NRGA FPAC CONFERENCE CALL
Date: 5/3/2012 1100 MST
1-866-917-0154; pass code: 9730653#
Participants:
□ Brad Gillespie
□John Barborinas (BIA) √Kevin Knauth (BLM) □
Linda Kerr (NPS), √ Paul Mancuso (NPS), √ Richard Sterry (FWS), √Shane Del Grosso (FWS-Chair),
√Eric Fransted (BLM), □Mark Wilson (FS), √Shari Miller (FS-Assistant) √Lara Barrett(SWT Rep)
√Jesse Duhnkrack (NPS)
OTHER PARTICIPANTS:
√ signifies the participant was on the call (□ = not on the call)
√ Information
□ Discussion
□ Decision
Agenda Topic #1
√ Information
√ Discussion
□ Decision
Agenda Topic #2
√ Information
□ Discussion
□ Decision
Agenda Topic #3
√ Information
□ Discussion
□ Decision
Agenda Topic #4
√ Information
□ Discussion
□ Decision
MEETING OBJECTIVES
Roll call and any additional agenda topics.
Highlights from National FPA Call
Info from 5/3/12 National Call
• FPA Bulletin-Line Officer Briefing
• GA Lead updates
*Calibrated reviews
*NR Final Analysis Review
*Feedback
• Any IAT updates
• Communications updates
• Updates for FWA’s for 2013
SWT Updates
• Updates
FPAC Business
• updates
Round Robin
• Updates
Shane Del Grosso
Shane Del Grosso
Shane Del Grosso
Shane Del Grosso
All
Agenda Topic #5 Other
√ Information
Please add topics that aren’t on agenda
√ Discussion
here
□ Decision
NOTES:
Update from the FPA Executive Director:
• FPC oversight group met on 4-19-12 with the individuals who signed the Charter and provided
them with an up-date regarding the Charter. The oversight group also discussed the future of
FPA and if the planned budgets would be done individually or collectively. Next meeting is
scheduled for May 24, 2012 and a decision should be made.
• Agency Line Officer Briefing Paper-The briefing paper is 6 pages long. Individuals can use the
entire document or only part if it if they desire. If FPU’s want more information they can
contact Jeff Whitney.
• The Executive Director (Jeff Whitney) was asked if FFPC would be sending out a formal
disengagement letter. Jeff thought it was premature right now, until IAT has time to evaluate
the data, but a letter could be sent out possibly in the next 2 weeks.
• On May 3rd Jeff Whitney released a transmittal memo and the Agency Line officer Briefing
papers.
GA Lead updates:
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•
•
•
•
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The Geographic Areas provided an up-date regarding calibration reviews, and the optional final
analysis reviews. All the Areas are making good progress with the calibration reviews, but not
many of the GAC’s are getting feedback from the optional final review.
Currently in the Northern Rockies, we have received all but one calibration review (NR-MT-4). It
is anticipated we will receive a couple of the final reviews; however I currently have not received
any.
Many GAC’s talked about doing a Geographical Level Review. The Northern Rockies as a
minimum will also be doing this and need the NRGA FPAC Liaisons to get their comments to me
so I can compile and submit a GAC review.
One concern brought up from the Northern Rockies is the Non-burnable conversion with the
2008 Landfire refresh. In the Prairie Pothole regions of ND and possibly parts of Eastern Mt GR6 (cattail, phragmites , and tall grass Prairie is being converted to GR-1 fuel type through the
Landfire normalization process. This is further compounded by going to a 270 meter pixel. This
is not a FPA problem but the FPA process has brought this to the attention of several FPU’s and
the FPU’s are working with the Landfire oversight group to try and resolve this matter. This
problem in ND affects the Forest Service, BIA and FWS.
The GAC also need to be thinking about who will be the FPA Leads for 2013.
Final Analysis Reviews – A couple of the GAC’s have completed 50% of final reviews, while many
Geographical areas have received none of the optional reviews.
IAT Updates:
• IAT group is working on High Value Resource Protection. This layer was used for the first year
analysis and has been held in a stable state ever since then. OG does not think this data layer is
an appropriate data layer to use and it will not be applied to the 2012 budget considerations,
because the performance measures are not quantifiable.
SWT Update:
• Sue Weber contract has expired and there will an outreach notice coming out to re-advertise
this position. The position will be advertised sometime by the end of May.
• There are currently 7 SWT members still on board for the 2012 FPA Analysis in a various
capacities, but the capacity will be quickly be down to 3-4 fulltime SWT members.
• Laura Barrett will be the new SWT Rep for the NRGA since Brad Gillespie is no longer working as
a SWT member.
• SWT are seeing NB-9 issues and 29 FPU’s are not trending, and 7 FPU need fuel treatments
changed to NB-7. NR-MT-4 is the only Northern Rockies FPU that is not trending as expected
(i.e. acres burned aren’t increasing at the lower budget options). SWT’s have been making
minor modification but no changes are being made on the calibration process.
• The SWT completed their closeout briefing near the end of April. The SWT’s tried to capture
what worked, what did not work, technical issues, team communications and the collaboration
process in their documentation.
• The SWT documentation packets will be posted and made available on the “My Fire
Community” website on May 11, 2012.
• Laura Barrett informed the group they are continuing to test the non-budgeted resources.
Nothing has been done yet regarding non-budgeted resource. Several SWT’s have also been
tasked with looking at why the FPU’s are not trending. This was originally a code issue and a
task group has been looking to try and resolve the problems.
FPAC Business Updates:
• Human Resource will release the outreach information for the vice Sue Weber position. The
release of this document occurred on Friday May 4, 2012 and the position should be advertised
sometime near the end of May.
• The Forest Service is making room for FPA on their IT network and computers. This will result in
faster FPA operations.
• A number of change request have been submitted to the business team to address how fuel
treatments are applied (cumulatively –verses - randomly) within the model. Other changes
include Landfire updates and FSIMS code.
• The business lead mentioned that everyone is getting ready for 2013.
FPA Operations Updates
• FPA Project Manager Position was discussed. It still remains on the Org chart but has not been
filled. Several individuals thought that individual serving as Project Leads and Business Leads
might present some conflict of interest. The Forest Service is currently in the process of filling a
Project Manager position as part of the Forest Service reporting requirements. This position will
be a part of the FPA process but also connected to the Information Technology shop and also
tied to IBM.
• The 2013 FWA boundary changes end June 1, 2012. Individuals making the FWA boundary
changes must use the validation tool. Currently 16 FPU’s(Nationally) have said they wanted to
make FWA boundary changes but only 5 have submitted changes.
•
•
The FPA web mapping is making some significant improvements. It should be available in the
middle of June and will be the vehicle that everyone will utilize to make FPU and FWA boundary
changes.
Ryan Elliot mentioned that even though some of the outputs are not was expected, many of the
outputs are explainable. This statement alone lends some credibility to that there may be some
confidence in model.
Other or more specific items discussed:
May 3rd FPA update from Executive Director Jeff Whitney:
• It is good to see this document released early. However the document still has some missing
data or gaps in the content and possibly some errors (i.e. the update speaks to line officer
briefings, but line officer briefing are not required).
Final Reviews: Remember the review process is to evaluate the process and not the ouputs.
Developing a NR GAC Executive Summary/Review:
• Recommend the development of a NR Executive Summary/Review. The development of an
issue paper/executive summary with the endorsement of the NRCG might carry some
additional support to improve the FPA process.
• Recommended and agreed to having the FPAC liaisons contact their FPU’s (20-30 minute phone
call) and seek field input into developing a NRGA Executive Summary/review.
• Other input that should be provided is the institutional knowledge of the FPAC Liaisons and the
GAC Leaders (i.e. poor communication-having A/A briefing then not having A/A briefings).
• Recommend the findings be limited to the top 10 most significant findings and the document be
kept short.
• Once the GAC Summary was completed individual agencies (if they choose) also respond
individually.
• Input into the Executive summary will be due May 18, 2012
• The NR GA Lead will compile the information and redistribute it back to the FPAC Liaisons
before May 23, 2012. A follow-up conference call originally scheduled for 1300 hours on May
23 was also proposed, but now due to a conflict may potentially have to be moved to later in
the day.
• The Executive Summary will probably mirror a Lesson Learned format with the caveat that we
also documents should also include recommendations to be part of the solution and not just
identifying the problems.
• Emphasized that the document only should reflect the process and the current state of affairs.
Line Officer Briefings:
• Discussed if we needed to temper the document in the Jeff Whitney Update (i.e. line officer
briefings and other convoluted language which is confusing). Since this document was put
together by the National personnel; extreme caution was emphasized because our
interpretation may be different than the National personnel. Consensus of the group was to
say as little as possible and let the transmittal memo a briefing paper stand on its own merits.
• Remember line officer briefings are not required.
Looking ahead to 2013 planning cycle:
• Discussed changing up the NR-Chair position. FWS is spread thin with the loss of Bob Rebarchik,
Shane Del Grosso is also ICT2 (T).
• The NR Charter wording leaves it pretty much open to do what we want. The only agency that
has not served is the BIA.
• Jesse Dunhkrack said he is currently available to serve if needed. The NPS has two key parks
Glacier and Yellowstone that they a very vested interest in.
• Shane Del Grosso said he could do another term and have Erick Farnsted serve as the Deputy or
Assistant GA Lead.
• Shane Del Grosso said he wanted to check with his supervisor before committing and that he
would let everyone know what his status would be on our proposed May 23, 2012 conference
call.
FPU Outputs for the Performance Measures:
• Jesse Volunteered to provide those remaining on the call with the NR FPU output for the
performance measures. This data is not to be shared, however can easily be retrieved from the
FPA website if anyone wanted to get this information.
• The outputs graphically show the three performance measures that we understand are being
considered in the 2012 Analysis.
End of notes.