Governance
Reimagining Fire Policy to
Work for the Most-Impacted Communities
We must recenter long-term solutions to ensure the health and quality of our landscapes.
Rooted in Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Accountable to the Most-Impacted Communities
Created by the next Generation for Generations to Come
We believe this transformation depends on Indigenous and youth voices in policy to design a shift that is:
Growing Tribal Youth Power in Policy
Above: FireGen Director Ryan Reed, Tribal Inclusion Co-Chair and youngest member of the Northwest Forest Plan Federal Advisory Committee.
Recommendations Passed By
Federal Committee
FireGen directly shaped the following Federal Advisory Committee
consensus-built recommendations
to the U.S. Forest Service in the amendments process:
1-16: Recognize and support cultural burning as an inherent Tribal right
1-29: Foster learning and circulate opportunities for Tribal youth
1-77: Make cultural burn liaisons available to uphold treaty and trust responsibilities
1-105: Initiate and partner on public education curriculum and standards that address climate resilience, fire ecology, and Indigenous sovereignty
2-12: Create staff positions to foster educational partnerships and student trainings
2-15: Grow student fire experiences and work pathways
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passed with Committee consensus, supported by our Director Ryan’s advocacy and efforts, and that of key committee colleagues.
TRIBAL INCLUSION AMENDMENTS
If implemented, these amendments would shift tribal access, rights, and decision-making on lands encompassed by the Northwest Forest Plan.
FireGen, Brumidi Group, and Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition members joined in DC. They are pictured in front of the Rayburn Building, after engaging with offices from the House of Representatives regarding existing Tribal and workforce policy.
Thanks to supportive funds, FireGen was able to hire Meredith Jacobson to work with Ryan Reed on amendment recommendations for the Northwest Forest Plan! Ryan and Meredith worked to construct great achievements in the NWFP Amendment process.
Good governance processes include meaningful, two-way knowledge sharing with local community. FireGen organized a social hour in Eugene, Oregon focused on the Northwest Forest Plan. Over 40 people showed up! Visiting committee members met with and learned from the community.
FireGen's policy and research leads take on Washington DC in the Fall 2025.
FireGen representatives Ayuthea LaPier and Kyle Trefny were invited to join wildfire leaders from around the country at the National Wildfire Summit! We discussed the On Fire Report from the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, which included FireGen recommendations, as well as needed actions for fire resilience workforces and tribal sovereignty.
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We organized for the appointing of our Director, Indigenous fire practitioner and firefighter Ryan Reed (Karuk, Hupa, Yurok), as the public voice on the Northwest Forest Plan Federal Advisory Committee. This committee will make recommendations for the future of national forests across Indigenous lands in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. The area includes Ryan’s ancestral homelands.
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We initiated the creation of a Next Generation Panel for the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, one of the first youth panels ever consulted in this kind of federal process. We focused our representation on the panel around Indigenous sovereignty, workforce development, and addressing hostile cultural elements for underrepresented communities in fire management.
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Among hundreds of submissions, multiple FireGen policy recommendations were accepted to the Final Report of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission. These recommendations focused on expanding fire education and training for young people in schools, developing standards for the fire workforce to understand Indigenous sovereignty, and taking down barriers to the accessibility of fire qualifications.
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We brought together experts, professional organizations, and student groups from over 25 states to call on federal land management agencies to establish formal representation for young people in fire and land management policy.
Read our Letter to National Leaders.
