On March 24, 2008, the Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC) approved the modifications to the "Interagency Strategy for the Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy (2003)" and directed the agencies to proceed with implementation. As part of implementation, WFLC included a requirement to have a Communication Plan. This Plan outlines a strategy for implementing modifications by providing consistent language and understanding of the proposed modifications across internal and external audiences and partners, providing consistent messages to convey to affected audiences, and focus on pilot units to build capacity to effectively develop understanding with local key publics, partners, and employees.

The Nature Conservancy, National Association of State Foresters and Society of American Foresters urge the Conference Committee to adopt the House figure for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) eradication and control programs targeting the emerald ash borer and the Senate figure for the Asian longhorned beetle. Both insects are highly damaging pests of trees and forests that threaten forest and amenity trees and related economic activities worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

Currently there is no consistent, uniform format or process for collecting wildland fire occurence data among federal, state and local jurisdictions. The Federal Wildland Fire Policy requires the federal fire agencies to develop a common format for their fire reports. To date, they have made little progress and continue to rely on separate, independent systems.

Over the past several years, new guidelines for the Conservation Reserve Program and the Wetland Reserve Program have been issued which discourage the planting of forest stands, and encourage the creation of forest edge habitat through the planting of thin, understocked stands of trees and shrubs. Many of these low-density plantings fail or perform poorly. This reflects poorly on the forestry profession and is a poor investment of public and private funds.

FEMA disaster declarations have historically focused on single events; and multiple fire situations can and do develop into significant natural disasters across this nation