Due to the 2015 fires within North Central Idaho, a multi-agency post-fire recovery group was created in order to coordinate resources and develop a recovery strategy.

The group consists of four committees; Leadership, Administrative, Outreach and Technical.

• The Leadership Committee is chaired by Steve Becker, Director of Division II/Idaho Association of Soil Conservation Districts. Other members include elected officials from each of the five counties and soil and water conservation districts and agency managers from USDA Forest Service, USDOI Bureau of Land Management, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Idaho Department of Lands, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, University of Idaho Cooperative Extension, Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission and the Nez Perce Tribe. The leadership committee is designed to encompass the decision-makers for each of the participating public entities and have authority to commit staff and resources to the regional process.


• The Administrative Committee is in the formation stage as the inventory and assessment process produces information that can be used to develop county-level and regional strategies to address the natural resource issues associated with the 2015 fire season. The committee coordinator is Ken Stinson, Latah SWCD.


• The Outreach Committee is in the formation stage as the inventory and assessment process produces information that can be used to inform the public and land managers about the fire restoration needs. The outreach committee facilitates communication regarding the work that is completed by the WRG. The committee coordinator is Elayne Murphy.


• The Technical Committee (TC) is an interdisciplinary team with a mix of skills vital to development of a post-fire inventory and assessment. The technical committee coordinator reports to the leadership committee on the progress and needs of the technical committee. The technical committee’s role is to create an inventory and assessment of post-fire restoration needs within an eight fire area with emphasis on private lands. The technical committee is comprised of subject matter experts in soils, range, hydrology, vegetation, roads, forestry, fire processes, and emergency management. Participants include scientists from local, state, tribal, and federal land management agencies. The committee coordinator is Lynn Rasmussen, Nez Perce SWCD.

Group Organization Fact Sheet