VZCZCXRO2669
RR RUEHAST RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM
DE RUEHBR #1396/01 2971750
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231750Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2716
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 7162
RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN 1600
RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO 1675
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 8616
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 2953
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 6780
RUEHC/DOI WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DOJ WASHDC
RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 001396 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS USAID TO LAC/RSD, LAC/SAM, G/ENV, PPC/ENV 
USDA FOR FOREST SERVICE: MICHELLE ZWEEDE 
INTERIOR FOR DIR INT AFFAIRS: K WASHBURN 
INTERIOR FOR FWS: TOM RILEY 
INTERIOR FOR NPS: JONATHAN PUTNAM 
INTERIOR PASS USGS FOR INTERNATIONAL:JWEAVER 
JUSTICE ENVIRONMENT NATURALRESOURCES: JWEBB 
EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL: CAM HILL-MACON 
USDA FOR ARS/INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH:GFLANLEY 
NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL: HAROLD STOLBERG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EAGR EAID TBIO ECON SOCI XR BR
SUBJECT: U.S. FOREST SERVICE COLLABORATION ADVANCES BRAZILIAN FOREST 
FIRE MANAGEMENT 
 
BRASILIA 00001396  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.  Following a two-week workshop lead by U.S. Forest Service (USFS) 
experts, the Brazilian Center for Forest Fire Fighting and 
Prevention (PREVFOGO/IBAMA) agreed to take the lead in forming a 
National Wildfire Coordination Group, which will be responsible for 
elaborating and implementing a Brazilian Incident Command System. 
Improvement of resource efficiency and constructive inter-agency 
engagement in forest fire fighting and prevention are critical needs 
for Brazil, a country where forest fires currently account for 75% 
of its greenhouse gas emissions. USFS continued collaboration and 
assistance with institutional strengthening will be critical to 
moving these plans forward.  END SUMMARY 
 
--------------------------------------- 
HISTORY OF USFS COLLABORATION IN BRAZIL 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  Since 1991, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Brazilian 
Government have had an excellent collaborative program focused on 
exchanging experiences with fire management, sustainable forest 
management, forest administration and the conservation of 
biodiversity.  The Brazilian Natural Resources Agency (IBAMA) has 
been a primary USFS partner since an implementing arrangement (MOU) 
was first signed in 1992.  The collaboration has produced beneficial 
results for both countries and established long-lasting professional 
and personal relationships between Brazilian and U.S. natural 
resource managers and scientists. 
 
¶3.  In the spring of 2007, the Brazilian Center for Forest Fire 
Fighting and Prevention (PREVFOGO/IBAMA) requested assistance from 
the USFS to facilitate Brazilian formation of a program similar to 
the U.S. National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG).  This group 
would provide the umbrella coordination for all agencies involved in 
forest fire management in Brazil, in order to maximize resource 
efficiency and build constructive inter-agency engagement.  NOTE: 
PREVFOGO is responsible for protecting the country's natural 
protected areas from fire; when a fire takes place in an Indigenous 
Reserve, for example, the agency responsible (FUNAI) does not have a 
coordinated incident response plan with any other agency but instead 
relies on help from PREVFOGO.  This lack of a structured response 
has seriously affected the efficiency of fire fighting and has led 
to unnecessary human and ecological losses. END NOTE. 
 
¶4.  The threat of increased forest fires due to land use change and 
global climate change, predicted to decrease rainfall patterns and 
increase temperatures, is a serious concern for Brazil, which is 
currently ranked as the fourth highest greenhouse gases emitting 
nation(75% due to fires).  NOTE: Despite the GOB having recognized 
the importance of forest fire fighting and prevention, the recently 
launched National Climate Change Plan focuses on reducing 
deforestation without explicit reference to fighting fires.  As was 
debated throughout the workshop, deforestation is a more interesting 
theme for media attention.  END NOTE. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
DEVELOPING A BRAZILIAN INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶5.  Between September 29 and October 10, three USFS experts (Jacque 
Buchanan - Forest Supervisor of the Lincoln National Forest in New 
Mexico; Paul Schmidtke - Chief for Cooperative Fire Programs for the 
US Forest Service in Washington DC; and Hugh Safford - senior 
vegetation ecologist for the Forest Service's Pacific Southwest 
Region) traveled to Brazil to discuss strategies for wildfire 
prevention and inter-agency fire coordination in a workshop setting, 
with the following specific objectives: 1) analyze the 
infrastructure and organization of Brazilian agencies involved in 
forest fire fighting ; 2) provide information on the organization 
 
BRASILIA 00001396  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
and operation of the USFS forest fire management program; and 3) 
assist Brazilian partners in developing measures to improve the 
organization, standardization, and efficiency of the Brazilian 
forest fire fighting and prevention system.  The Regional 
Environmental HUB Office assisted with workshop organization and 
implementation; USAID/Brazil financially supported the workshop. 
 
¶6.  The workshop brought together representatives from different 
Brazilian governmental and non-governmental institutions to debate 
the appropriate structure for forest fire fighting and prevention in 
Brazil.  The targeted outcomes of the workshop were twofold: 
 
--To develop a standardized, integrated, interagency three-tier 
system for forest fire fighting and prevention in Brazil, at 
Federal, State, and Local levels; and 
 
--To develop a standardized forest fire incident response system. 
 
¶7.  An Incident Command System (ICS) is a standardized, on-scene, 
all-hazard incident management concept used in the United States, as 
well as in other countries worldwide.  ICS creates a flexible, 
scalable response organization providing a common framework within 
which people can work together effectively, providing standardized 
operating procedures and responses, with reduced potential for 
miscommunication.  ICS staff may be drawn from multiple agencies 
that do not routinely work together. 
 
----------------------------------- 
NEXT STEPS: PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  At the conclusion of the two-week workshop, a path forward was 
established that will lead the way toward improved Brazilian 
inter-agency coordination.  As part of the time-line drafted, 
PREVFOGO agreed to define participants for the three-tiered, 
inter-agency coordination group by December 2008.  In May 2009, 
PREVFOGO is planning to arrange for signature of an Interagency 
Agreement officially creating a National Wildfire Coordination 
Group.  The Coordination Group is expected to create and/or 
strengthen State and Local coordination groups by May 2010.  NOTE: 
Nearly every Brazilian state has a coordination group established, 
but only Minas Gerais state seems to be advanced enough to 
coordinate a forest fire response efficiently. END NOTE. 
 
¶9.  According to the time-line, the Brazilian National Coordination 
Group will set standards for a Brazilian Incident Command System 
(BICS) by December 2009.  In May 2010 the roles within this BICS 
will be well-defined and standardized nationwide; a data bank of 
personnel qualified to carry out each role will be created and 
accessed nationwide. 
 
¶10.  In addition, by May 2010, a standardized incident reporting 
system will be established using a Web platform that will enable 
posting of information on fire and shared data. 
 
¶11.  COMMENT: USFS's continued active support of these efforts would 
increase the prospects for Brazil to meet the ambitious deadlines 
the GOB has set for itself.  Post believes that it would be valuable 
to have technical experts from the USFS return for the First Meeting 
of the Brazilian National Wildfire Coordination Group in May 2009 in 
order to identify what type of assistance and institutional 
strengthening will be needed to create the Brazilian Incident 
Command System.  END COMMENT. 
 
SOBEL