Desautel appointed to federal wildfire commission

Colville Confederated Tribes Natural Resources Director Cody Desautel is one of 47 people, selected from 500 applicants, appointed to the new federal Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission.

The U.S.  Departments of Agriculture, the Interior and Homeland Security through the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced the selections on July 7. 

The commission will “play a key role in recommending ways that federal agencies can better prevent, mitigate, suppress, and manage wildland fires. It will also recommend policies and strategies on how to restore the lands affected by wildfire,” according to the USDA website. 

“The commission brings together members from federal agencies, Tribes, state and local municipalities, and private entities from across the nation,” a July 19 press release from the Washington State Department of Commerce states. 

Other appointees from Washington include Energy Emergency Management Director Eli King of the DOC, and Hazard Mitigation Officer Tim Cook of the Washington State Emergency Management Division.

“We know commission members from Washington will contribute valuable energy resilience and fire management recommendations to the final report,” Commerce Director Lisa Brown said. 

“Every year, fire seasons last longer, cause more damage to infrastructure and homes, and strain the already limited firefighting resources throughout the West,” King said. “We must invest in energy resilience planning and collaborating across regions to manage and mitigate these impacts.”

“The commission will recommend equipment needs for aerial firefighting and provide input restoring land affected by wildfire,” the press release states. “The commission will also prepare a report with policy recommendations for Congress.”