Enclosed please find a proposed agenda and supporting pre-work materials for the conference call scheduled for the Intergovernmental Advisory Committee (IAC) from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on September 10, 2002. As previously explained in an e-mail message sent to all committee members, the conference call has been set up in lieu of the in-person IAC meeting that had been scheduled for September 10 as a result of unusually high Federal wildfire fighting costs that have been incurred this fire season and resultant travel limitations that have had to be imposed by the Forest Service. I apologize for any inconvenience the change may have caused and thank you for your understanding and willingness to be flexible under the circumstances. To participate in the call, please phone the conference line reserved for the call, which is 208-334-9840. (If you would prefer to have the REO call you, please notify us and we will accommodate your request.)

If you have questions about the meeting or enclosed materials, please contact me or REO Management Analyst Kath Collier (503-808-2179). I look forward to talking to you next week.

Enclosures:

• Proposed Agenda and Prework Materials for IAC conference call scheduled for 09/10/02

cc: Presenters, REO, & PAC DFOs

1754/kc

Intergovernmental Advisory Committee Distribution List

Intergovernmental Advisory Committee Conference Call
September 10, 2002 - 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Conference Line Phone Number: 208-334-9840

PROPOSED AGENDA

AGENDA TOPIC OVERVIEW

AGENDA TOPIC OVERVIEW

Presenter/Sponsor: Steve Odell

REO Contact/Phone: Kath Collier/503-808-2166

Topic: Recent Federal Changes in Committee Composition

Issue Statement: The Regional Interagency Executive Committee (RIEC) (and Federal portion of the IAC) have recently undergone a series of changes in membership, as follows: Elaine M. Brong is the new State Director of the Oregon/Washington Office of the Bureau of Land Management, and will assume the duties of Chair of the RIEC and IAC at least until the end of the present fiscal year. Her predecessor, Elaine Zielinski, has accepted a position as the State Director of the BLM's Arizona State Office in Phoenix. Linda Goodman is serving as Acting Regional Forester for Region 6 of the Forest Service. The previous occupant of that position, Harv Forsgren, is now Regional Forester for Region 4, headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In addition, Nancy Graybeal, who has served the RIEC and IAC in many capacities since their origination, has been selected as a new Deputy Chief of the Forest Service, but fortunately will still be stationed in Portland. Bob Szaro has been selected as Acting PNW Research Station Director. The former station director, Tom Mills, is now Forest Service Deputy Chief in charge of Business Operations (covering Acquisition, Financial, Human Resource and Information Resource Management). Colonel Richard W. Hobernicht is the new District Engineer for the Portland District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Colonel Hobernicht previously served as Executive Officer to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. His predecessor, Colonel Randy Butler, has been assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, as the new Director of Public Works. We offer heartfelt thanks to our departing committee members for their commitment and many valuable contributions to the IAC over the years, as well as best wishes to them in their exciting future endeavors, and also enthusiastically welcome our new members!

AGENDA TOPIC OVERVIEW

AGENDA TOPIC OVERVIEW

Presenter/Sponsor/REO Contact/Phone: Steve Odell/503-808-2166

Topic: Response to Several IAC Recommendations on Committee Roles & Operations

Issue Statement: To provide feedback on several major pieces of input received at the May 2002 IAC meeting as to the future uses, roles, purposes, composition, etc. of the committee

Background: At the May 2002 IAC meeting, committee members were asked to provide input on potential options for future uses, roles, purposes, composition, etc. of the committee. Many insightful thoughts and ideas were generated during this exercise, and the federal executives indicated that they would consider and follow up on the input by providing feedback to the IAC on some of the principal points that emerged during the discussions.

Analysis and Options: As a follow-up to the May 2002 IAC meeting, at its June 2002 meeting the RIEC discussed and agreed on an integrated, broadly framed response to three principal items of non-Federal input, as follows: (1) Number and Frequency of IAC Meetings; (2) Sequence of RIEC and IAC meetings, and specific suggestion to have a non-Federal IAC member attend a portion of RIEC meetings; and (3) Request for greater and clearer feedback and communications more generally. In particular, the RIEC responded as follows: First, the RIEC agreed that plans to implement the proposal to reduce to three the number of full IAC meetings a year should continue, with the provisos that: (1) the REO coordinate with the IAC to host conference calls on time-sensitive issues on which IAC input would prove useful to the RIEC that arise between in-person meetings; and (2) greater use be made of IAC subcommittees (both standing and ad hoc) and subcommittee meetings to facilitate the ability of smaller subsets of the IAC's membership to focus on relevant issues in a timely manner that may not be of interest or relevance to the full committee. A preference was expressed for having non-Federal members serve as chairs of the IAC subcommittees that are formed. This supplemented proposal will be discussed at a future IAC meeting to provide an opportunity for additional non-Federal feedback before the RIEC makes a final determination on formally adjusting the IAC meeting schedule and establishing a regular periodicity for IAC meetings. Second, the RIEC declined to adopt two specific suggestions proffered as a part of the advice provided by IAC members with a goal of improving the synthesis and transmittal to the RIEC of IAC input, namely: (1) to change the sequence of RIEC and IAC meetings such that the IAC meeting is held first; and (2) to have a non-Federal IAC member attend RIEC meetings. Nevertheless, the RIEC declared its support for undertaking reforms to more effectively achieve the purposes sought to be served by the suggestions, and indicated that it would like to see such reforms include more meaningful opportunities for non-Federal IAC members to assume greater responsibility and involvement in the committee's functioning and operations. Some of the ideas aired in this regard included having a non-Federal IAC member take the lead in synthesizing and presenting the principal themes and points arising from non-Federal members' aggregate input and/or providing time during IAC meetings for non-Federal "break-out" sessions during which non-Federal committee members could consolidate and prioritize major points of advice for presentation to Federal executives before the IAC meeting's close. Third, the RIEC made clear its desire to be responsive to the IAC's requests for greater and clearer feedback to be provided from the RIEC to the IAC and for better communication more generally between Federal and non-Federal officials concerning IAC business. One specific item endorsed in this vein was the REO's recommendation that a general practice be adopted of providing a response to non-Federal IAC input no later than the IAC meeting following the one at which the input is solicited. The RIEC also asked the REO to continue to work on improving the timeliness and methods of communication with non-Federal IAC members.

Action Required: __IAC Review & Discussion           ____IAC Recommendation RIEC Decision X                       Other: Feedback