Description

The Western Governors’ Association hosted the webinar, Prescribed Fire: Smoke Management and Regulatory Challenges on Dec. 19, 2017 as part of the series for the National Forest and Rangeland Management Initiative. Prescribed fire is a tool for land managers to address wildfire mitigation needs, combat invasive species and improve wildlife habitat.  However, prescribed fire is often underused due to concerns about visible smoke, legal liability and possible effects on state implementation plans for air quality. The webinar examined challenges facing the use of prescribed fire and opportunities to expand the use of prescribed fire as an element of responsible land management. The discussion explored the current regulatory framework, the intersection of EPA regulations and exceptional events criteria, how states have implemented best practices and models for prescribed fires, and increasing state engagement in the use of prescribed fire. The webinar was moderated by Mike Zupko, Executive Director, Wildland Fire Leadership Council. Panelists included: Pete Lahm, Smoke Manager, U.S. Forest Service; Mark Melvin, Chair, Coalition of Prescribed Fire Councils and Mary Uhl, Executive Director, Western States Air Resources Council. Due to an error, the beginning of the webinar was not recorded. The presentation begins with a segment on regulations and includes a Q&A session with the audience and panelists.