SOUTHWEST

FIRE USE TRAINING ACADEMY

# STEERING COMMITTEE CHARTER

12/21/07

## 

## Authority

[]{.mark}

The Southwest Fire Use Training Academy Steering Committee (SWFUTASC)
operates as a standing committee under the authority of the Southwest
Area Coordinating Group (SWCG).

## Mission

The Southwest Fire Use Training Academy Steering Committee is chartered
by the Southwest Coordinating Group (SWCG) to provide guidance and
oversight to the Southwest Fire Use Training Academy (FUTA). The FUTA
Steering Committee will report to the Southwest Coordinating Group and
has an obligation to coordinate with the National Interagency Fuels
Coordination Group. The Steering Committee will ensure that the center
provides opportunities for individuals from federal, state, local or
tribal government agencies to build skills and confidence in the
application of prescribed fire and fire use. The Steering Committee will
utilize interagency representation to facilitate coordination of actual
burn projects and curriculum within the Southwest Area.

The primary mission of the Steering Committee will be to provide two
Fire Use academies per year. Other fire program training will be
presented as opportunities and funding allow.

## Purpose

The responsibilities of the FUTA Steering Committee are:

-   Implement the direction of the SWCG, and report to the group as
    requested.

-   Provide guidance and oversight to assure a viable FUTA program, with
    the represented agencies of the committee providing financial and
    staffing support, through a fair-share cost determination process.

-   Submit annual operating plan, strategic plan, and one-time cost
    proposals to the SWCG for review as needed.

-   Promote FUTA and the Prescribed Fire Training Center as national
    focal points for prescribed fire application.

-   Coordinate with other organization and entities, including the NWCG,
    as appropriate to achieve mutual goals in support of prescribed fire
    and fuels management applications.

-   Foster partnerships and the exchange of knowledge of prescribed fire
    and fuels management and the use of these tools.

-   Facilitate other training and development as requested and
    appropriate to meet the evolving needs of the wildland fire
    community in prescribed fire and fuels management and wildland fire
    use.

-   Provide a medium for agency fuels managers, academy coordinators,
    project providers, and trainees on issues involving FUTA, fuels
    management, and training.

## Membership

The following agencies will provide voting representatives to the
Steering Committee:

1-USDI Bureau of Indian Affairs NIFC

1 -USDI National Park Service -- Intermountain Region

2 -USDI Bureau of Land Management -- AZ and NM

1-USDA Forest Service - R3

1- USDI Fish and Wildlife Service - R2

1 -NM-EMNRD, New Mexico State Forestry Division

1 -Arizona State Land Department, Fire Management Division

In addition there will be non-voting representatives from the Academy,
the Southwest Coordinating Group and a recording secretary .The Steering
Committee may incorporate Technical Advisors when needed.

## Officers

Officers will consist of a Chair and Vice Chair, rotated from the
representative membership. Each will serve a term of two years. The
rotation will occur at the spring Steering Committee meeting with the
Vice Chair becoming the new Chair. A new Vice Chair will be rotated in
every other spring, beginning in 2007. Rotation will follow as: BIA
NIFC, FWS, BLM -- NM, USFS, AZ State Forestry, NPS, BLM -- AZ, NM State
Forestry.

After serving a term as an officer, a member can remain part of the
Steering Committee once their term has expired.

Responsibilities of the **Chairperson** shall include:

-   Assure and facilitate Steering Committee meetings and conference
    calls..

-   Assure that meeting notes are distributed.

-   Monitor progress on action items.

-   Approve meeting and conference call agendas.

-   Act as a focal point for communications to SWCG.

-   Review and recommend changes to the charter annually.

Responsibilities of the **Vice Chair** include:

-   Serve as Acting Chair as needed.

-   Confirm locations and dates of meetings.

**Steering Committee Members**

Steering Committee members will serve to provide interagency management
review and oversight of FUTA. The Committee members will serve to
expedite communication between their organization and FUTA. If a member
is unable to attend a meeting or conference call they are responsible
for finding a suitable replacement.

The agency shall designate an individual to replace an outgoing
Committee member or technical advisor. Steering Committee members are
expected to be involved and supportive of the mission of FUTA,
participate in the meetings of the Committee, and be actively involved
in promoting and marketing the FUTA program. Committee members have a
responsibility to participate in the programs of the academy, including
periodic presentations to session audiences, mentoring of trainees, site
visits and/or field reviews of the academy operations.

**Committee Activities**

Management direction and oversight of the Steering Committee will be
provided by the SWCG.

The Committee will meet a minimum of two times per year. One meeting
will be held following each session of the academy to review
accomplishments. Conference calls will be held twice a year -- once in
the summer and once in the fall. In addition there will be a FUTA budget
review every fall. The Chairperson will have authority to cancel or
reschedule committee meetings, as necessary. Executive sessions of the
Steering Committee members without FUTA staff may be arranged at the
request of the Chairperson.

Formal decisions will be documented in meeting notes, and any action
items associated with decisions will be clearly identified, along with
parties responsible. If decisions need periodic review, a time frame
will be agreed upon for that. An action item log of the activities of
the committee will be maintained by the recording secretary in the
meeting notes and copies provided to the steering committee.

Decisions will be reached by consensus, if possible. If time constraints
do not allow consensus to be reached, a decision may be reached by
majority vote of the agency representatives. The Chairperson should
minimize the use of this decision method, and ensure that a
non-consensus decision is reviewed at the next meeting, with sufficient
time to find as much common ground among the members as possible.
Consensus is considered attained if there is agreement among those
listed as voting members.

The Committee will develop the annual FUTA business plan and operating
plan and forward it to the National Interagency Fuels Coordination
Group. The steering committee recognizes the interagency nature of FUTA
and wants to assure an equitable distribution of costs for operating
FUTA each year. However it is understood that individual agency budgets
and missions may dictate the amount they can provide to FUTA.

**Charter Approval:**

The Charter shall remain in effect until amended by the Committee and
approved by the SWCG.

On behalf of the Southwest Coordinating Group, this charter is approved
and accepted by the Chair.

[/s/\_\_\_\_\_Bob Lineback\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}
Date: \_\_\_12/21/07\_\_\_\_\_\_

Chair, Southwest Coordinating Group