MPFC 24th Annual Meeting Notes - Feb 7, 2024

Social Hour and Silent Auction at Burning Issues Workshop 2024

Attendance

Online: Bruce Miller, Cathay Mathews, Becky Hand, Joel Campbell, John, Jack McGowan-Stinski, Natasha Sokolow, Glenn Palmgren, Mike Smalligan, Julie McLaughlin

In-Person: Amy Frye, Jarod Reibel, Stephanie Diep, Travis Wilcoz, Jeffery Plakke, Lee Osterland, Ben Savoie, Craig Maier, Steve Woods, Michele Richards, Paul MacNellis, Mark Sargent, Jacob Gowkowski, Kyle Martin, Tyler Allyn-White, Daniel Judd, Briant Eddy, Dave Crockett, Dave Borneman, Ryan Koziatek




Members

Acknowledgement of long-term and new members.

If you are a long-term member and did not appear in this list or you would like to become a member, please fill out the form at firecouncil.org/connect and join our email list as well. Membership is free. 


Leadership Positions

Amy Frye steps down from Chair.

Jarod Reibel steps up from Vice Chair to Chair.

Amy Frye nominates Ben Savoie, Barry Conservation District - District Forester for Vice Chair

Jarod Reibel seconds the motion. 

Unanimous aye by attending Steering Committee members.

Strategic Plan

Mark Sargent reveals the final draft of the five year strategic plan (2024-2029). Rounds of comments from inside and outside entities have occurred. Edits have been adopted including a statement to emphasize the value in collaborating with tribal entities. More work to be done to flesh out a tribal recognition statement outside of this plan. 



Paul MacNellis proposed motion to adopt document in current state.



Michele Richards seconds the motion.



Unanimous aye by attending Steering Committee members.



Comments from members to keep up accountability with this document with regular reviews during quarterly and annual meetings. All subcommittees and members should refer to the strategic plan when making decisions for focus of programs and outreach.



Dates for Quarterly Meetings 2024

Continue with hybrid meetings, rotating the in-person meeting around the state. 


2nd Tuesdays from 11am-2pm, hosting locations may choose to serve food for lunch any costs should be charged directly to in-person attendees by the host or absorbed by the host, MPFC will provide hosts with RSVP numbers for in-person attendees prior to the event (on average 5-20 people)

March 12: Lansing, MI (Andy Hendrickson) 


June 11: TBD (Mt Pleasant, Huron Pines, Ann Arbor, or Washtenaw)

Sept 10: Upper Peninsula (Amy Frye)

Dec 10: SW MI Edward Lowe Foundation (Jarod Reibel)



Updates from Subcommittees

Education and Outreach (Tina Stephens)

  • An form has been created to accept applications for organizations to partner with MPFC to host Learn & Burns. MPFC may be able to provide funds from the Forest to MI Faucet grant over the next 3 years to assist with outreach, training, and public fire demonstrations. The grant focus is on reaching private landowners to inform them of how managing forest ecosystems with prescribed fire helps water quality. 

  • Anyone interested in partnering for an event or helping with the grant can contact Tina or Stephanie Diep (info@firecouncil.org) 



Training Subcommittee (Steve Woods)

  • MOU sent out by Huron Pines for collaboration to support fire trainings for non-agency folks to increase trained/experienced workforce capacity since many individuals need NWCG certifications and live fire training experiences for task book sign offs

  • MPFC has signed onto the MOU, several agencies are reviewing the MOU with plans to sign it including Fish and Wildlife Services, MI DNR Forest Service, USDA NRCS, Michigan Army National Guard

  • Once agencies sign on it will be open to all organizations to sign on in batches

  • The Northern Michigan Fire Collaborative is working on collaboration for trainings and fire implementation between non-profits, tribes, and other organizations in that region.

  • Huron Pines will be hosting a FFT2 training on May 30, max capacity of 30 registrants, details will be distributed by MPFC once ready

  • May 5 a FFT2 field day will be offered in the southern lower peninsula for TREX participants and open to non-TREX folks as well. Details will be distributed once ready.



Updates from Members



Ryan Koziatek, Kalamazoo Nature Center

  • KNC received a USDA Forest Service Grant that will be used to hire a Fire Specialist position tasked with discussing/exploring what it would take to build a successful SW MI Fire Collaborative to increase fire capacity with strategic planning and long-term funding.

  • The grant also has an emphasis on mapping private lands in SW MI (maybe beyond if feasible) to assess fire needs and climate impacts

  • Part of the grant will also fund a shared fire equipment/tool cache for SW MI



Tyler Allyn-White, Ottawa County Parks

  • Tyler hopes to build a burn team program for Ottawa County Parks and appreciates any insight other members can share on how to get this started



Stephanie Diep, Kalamazoo Nature Center

  • The exhibits staff at KNC attended Burning Issues last year and wanted to extend their gratitude for the wealth of information they received that helped inform the Fire: Rekindling Land and People exhibit. Feb 7, 2024 is the last day that this exhibit is open. If you mentioned you are from MPFC or Burning Issues, you can get in for free today to see the exhibit. 





SUBMIT EVENT OR TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

"An interagency firefighting team aided by a fire drone conducted a highly successful prescribed burn in central Wisconsin on Department of Defense land, April 11. ...Traditionally, there are two main methods for prescribed burns, hand ignition
The FIRST NE-MW Regional Prescribed Fire Science and Management Workshop will be held in Madison, Wisconsin at The Madison Concourse hotel on August 29 – 31, 2023. Sponsored by the Northeast Regional Strategy Committee (NE RSC), a regional org
"The Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC), established in April 2002 by the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to provide an intergovernmental committee to support the implementation and coordination of Federal Fire Management Policy
"Tribal officials from three Chippewa Bands signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Forest Service this week to provide for co-stewardship and protection of “treaty-reserved rights under the 1854 Treaty” across the m
Large burn sites in forested areas are ideal for morel mushroom hunting, especially in burned areas where jack, white or red pine once grew. Grassy and other non forest areas are not as likely to produce morels. The MI DNR have put together a map of