighter Foundation provides this occasion was to remember our Firefighters Monument and moved healing for the families of those who firefighters and our veterans. indoors where the scent of Indian have died while and to Tacos filled the building. those who have been injured. We are The Umatilla Intertribal Drum Group here to remember the ones that don’t drummed and sang for the 80 people Burk Minor, Director of Public come home.” After the recognitions, who attended on November 7. BIA Relations for the Wildland Firefighter the group was treated to a lunch of Fire Director, Lyle Carlile, opened the Foundation thanked participants for homemade Indian Tacos. Human Resource Specialists assigned to the Saw Mill Complex Add ‘Sole’ at Incidents in Montana, a long way from home. ~ Lori Johnston, HRSP, USFS Southern Region Mary and Larry noticed that two of the Incident Management Teams almost always include a Human Resource students were wearing inappropriate Specialist (HRSP) to provide a point of contact for incident personnel to discuss footwear; one student had her boots human resource concerns. Occasionally they spot a situation where they can taped together with duct tape and the help a crew member walk a little easier. other was wearing tennis shoes. The HRSPs knew that proper footwear was HRSP, Mary Nunez and HRSP Trainee, Larry Sandoval recognized such required on an incident and that these a situation while on a fire in Montana during the 2007 season. The camp young people needed boots for their crew was made up of students from a Kentucky Job Corp center. They were work. Administration Page 6 The HRSP’s contacted a Montana Job Corp Center Director, who graciously arranged for the students to receive a new pair of boots. Imagine the smiles on these student’s faces when they were presented with brand new boots at the

Duct tape keeps this well worn boot in one piece. morning briefing. You might say the Human Resource Specialists brought heart and “sole” to their work! These students stationed in Montana this summer were a long way from their Kentucky home. The names of these individuals were unavailable to Smoke Signals

Fuels SCA Awards Dinner Great Plains Region ~ Paul Pooler, Fire Ecologist Midwest and Great Plains Regions

From left to right: Alex Wade, Paul Pooler, Megan Spain, Duwayne Traversie, Molly Lundberg. Front row is Sver Sundgarrd. In November, the Student established at Sisseton, Cheyenne Conservation Association (SCA) River, Pine Ridge, Crow Creek and hosted an appreciation dinner for the Rosebud reservations. Multiple post- Great Plains South Team members treatment plots were re-measured at in Sioux City, Iowa. Certificates of Yankton, Crow Creek, Lower Brule, Appreciation from the Great Plains Santee and Omaha reservations. Region, BIA were awarded to each SCA team member. The work performed by the SCA team members was above and beyond In 2007, the task for the Team was to the expectations of the Great Plains Photo Caption: Certificate of collect field data for nine reservations Region. The information gathered appreciation presented to team leader, Molly Lundberg by Paul Pooler, to help study the effect of fire and will be used for future prescribed Regional Fire Ecologist, at the awards other land management practices fire planning and will help create dinner in Sioux City, Iowa. throughout the Great Plains Region. A a foundation for monitoring plan total of 125 pre-treatment plots were objectives. Fuels Page 7 National Football League’s (NFL) on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Greening the Environmental Program which . These projects reduce the includes recycling and conservation environmental impact of hosting the Super Bowl efforts also is hosting several Super Bowl. Restoring forests creates ~ © Mary Stuever, Forester’s Log, Dec. 2007 planting projects including 42 acres a wide variety of economic, aesthetic on tribal lands of the White Mountain and environmental benefits and leaves Apache. a permanent legacy of Super Bowl XLII in Arizona. C-1 Wash lies just above the isolated community of Cibecue on the western Tribal members are planting the trees end of Fort Apache Indian Reservation under contract with the tribe. As part in east central Arizona. A short of the post-fire economic recovery; distance down the mountain near the tribal members have received training Red Dust Arena an unemployed tribal in small business and technical skills member started the Rodeo fire in so that they are able to run their own 2002. The Rodeo-Chediski fire burned businesses. Three local contractors 277,000 acres on the reservation will directly benefit from the Super and destroyed over 50,000 acres of Bowl planting. Two hundred thousand pine seedlings commercial forest. This forest fed the are staged ready to plant on the vast in Cibecue, but without the Approximately 30,000 acres in the denuded regions of the 2002 Rodeo- forest, the Tribe was forced to close burn still need to be reforested. The Chediski burn. Most of the trees are the mill. Cibecue’s unemployment rate tribe is hoping to plant a half million in the shade house at the McNary doubled, leaving only a quarter of the to a million trees annually for the next greenhouses but many baskets are residents with jobs. Then again, I just 20 years. A long-term scattered through the , next to laid off seventeen more people from program will provide economic planting units. The melting snow is that community. opportunities to tribal members who saturating the soil leaving perfect tree live in the communities that have been planting conditions. I have seven tribal With special post-fire rehabilitation devastated by the fire. Not only is entrepreneurs with signed contracts funding available immediately after the tribe focused on healing the land ready to plant when the roads dry out the fire, the Tribe has planted 1.5 by planting trees, but by fostering enough to get into the remote areas. million trees on approximately 10,000 tribal members as tree planting acres. However, over 80 million trees entrepreneurs, tree planting becomes a Unfortunately, we are out of funds. were killed by the fire. In areas where pathway for healing people too. I am signing paperwork to layoff some trees survived, the forest is thirty-one employees. I am telling the naturally regenerating, but many of the The Forester’s Log is a monthly column contractors to have hope. I am trying tribe’s canyons along the Mogollon published in newspapers and magazines to find it myself. Rim burned so hot that no seed trees primarily in the American west. Stuever is survived. the Acting Tribal Forest Manager for the The Tribal Leadership and I have White Mountain Apache Tribe. She can be focused for years on trying to find When faced last spring with an reached at [email protected]. money to plant trees. The Tribe asked opportunity to grow more seedlings, the Bureau of Indian Affair’s Fort knowing I had no secure funds to plant Apache Agency to help us find a half- them in the fall, I took the “Field of million dollars this year to plant these Dreams” approach. “Grow them and seedlings. This spring the government the money will come.” gave us $54,000. They promised another $50,000 but had to take it Our hopes now lie in telling our story back because of their own funding and hoping our tale will connect us shortfalls. The Tribal Leadership to the funds we need for tree planting made several trips to Washington both immediately and in the long-run. D.C. to speak with our Congressional We hope visibility of our program with delegation. Events like Hurricane Super Bowl XLII will help us find Katrina or the war in Iraq took additional grants and donations. precedence over putting trees back into vastly burned pieces of remote The NFL’s Environmental Program reservation land. partners with the Arizona Super Bowl XLII Host Committee, the Arizona There is one bright spot in our Department of Environmental Quality, situation. In C-1 Wash tribal the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Arizona’s entrepreneurs are still planting Office of the State Forester, the trees thanks to Super Bowl XLII. Arizona Cardinals and the Salt River Among the many efforts oriented Project. They are also sponsoring tree toward hosting the February 3, 2008 planting with schools in the Phoenix event in Phoenix is the concept of Area and an additional 42 acres on the “greening the Super Bowl.” The north end of the Rodeo-Chediski burn Fuels Page 8 Omaha Tribal Bison Project ~ Paul Pooler, Fire Ecologist Midwest and Great Plains Regions Andy Baker, Natural Resource Officer, for the Winnebago Agency has overseen this project from the conception. Andy stated this is one of the most fulfilling projects he has worked on during his time with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Along with Andy, Mike Tyndal, Director of Wildlife and Parks, stated their main objective is to keep stocking rates low enough to avoid over utilization as well as presenting visitors with an opportunity to observe bison in an active and healthy tall grass ecosystem.

Bison now graze in healthy tall grass. In 2003, the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska made the decision to convert more than 100 acres of Missouri river bottom farmland into tall grass prairie for the introduction of bison. Reseeding combined with mechanical treatment and prescribed fire has returned a healthy tall grass ecosystem that many tribal members thought to be lost. Using a mix of Big Bluestem, little bluestem, Indian grass and switch grass combined with native forbs has created an ecosystem Andy Baker (left), Natural Resource Officer, Winnebago Agency, oversaw the transition from that is capable of supporting a small herd of bison for use by the farmland to tall grass prairie; Mike Tyndal (right), tribe and its members. Director of Wildlife and Parks, in the project area. Northwest Region: SCA & FIREMON ~ Laura Atkins, SCA Intern, BIA Portland This past summer, Student Conservation Association (SCA) crews were assigned to the Yakama, Coeur d’ Alene, and Warm Spring tribes in the Northwest Region. Their mission: FIREMON (fire effects monitoring and inventory protocol). Coming from all parts of the country, these three crews came together for the overall purpose of collecting the valuable FIREMON data. FIREMON is a method of collecting data (i.e. fuel loads, topography, vegetation, trees, cover frequency, and plot description) to determine fire behavior in a location. This type of monitoring is crucial in collecting data for documenting fire effects, assessing ecosystem damage and benefit, From left to right: Joey Deneke, Heather Lyons, Karen H. Poutier, Kyle Ochs, and evaluating the success or failure of a Meg Chapman burn, and appraising the potential for Fuels Page 9 future treatments. The FIREMON system consists of a sampling strategy manual, standardized sampling methods, field forms, Access database, and a data analysis program. Beginning in January 2007, SCA crew leaders and interns were recruited for the upcoming season. The interns arrived at the three project sites on May 25th to get acquainted with their respective area and teammates. Internship training was held in McCall, Idaho on May 29th-June 6th providing training on FIREMON protocols, backcountry driving, wilderness first- aid, and CPR. The teams returned to project sites after the training, and began the first official day of work on June 11th. The interns’ last day was November 21st while crew leaders will stay at their sites until December 1st. The Coeur d’ Alene crew, comprised of Meg Chapman, Joey Deneke, Karen H. Poutier, Kyle Ochs, and Heather Lyons From left to right: Laura Atkins, Brent Demko, Anne Patrie, Ian Matthews, Blake also had a very successful internship. Jordan, not pictured: Derek Vincent. Patrick Warker, former SCA staff member and current Fuels Planner for these plots, the crew also monitored Behavior, S-212 Wildland , the tribe noted how the SCA interns forty FIREMON plots that had and the online training of Fire Regime were very flexible in completing tasks received treatments in the previous Condition Class (FRCC) from the for the tribe. They participated in season. University of Idaho .The crew worked numerous activities including fuels side by side with fire management, project monitoring, fire suppression, Other tasks that the team stepped , and natural resource fire prevention, and other fuels up to perform included using global management of Warm Springs. This management activities. positioning systems to delineate forest allowed the crew to take in valuable roads within treatment units and cultural information from the tribe Throughout the six month internship, the accomplishments of the Tribal such as the importance of natural the crew was able to establish over one Fuels Crew, promoting wildland fire resources such as hydropower, forest hundred and twenty photo monitoring prevention at several community products, and ranching for the Warm plots. This form of monitoring events, functioning as on-the-job Springs economy. provides a quick and simple way mentors to high school students to visually observe change in stand from the Tribe’s Summer Youth The staff at Warm Springs was also structure over time. In addition to Work Program, training Fuels Crew able to offer tips on places to visit members in monitoring field methods, in off time. Katie was able to visit and researching the possibilities of Smith Rock State Park, the Deschutes utilization. National Forest, Lake Tahoe, the Oregon coast, Lake Simtustus, and The Warm Springs crew, Tom Hanson, many other exciting places. After the John-Royce (J.R.) Boehrs, and Katie internship, she will be looking for a Sombat had a successful summer. job in the Environmental Science and/ Despite the eventful Warm Springs fire or Restoration Ecology. J.R. visited season, the crew was able to get out many interesting places including the and collect data in areas not affected Willamette National Forest, Three by the fire. Sisters Wilderness, Cove Palisades State Park, and the Oregon Coast. Every day was different for this crew; He plans to obtain a professional on average, they would begin at seven, position in GIS/Cartography with an driving to the reservation and then environmentally focused organization. out the field. They worked ten hour Tom was able to visit Crater Lake days for four days a week. The crew National Park, the Oregon coast, successfully monitored ninety-seven Smith Rock State Park, and explore FIREMON plots, and collected photo the National Forest lands throughout monitoring data on seventeen plots. Central Oregon. He plans to continue From left to right: John-Royce Boehrs, While in the internship, the crew was in the Ecology and Natural Resources Katie Sombat, and crew leader Tom able to receive instruction on S-130/S- field. Hanson 190 Basic Wildland Firefighting/Fire Fuels Page 10 The Yakama SCA crew, made up of summary for the past three Ian Matthews, Blake Jordan, Derek years using National Fire Plan Vincent, and Anne Patrie was able to Operations and Reporting complete a very busy fire monitoring System (NFPORS) data. season. Fuels management at the Outside the office, duties tribe had the crews focus on three have included: Firewise pre treatment areas. These areas are training, a Regional FMO/ comprised of sixty plots, and the crew Fuels meeting, EPA Smoke was able to collect information on Management meetings, each. This kind of accomplishment Flathead Fire Readiness will be very helpful for future Review, fulfilling Radio monitoring of the sites. The data Operator duties on two 2007 collected will be some of the first in , SCA FIREMON the region to be computed with the field days with the crews, Fuel Characteristic Classification volunteering for Keep System (FCCS) software. From left to right: James Colhoff, Alex Whistler, Oregon Green at the State Cory Winnie, John Szule, Len Diaz, Terry Shand, Gene Lonning, Laura Atkins, Karrie Stevens, and Fair, a Juvenile Fire Setting Throughout the internship, the crew Melody Steele conference, fire school, and participated in various educational field assistance to coworkers. experiences including: wilderness first photography, art, music, and other The next few months look aid training, off-road driving/defensive various media. Anne is hoping to to be very busy with a variety of driving, wildland firefighter, GIS, work in the area of ethno botany. tasks such as learning and applying FIREMON methodology, local plant the Risk Assessment and Mitigation identification, CPR, Fire Regime At the Northwest Regional office, the Strategy (RAMS), learning the Fuels Condition Class online training, fire SCA fire education position beginning Characteristic Classification System education/Smokey events, and various in April of 2007 has brought many (FCCS) software and using it to apply cultural learning opportunities. opportunities and experiences. fire monitoring data, and setting up Crew leisure included: Mt. Adams, Working with the prevention specialist, two regional meetings. Mt. Rainier, Mount St.Helens, San fuel ecologist, fuel specialist, and Francisco, the Columbia River Gorge, budget analyst, the tasks are wide- After this internship is completed in Portland, Prosser, Seattle, and Orcas ranging. April of 2008, I will be looking to Island. complete another SCA internship, Residing in Portland, Oregon, I hopefully at the same location and Ian plans to live and work in Portland find myself busy at work and enjoy position. after the internship. Blake is looking exploring this beautiful part of the for an environmental conservation/ country. While in Portland, office More information on FIREMON can policy job in the southeast D.C. duties can include anything from be found online at: http://frames.nbii. area. Derek plans on finding a job taking notes for a fire prevention gov/firemon in environmental science that will conference call to compiling a support him to pursue his interest in comprehensive fuel treatment

Combined Efforts ~ Laura Atkins, SCA Intern, BIA Portland

Photo on left shows area prior to fuels treatment; right shows post-treatment. Thanks to the hard work of the cooperation with the state’s Horse Island, a Montana state park Confederated Salish and Kootenai Department of Natural Resources located on Flathead Lake, is receiving Tribal (CSKT) firefighters in and Conservation (DNRC), Wild much needed wildfire fuel reduction Fuels Page 11 treatments. These treatments, which diseased, overcrowded forest.” He have completed a fuels reduction are taking place in pine stands on the reported that this is the first time a project on their land using Lake Co. south lake shores, are providing relief project of this size has taken place fuels reduction project money. Total for state owned land as well as a dozen since the island was established acreage of projects on the island totals privately owned properties. as a state park in 1993. Devlin eleven acres of private property. further stated that many years of fire A $90,000 Montana State Forest suppression on the island has led to a Grants provide for 75% of the cost of Health grant, provided by the weakened pine stand and reduced the treatment, which includes thinning, DNRC, is funding the project. In a vitality and vigor of the trees, leaving piling, and slash removal. The truly cooperative effort, the state’s them vulnerable to an infestation of process begins with an application for department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks the Western bark beetle. As the beetles assistance, followed by a forester’s provides transportation to and from kill the trees, the forest becomes assessment of the proposed project. the island, the DNRC provides the more flammable; thinning out the Once approved, the property owner crew leader, and the physical labor is overcrowded, infested trees reduces makes a decision to do the work being done by six firefighters from the the chances for a wildfire that would himself or hire a contractor. Upon CSKT Division of Fire. Thus far, the destroy forest and homes. completion of the project, the crew has thinned, piled, and burned forester performs a final inspection, excess fuels on forty acres, at a rate Another example of agencies working assuring that the work meets grant of approximately two acres per day. together is present in the Lake County specifications. Not surprisingly, the Efforts are focused on younger stands Fuels Reduction Program, which gives busy 2007 fire season in Montana of ponderosa pine and result in the property owners within the county an increased awareness of the need opening up of the dense mass of trees. opportunity to reduce the amount of for fuels reduction and affected the Eventually, treatment will extend fuels in wildland urban interface areas. number of applications received by the to more than 100 of the 2,164 acres In addition to grants from the BIA and program. which make up the island. DNRC, the county provides matching funds to administer the program. Factors such as large fuel loads from This type of collaboration between Over the past three years, more than years of suppression and continued state and tribal agencies is being 250 properties have been assessed drought conditions increase the noticed by the public and getting by a county forester, and nearly 600 probability of intense wildfires in attention from the media. Vince acres have been treated. Several of Indian country, making combined Devlin, reporter for the Missoulian, these Lake Co. properties treated are efforts like these imperative for the highlighted the project in a recent adjacent and linked to CSKT fuels survival of a healthy forest. article, stating “ Wild Horse treatments. Also, nine individual Island means improving health of property owners on Wild Horse Island The Warm Springs crews are very dedicated to their profession, said Ken Lydy, assistant fire management officer at Warm Springs Fire Management.

“The crew members go through training in the spring, in preparation Operations of fire season. They go through the training as volunteers, without pay, Fire Camp Crews Bring Local which shows their dedication”, said Lydy. He mentioned also that he Benefits is trying to find a way to fund the ~ Dave McMechan, Spilyay Tymoo training sessions, so the people who During the summer months, Warm The Warm Springs fire camp crew participate can be paid for their time. Springs Fire Management has more program, in its fourth year, provides fire camp crews than any other jobs that help the local economy, said The camp crews consist of the crew organization in the Northwest. Bobby Eagleheart, camp crew leader. leader, and eight to 10 crew members. They travel by bus to the fires, and During the summer months of this During 2007, the camp crews from then stay in the field anywhere from a year, seven fire camp crews from Warm Springs earned total wages couple of days to over a month. Warm Springs helped in the response of $528,160. The income provides a to 15 separate fires in Oregon, boost to the Warm Springs economy, The crews provide support to wildland Washington and Idaho. said Eagleheart. fires under any fire management Operations Page 12 jurisdiction. In most cases the jurisdiction is that of the U.S. Warm Springs usually has eight fire camp crews. This Forest Service. The agency of jurisdiction provides the funding. year the number was seven, as one camp crew leader was out due to injury. During the summer, 130 people participated in the camp crew program. They logged a total of 46,283 paid working hours.

Warm Springs Camp Crew poses at the Warm Springs Complex. Smoke Signals was unable to obtain the names of these One of the Warm Springs Camp Crews works in the individuals at time of printing. Supply Unit on the Warm Springs Complex. internship, I recognized that I needed to learn more about the place and people I would serve. A map Prevention created by the Chickasaw An Nation Division of Opportunity Housing, Geography, Chickasaw Nation Princesses: Alexis Walker, “Little Miss”; Katie ~ Robert C. Graham, SCA FEC Intern, and Statistics Newport, “Junior Princess”; Jaisen Monetatchi,“Senior Princess”. Chickasaw Agency - BIA shows that ~ Photo by Robert Graham I graduated from Morehouse College Chickasaw Nation boundaries span The Nation holds its annual meeting in Atlanta, GA with a B.A. in English over thirteen of Oklahoma’s counties. festival/parade during October, which this May and headed to Chickasaw Governor Bill Anoatubby belongs to a is also National Fire Prevention Nation two months later. strong legacy of governors that dates Month. Forestry Technician and back to the time when the Chickasaw Fire Prevention team leader Sheldon “What’s in Chickasaw Nation?” many Nation negotiated with the United Sankey told the rest of the team, people I knew asked. States Government and relocated from “An opportunity,” I replied to one Mississippi to friend. Oklahoma during the Trail of Tears. I had no opinions about Chickasaw Nation, no friends or relatives, and I look forward to no substantive background in the learning more about position SCA (Student Conservation the Chickasaw Nation Association) the Chickasaw Agency and am excited about BIA hired me to fill. I hoped to learn attending the All about my fire prevention internship Nation Pow Wow and felt confident in my presentation December 1, the first skills; I knew going into my deal of its kind in Ada, that SCA and the Chickasaw Agency OK, as an opportunity expected me to discuss the importance to broaden my From left to right: Pat McDowell - Prevention Specialist; of being Firewise with Chickasaw Tommy Schultz - Range Tech.; Robert Graham - SCA knowledge about the Intern; Smokey Bear, Joe Lail - Range Tech; Sheldon Nation citizens. As I began learning Chickasaw Nation. Sankey - Prevention Tech. ~Photo Unknown Teacher about the fire prevention aspect of my Prevention Page 13 Range Technicians William Schultz and William Lail, Firefighter 1- Kent Johnson, and myself that we would focus on the Firewise concept ‘Defensible Space’ for this year’s annual meeting festival/parade. The program was designed as an outdoor classroom setting. I looked to the festival/parade as an opportunity to see if teaching fit my abilities and interest. Mow your lawn; tell Dad or Mom mow the lawn. Keep clean gutters and your home address visible. For four days the Fire Prevention team talked to 55 classes (totaling 1,079 students), about defensible space strategies, prepared enough goodie bags for the 1,000 plus crowd, and chronicled our experience through a Prevention program demonstration at Pennington Park, Tishomingo, Oklahoma series of photographs, many of the during the Chickasaw Annual Meeting and Festival, ~Photo by Sheldon Sankey pics featuring Capitan Mountain, New Spending the first week of October at heard “Don’t Play with Matches!” Mexico’s finest, Smokey Bear. I’m a Chickasaw Nation Annual Meeting & most frequently – not a bad deal. high energy dude, and I got to expend Festival/Parade prepared me well for every ounce teaching and interacting the next three weeks of National Fire I learned much during October with students – awesome experience. Prevention Month. Rock star Smokey and look to the rest of my term to Bear accompanied the Fire Prevention accomplish a few goals. I hope to Education team to the six Tribal Head work with the Fire Prevention team Start programs in the Chickasaw to create fire prevention curriculums Nation to speak with 400 students. designed for high school students and “Don’t Play with Matches!” and “Stop, participate in fuels reduction projects Drop, and Roll!” struck with the Head at Kullihoma Reservation. I’m also Start crowd most. But how could interested in learning more about the the Fire Prevention team know that ways in which numerous tribes used the concepts stuck? The team visited fire to manage the ecosystems in which Duncan Head Start last and two days they lived. before Chickasaw National Annual Harvest, an event many of the Head Many thanks to the Chickasaw Nation, Start kids attended. Cautious not to SCA, and BIA for giving me an steal the fire from Halloween, the Fire opportunity of a lifetime. Prevention team took turns asking kids Smoke plays stickball with unknown what Smokey Bear says as we dropped P.S. I fought my first fire a few weeks player at the Chickasaw National Capital candy in their goodie bags. The team ago. I’ll tell y’all how it went on the ~ Photo Sheldon Sankey took a consensus and agreed that we next one.

“I really didn’t want to take the class but am so glad I did!”

“Best class I ever took!”

These were some of the course Training evaluation comments made after students completed NWCG M- Becoming an Effective 410, Facilitative Instructor training sponsored by the BIA January 7-11, Facilitative Instructor 2008, in Sycuan, California at the Sycuan Resort. The Sycuan Fire ~ Steve Jackson, Lead Instructor, NWCG M-410, Facilitative Instructor; Fire Operations Supervisor, Salt Lake BLM Field Office Department supplied fabulous onsite “I am armed with a tool that I can’t wait to use. I get to teach my way!” logistics assistance.

“Great class! From the rumor mill, I knew I needed the class, but wasn’t Nineteen students attended the excited about taking it…but now I’m glad I took it!” course which meets the requirements Training Page 14 referenced in the NWCG Field Manager’s Course Guide to instruct 200 level or higher courses. In addition to helping one to become compliant with federal policy, this course also focuses on ways to improve: • the quality of instruction at the local, geographic, and national level; • interaction with other teachers and course coordinators in a cadre environment; • skills for conducting meetings, briefings, After Action Reviews; and • any communication scenario where information sharing within dynamic groups is the key.

This year’s course continued the tradition of combining individuals from a variety of fire positions and locations from the wildfire Back row left to right: Laurel Simos, BIA~NIFC, Instructor; Byron Alcantara, community in an arena where they Sycuan FD; Learoyd Begay, Navajo; Terry Davis, Karuk Tribe; Emilda Lynch, are encouraged to try techniques Navajo; Tanya Steele, Truxton Canon; Robert Serrato, Sycuan FD; Gary Sampson, and methods that reach far beyond Warm Springs; Steve Jackson, Lead Instructor, BLM Salt Lake Field Office; Trisha Blackcrow, Fort Belknap; Marshall Thompson, BLM Salt Lake Field Office; fire topics. Furthermore, Tribal and Anthony Polk, Fort Yuma; Juan Mendez, Instructor, Sycuan FD; Bureau employees not working in Fire Management are also encouraged to Front row left to right: Maynard Mahone, Truxton Canon; Everett Isacc, Yakama; Nathaniel Sam, Navajo; William Leon, Sycuan FD; Jeff McBath, Sycuan FD; Jesus participate. Quiroz, Sycuan FD; Craig Martin, Southern Plains Region; Warren Morin, Ft. Belknap; Mitchel Sanchez, Sycuan FD; Patrick Kenny, Instructor, BLM Salt Lake The benefits of this course can be Field Office; Leon Ben, Instructor, BIA~Phoenix. realized by anyone, regardless of occupation. The ability to communicate effectively, to engage an audience, and to create a trust climate that facilitates a positive learning environment is a universally acknowledged essential ingredient in the recipe for individual, family, or corporate success.

Throw in a cadre with a passion for mentoring and sharing the skills of teaching and leading, and you get a week where the course evaluations speak for themselves.

The Branch of Fire Management hosts the M-410, Facilitative Instructor course annually, on the second week of January. It is also hosted by Regional Training Centers and some colleges. For more information, contact Dave Koch at 208.387.5577.

“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”

~ Albert Einstein Students armed with improvised tools, participate in the group presentation exercise. These students have slain the beast. Blacksnake Page 15 Blacksnake’s Corner ~ Walt Lara - Yurok Forestry Unless otherwise indicated, all materials on these pages are copyrighted by the author. All rights are reserved. No part of these pages, either text or image may be used for any purpose. Therefore, reproduction, modification, storage in a retrieval system or retransmission, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, for reasons other than personal use, is strictly prohibited without prior written permission.

The Yurok Tribe’s Plan includes fish, wildlife, endangered species (i.e. co ho salmon, spotted owl, bald eagle, marbled murrelet, etc.), and the ancient Orick Beach Fish Camp. Walt’s Grandfather, Grandmother, and Mother. relationship between the people and flying south for the winter. One little you will be forever green and be the the environment. bird watched from the ground. He had keepers of the forest as a spirit being.”

When I was very young, my family broken his wing and could not fly. He walked through the forest until he The Yurok People acknowledge would spend the summers in a fish redwood trees as spirit beings, not only camp on Orick beach, located along came upon a beautiful dogwood tree, filled with large white flowers. “Mister from many stories that have been the Pacific North Coast and bordered handed down from one generation to by the majestic redwood timber. We tree, could I winter in your branches?” said the little bird. “Oh no,” said the the next, but also through our ancient lived in a traditional Indian house language. The construction of our constructed by my grandfather. He dogwood tree, “I have these beautiful flowers and I can’t have you up here.” Redwood canoes are carved with a split planks and beams from redwood heart, kidneys and lungs and at the logs that washed up on the beach. So the tired little bird continued through the forest until he bumped into head of the canoe is a braided We spent many hours smoking and necklace, replicating a lifeline. The sun drying surf fish and other kinds a large oak tree. “Oh Mister tree,” said the little bird, “could I winter in your Indian houses are constructed with of fish. We gathered mussels, wild a heart, located behind the fireplace, strawberries, and tullys. Indian branches?” “No,”said the Oak tree, “I have my acorns hanging here, they are and rib cage. Not long ago two of families from inland or up and down these sacred trees that overlooked the the coast would come and buy these so beautiful. I can’t have you up here.” The weather was getting colder and traditional fish dam, in the Cappel goods. That’s how my grandparents creek area, were illegally cut. After made a living at that time. A gunny bird was getting weaker. Everyday on the ground was a risk for him but he the shock and a grieving period an sack full of sun dried surf fish would awareness and sense of responsibility sell for ten dollars. It was hard work moved on dragging his broken wing through the forest with his head hung emerged. Today, from the stumps for us kids who spent the day turning of those trees another generation of fish over and running off the sea gulls. low. Suddenly he banged in to a huge tree. The boom was so forceful that redwood are growing just like another In the evening just as it was getting generation of Yurok people. Eighty dark the marbled murrelet would fly it knocked the bird on his back. He stared looking up trying to find the top percent of our traditional prayer and over. They flew so fast you could not gathering sites, including Orick Beach, see them, only hear them wiz by. The of the tree. It seemed to reach the sky. The little bird was so frightened by is owned by the Redwood National old folks would say, “You better come Park or the U.S. Forest Service. So it in” meaning into the Indian house, this giant, his voice shook nervously. “Oh m-m-mister ta-ta-tree could I goes without saying that we have had “because ‘Sa-ath’ is coming.” ‘Sa-ath’ to adapt in order to preserve our old is like a spirit in the wind. All of us winter in your branches?” “Why sure,” thundered the voice as his massive ways. It is my wish that we, as forest kids would quickly gather inside the managers, nurture the ancient and house where the fire was warm and limb swung down and scooped up the little bird and placed him in his future relationships between man and we soon fell asleep to the repetitive the environment. sounds of the ocean waves. branches. Now the Creator was watching all of this and he said, “You, The October 2007 Volume 7 issue of Smoke Those were the times I would dream dogwood trees and all your relations, Signals, page 15 contained an editorial error. of the old stories about the marbled will loose your leaves and those The caption beneath the black and white photo murrelet and the environment that flowers for the winter. And you, Oak should have read, “1954 – Fort Campbell, KY. Walt, upper left hand corner wearing black surrounded me. These stories, gave so trees and all your relations, will gloves, was a cadre in Fox Company 2nd much meaning to my world. continue to loose your leaves and Battalion 188 11th Airborne Division. The those acorns for the winter. But you, Smoke Signals staff apologizes for this error. This story began in the Fall of the Redwood trees and all your relations, year when the sky was full of birds Thanks! Distribution

Thanks again to those of you who have submitted Please route this publication to your staff as well as articles and photographs. Keep up the great work! to your EFFers. If you need additional copies for your staff, or need copies sent to an another address Submission Criteria please contact us. Please make sure your seasonal fire employees have an opportunity to read Smoke Signals! Please include the author’s name, title and location, captions and high resolution photographs attached as Contact Information separate jpeg files. The article submission deadline for “Smoke Signals” is as follows: Dave Koch ~ 208/387-5577 [email protected] March 1 FAX: 208/387-5580 June 1 Laurel Simos ~ 208/387-5313 September 1 [email protected] December 1 Mailing Address BIA/NIFC Old Administration Building 3833 So. Development Ave. Boise, ID 83705-5354 Attn: Smoke Signals

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