FUSEE’s Monthly Newsletter

October 2024

In this issue:

• Tribal Inclusion Requires Fire Inclusion in the NWFP

• Submit Your Application for the Wildland Firefighter Mindfulness Retreat

• Get your FUSEE Party Tickets Today!

• Behind the Flames: Notes from Fire Season

• Fire Ecology Hike Success

Tribal Inclusion Requires Fire Inclusion

in the Northwest Forest Plan

A Yurok Tribal member observes a cultural burn, credit Cultural Fire Management Council

After travelling over 2,200 miles attending Federal Advisory Committee (FAC) meetings over the last 10 months, FUSEE finally succeeded in getting the USFS to include wildland fire use (a.k.a. "managed wildfire") in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Northwest Forest Plan Amendment (NWFP). From the outset, the agency ruled this to be "outside the scope" of their plan as they intended to continue their policy of attempted fire exclusion and aggressive fire suppression on all wildfires. But the megafires over the past 30 years demonstrates this to be a futile strategy, and aggressive suppression entails igniting high-intensity backfires during severe weather conditions. This causes high mortality of the old-growth forests that such aggressive firefighting tactics are supposed to "protect."

FUSEE persisted, advocating for inclusion of wildland fire use in public testimony at each FAC meeting, and speaking with individual FAC members during their meeting breaks. At the meeting in Eugene, over a dozen FUSEE supporters gave eloquent public testimony urging the agency to end its fire exclusion paradigm. One speaker, a Karuk Tribal elder and father of FAC member Ryan Reed (FireGen's program director), gave a heart-wrenching appeal to agency officials, declaring that fire suppression was causing eco-cultural genocide of his people. The FAC's Tribal inclusion policy recommendations repeatedly argue for authorizing Indigenous cultural burning and managed wildfire use.

At the last FAC meeting the agency relented, and agreed that fire use will be included in the DEIS. This represents a major opportunity for educating the public about ecological fire use and shifting the agency away from its fire exclusion/suppression practices. We are hopeful that a fair analysis of the risks and benefits of managing wildfires for ecosystem and resource benefits will be in the DEIS, but we'll see. This issue will be the focus of FUSEE's efforts to rally public comments. Regardless, FUSEE intends to hold the agency's feet to the fire for including more ecological fire use in forests management. Our motto is: “Tribal inclusion requires fire inclusion!"

Reminder: Submit Your Application for the Wildland Firefighter Mindfulness Retreat

Firefighter meditating by a river, by Crackyl Magazine

Time is running out to secure your spot for FUSEE’s Inaugural Wildland Firefighter Mindfulness Retreat from January 14–29, 2025! This 6-day retreat will offer tools to launch a meditation practice, invite rest and renewal, and offer trauma-sensitive training led by expert facilitators. There are still a few spots available. 

If you haven’t yet submitted your application, we encourage you to do so soon. The retreat is free to low-cost, making it accessible to those who need it most. LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC firefighters encouraged to apply. 

Also, please share this with any firefighter friends or colleagues who might benefit from this life-changing experience! Applications close soon, and there are only 24 spots available.

This month, we’re again offering a free short guided 11 minute meditation from our expert facilitators which is a perfect way to start your meditation journey. This meditation focuses on the theme of “Resolve to Begin,” and you can listen to it by following this link. It discusses tools specifically for you, firefighters, and how everything in your life can be a practice in presence and awareness.

We look forward to your retreat application and hope to see you in January! Any questions about the event or looking to sponsor a participant? Email helena@fusee.org.

Reminder: Get your tickets today for FUSEE’s 20th Anniversary Party & Fundraiser!

Behind the Flames:

Taylor Wolf, Wildland Firefighter

As promised this summer, here are some notes from the field:

Meet Taylor Wolf, a second-year firefighter with Oregon Woods who’s breaking the mold. Taylor appreciates his team for fostering a less hierarchical and more inclusive work culture, something rare in the often tough, militaristic world of wildfire.

Above: photo from the field in Idaho at the Bird Creek Fire. Below: Ichneumon wasp; both by Taylor Wolf

While the physical demands are extreme, Taylor emphasizes the mental hurdles—long days with no privacy can lead to interpersonal struggles. His solution? Mindfulness and teamwork. He believes more mental health tools should be available to firefighters, both on and off the field.

However, behind the adrenaline and camaraderie lies a deeper issue: the politics of fire. Taylor entered firefighting with ecological goals, only to be disillusioned by how economic factors and timber interests often dictate fire response priorities such as protecting timber production over other ecological interests. It's not just about fighting fires—it's about who benefits.

Taylor’s story shows the complex layers of wildland firefighting, from life-threatening risks to ethical dilemmas. It's a challenging, deeply rewarding career, but one that deserves scrutiny beyond the flames.

Curious about becoming a firefighter? Taylor says, "If you're thinking about it, do it." But be prepared for a journey that’s as mentally taxing as it is physically demanding.

Interested in a job in fire or forestry? Check out FireUp’s online job platform to search for a job where fire and forestry jobs are reimagined. If you’re already a firefighter and interested in mental health support, learn about the upcoming wildland firefighter mindfulness retreat above!

Fire Ecology Hike Success

Hike participants at the recent fire ecology hike,
photos by Helena Virga

FUSEE’s Engagement Director, Helena, had a blast partnering with Chandra LeGue of Oregon Wild to lead a fire ecology hike. FUSEE and Oregon Wild supporters from across Oregon explored an area of the McKenzie River to learn about post- fire ecology. This area was burned in the 2021 Knoll Fire and offered views into how a landscape regenerates after a fire. 

Participants learned about fire-adapted species, the importance of the pioneer species fireweed post fire, and got to connect about their love of fire and the benefits it provides to the forests from the canopies down to the charcoal in the soil. 

FUSEE’s guided hikes are done for the season, but we hope to see YOU at our Oregon hikes in the spring.

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