Commissioners

Authority is given for the Northeastern Forest Fire Protection Compact to be directed by appointed commissioners under Article III of Public Law #129 – 81^st Congress where it states that:

"Each state joining herein shall appoint three representatives to a Commission hereby designated as the Northeastern Forest Fire Protection Commission."

The mandate of the Commission is to promote effective prevention and control of forest fires in the northeastern region of the United States and adjacent areas in Canada.

Any adjacent state or, with the approval of Congress, any adjacent Canadian province. Commissioner membership currently represents:

Connecticut • Bureau of Indian Affairs • Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) • Maine • Massachusetts • New Brunswick • Newfoundland and Labrador • New Hampshire • New York • Nova Scotia • Prince Edward Island • Québec (MSP and SOPFEU) • Rhode Island • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • U.S. National Park Service • USDA Forest Service (WMNF and GMNF) • Vermont

Note: The U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. National Park Service, Fire Department of NYC, and Bureau of Indian Affairs are Associate Members. Each appoints two (2) non-voting Commissioners.

The articles of the Compact (Article III) call for 3 Commissioners from each agency. For the U.S. membership, Commissioners for each agency will be:

• The State Forester, Fire Control officer ex-officio, or equivalent;
• A legislative member or equivalent; and
• A representative of the Governor or equivalent.

For Canadian membership, each agency will designate three (3) Commissioners who will approximate the pattern associated with the U.S. selection. Associate members appoint two (2) non-voting commissioners.

• Develop integrated forest fire plans.
• Maintain adequate forest fire fighting services by member agencies.
• Provide for mutual aid in fighting forest fires and procedures that will facilitate such mutual aid.
• Establish a central agency to coordinate the services of the member agencies and to perform such common services as the member agencies request.

• To ascertain methods, practices and circumstances for bringing about prevention and control of forest fires.
• To coordinate the forest fire plans and work of the member agencies.
• To facilitate the sending and receiving of mutual aid.
• To formulate and revise a regional forest fire plan to serve as a common fire plan for the region.
• To recommend to the Governors and Legislatures/Parliaments measures to promote the purpose of the Compact.
• Recommend to the member agencies any and all measures that will effect the prevention and control of forest fires.