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MEETING AGENDA

2016 Smoke Management in the Northwest

March 14, 1:00 pm – March 16, Noon  

Northern Quest Pend Oreille Pavilion

(Pavilion Rooms 2 and 3)

100 N Hayford Rd  

Airway Heights, WA 99001

Phone:  (509) 242‐7000 ‐ http://northernquest.com/

Meeting Purpose:  Share information about regional and national policies, new tools, available resources, forecasts and

management plans.  Identify recommendations and action plans for key topics/objectives to complete in 2016‐2017.  

TIME TOPIC

MONDAY (3/14)   1:00 – 5:15  

1:00 – 1:25 Meeting Kick‐off

 Welcome and meeting logistics  

 Meeting purpose and introductions

 Nick Pierre, Kalispell Tribe/Northern Quest Resort  

 Jan Hastings, Acting Director, Office of Air, Waste, Toxics,  EPA Region 10

1:25 – 1:45 Opening Remarks – Grant Pfeifer, Eastern Regional Director, Washington Department of

Ecology

Presentation:   20 min    

Purpose: Welcome us to Washington and provide overview on smoke management, wildfire

and air quality issues in Washington State.

1:45 – 3:10 New Exceptional Events Rule –  

 EPA National Perspective:  Beth Palma, Environmental Engineer, EPA, Office of Air

Quality Planning and Standards.  Time: 30 min

 Land Managers Perspective:  Pete Lahm, Air Resource Specialist, Forest Service Fire

and Aviation Management.  Time: 15 min

 State Perspectives:   

Grant Pfeifer, Eastern Regional Director, Washington Department of Ecology, Time:  

15 min

David Collier, Air Quality Planning Manager, Oregon DEQ,  Time:  10 min

Presentation:  70 min     Q&A:  15 min

Purpose:  Provide insight on proposed EPA Exceptional Events Provisions and their impact on

wild and prescribed fire.  

3:10 – 3:30 Break

3:30 – 4:00 WESTAR States Exceptional Events Workgroup ‐ Dr. Sara Strachan, GIS Analyst,  Idaho DEQ

Presentation:  20 min     Q&A:  10 min

Purpose:  Discuss the objectives of new multistate workgroup documenting regional fire

events for exceptional event status.  
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TIME TOPIC

4:00 – 5:00 Health Effects of the 2012 Wildfire Season and Observations from the 2015 Wildfire Season ‐ 

Dr. Jacqueline Dawson, Public Health Epidemiologist, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, and

Okanogan Counties (WA)

Presentation:  45 min Q&A:  15 min

Purpose:  Share new health study results from 2012 Washington wildfires and provide health

agency perspective from the 2015 wildfire season.  

5:00 – 5:15 Wrap up

Social Gathering at Northern Quest EPIC Sports Bar and Restaurant  

TUESDAY  (3/15)   8:00 – 5:15  

8:00 – 8:10 Welcome  

8:10 – 8:50 Ag Burning, Prescribed Fire and Wildfire – A Burner and County Commissioner Perspective ‐ 

Perry Dozier, County Commissioner, Walla Walla County, WA

Presentation:  30 min    Q&A: 10 min

Purpose:  Commissioner Dozier will share his perspective on smoke management and

wildfire as a long time agricultural burner and as a commissioner of a county impacted by

wildfire and prescribed fire smoke impacts.

8:50 – 9:05 Emission Background/Overview – Mike McGown, R10 Smoke Coordinator, EPA Region 10

Presentation:  10 min     Q&A:  5 min

Purpose:  Provide general background EPA’s emission inventory program.

9:05 – 9:45 Emission Inventory 101 –Janice Peterson, Air Quality Specialist, Region 6 and Pacific

Northwest Research Laboratory, USFS

  

Presentation:  30 min     Q&A:  10 min  

Purpose:  Provide background on developing calculations from prescribed/wildfire.

9:45 – 10:05 Break

10:05 – 10:35 Regional Emission Calculations for WESTAR States ‐ Tom Moore, WRAP Air Quality Program

Manager, WESTAR

Presentation:  30 min     Q&A:  10 min

Purpose:  Share information concerning FETS/WRAPTools emissions calculation methods and

inputs, including use of satellite observations.   
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TIME TOPIC

10:35 – 11:05 The Fire and Fuel Tools (FFT) to Support Wildland Fire Emission Inventory Development – Dr.

Roger Ottmar, Research Forester, Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest

Research Center, USFS

Presentation:  20 min    Q&A: 10 min

  

Purpose: Discuss FFT and how it may be used to support local, regional, and national

wildland fire emissions inventories for the United States.    

11:05 – 12:15 Emission Inventory Needs – Breakout Group Exercise (Pavillion Room 2)

Purpose:  Develop a list of what users need and/or want from an EI.  Additionally, develop a

list of the current systems used for the EI and opportunities for improvement.

Process:   

o Breakout groups will be organized according to 4 user types (States, Tribes, Land

Managers, EPA/Other)

o Groups will discuss and answer EI user need questions provided in summary template.  

This will support the group report out after lunch.

12:15 ‐  1:30 Lunch (on your own)

1:30 – 2:30 Emission Inventory Needs (cont.) Group Report Out/Discussion  

Purpose:  Shared understanding of EI user needs/wants, current systems in use, and EI

strengths and weaknesses.  List of 1‐3 recommendations to improve EI’s.

Process:   

o Breakout group will report out (1 representative/group) (5 min/group)

o Large group discussion around strengths and weaknesses of EI’s and recommendations

to improve them. (40 min)

2:30 – 3:30 PM2.5 Non‐attainment and Preventing Non‐attainment in Communities Impacted by

Prescribed and Wildfire

 WA non‐attainment prevention efforts – Holly Myers, Environmental Health

Supervisor, Kittitas County Environmental Health.

 West Silver Valley Nonattainment Area, ID – Mark Boyle, Airshed Manager, Idaho

DEQ, Coeur d’Alene Regional Office

Presentation:   40 min  Q&A:  20 min

Purpose: Provide an understanding of regulatory issues and control strategies in

communities affected by smoke.  

3:30 – 3:50 Break

3:50 – 4:30 The Air Resource Advisor (ARA) – Pete Lahm, Air Resource Specialist, Forest Service Fire and

Aviation Management.

Presentation:   30 min     Q&A: 10 min
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TIME TOPIC

Purpose:  Update on the status of the ARA program, availability and access to the ARA

resources, what is working, and how can we improve the program. ARAs will also be

available to share their experiences from the 2015 Wildfire Season.

4:30 – 5:00 ClearSky modeling of the RARE 2013 Field Burning Project ‐ Dr. Joe Vaughan, Research

Professor,  Washington State University

Presentation: 20 min    Q&A:  10 min

Purpose: Show modeling results from the 2013 Multi‐agency intensive study of emissions

from agricultural field burning in Idaho and Washington.   

5:00 – 5:15 Emission Study Results: Burning piles with polyethylene covers – Nick Yonker, Smoke

Management Meteorology Manager, Oregon Department of Forestry

Presentation: 10 min   Q&A: 5 min

Purpose: Present results from recently completed study.

5:15 Wrap up and adjourn

Social Gathering at the Steam Plant Grill in Downtown Spokane

(159 S Lincoln St, Spokane, WA 99201)

WEDNESDAY (3/16)   8:00 – Noon   Joint Session with WA Prescribed Fire Council

8:00 – 8:15 Welcome WA Prescribed Fire Council  

8:15 – 9:15 Understanding Visibility and Air Quality Issues Related to Smoke Intrusion ‐ Follow‐up to

2015 Discussion

Purpose:  Develop visual tool to represent how each program addresses (e.g., statutes, rules,

local policy decision making, etc.) visibility and air quality issues related to smoke intrusion.  

Tool will support sharing information and understanding of different agency processes to

improve communication, policy development, and planning across the region.   

Process:

1. Participant Pre‐work – Before our meeting, please review the Smoke Intrusion matrix

provided separately and be prepared to ask questions and discuss. On Monday and

Tuesday, please provide comments on the posted matrix to improve the tool. (On your

own)

2. Panel and Q&A Discussion – Panel of representatives will provide overview of matrix

content and answer questions to support discussion and increase common

understanding of matrix information. (40 min)

3. Discussion will include a brief brainstorm of how the matrix tool can be used and next

steps in 2016‐2017. (20 min)
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TIME TOPIC

9:15 – 10:15 Meteorology – Todd Carter, National Weather Service – Meteorologist,  Spokane Office

 2015 Wildfire Season in Review

 Wildfire Predictions for 2016

 New Tools



Presentation 45 min    Q&A 15 min

Purpose: Furnish a meteorological assessment of the 2015 fire season and provide a fire

weather forecast for 2016. Provide update on meteorological tools and resources available

through the National Weather Service.  

10:15 – 10:35 Break

10:35 – 11:00 Wildland Fire Leadership Council – Mike Zupko, Executive Manager, Wildland Fire Leadership

Council

Presentation: 15 min    Q&A:  10 min

Purpose: Describe the Wildland Fire Leadership Council, who is on the council, their mission,

and current projects.  

11:00 – 11:20 Update on the Washington Prescribed Fire Council – Kara Karboski, Administrative

Coordinator, Washington Prescribed Fire Council

Presentation: 15 min    Q&A:  5 min

Purpose: Provide a status report on the Washington Prescribed Fired Council and the work

they are doing.  

11:20 – 11:50 Prescribed Fire WA Legislative Update – Reese Lolley, Director of Forest Restoration and Fire,

Nature Conservancy & Chair, Washington Prescribed Fire Council  

Presentation: 20 min    Q&A:  10 min

Purpose: Provide an update on prescribed fire legislation currently being considered in

Washington State.

11:50 – 12:00 Wrap‐up and adjourn

Thank you for attending the 2016 Northwest Smoke Management Meeting.  Safe travels.

Break Presentations

 Handheld/ personal air quality monitors – Steve Scott, EPA R10, and Kris Ray, Colville Tribes.  Demonstration

table near break area.  

 Smoke Intrusion matrix tool posted in room near break area.

o Reminder:  Participant Pre‐work – Before our meeting, please review the Smoke Intrusion matrix and

be prepared to ask questions and discuss. On Monday and Tuesday, please provide comments on the

posted matrix to improve the tool. (On your own)  
2016 Smoke Management in the Northwest Participants List (3/14‐16/16)

Idaho DEQ

Idaho Department of Lands

Spokane Clean Air

Washington Dept. of Ecology

Washington Dept. of Natural Resources

Oregon DEQ

Oregon Department of Forestry

Spokane Tribe

Colville Tribe

Quinalt Tribe

Nez Perce Tribe

Kootenai Tribe

Couer d’Alene Tri be

Shoshone Bannock Tribe

Warm Springs Tribe

Yakama Tribe

Umatilla Tribe

USFS (Region 6, Region 1, Headquarters, Pacific Northwest Research Lab, Local Forests)

National Park Service

WESTAR

EPA (Region 10, Region 8, OAQPS)

Safe Air for Everyone

National Weather Service

Washington Prescribed Fire Council

Washington Public Health

Nature Conservancy

Wildland Fire Leadership Council

University of Idaho

Washington State University

Walla Walla County Commission

Kittitas County Environmental Health