HELENA — Montana DNRC Forester and Forestry Division Administrator Sonya Germann has been selected to serve on the Presidential Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission.
“It is imperative that the State of Montana be part of the national dialogue about improving the health and viability of our forests while reducing wildfire risk,” said DNRC Director Amanda Kaster. “We are pleased Sonya has been selected to serve on the Commission. She is an effective and well-respected leader with a commitment to finding solutions to address our forest health crisis. She will do an excellent job advocating on behalf of Montanans.”
The Presidential Commission was established with the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The group will play a key role in recommending ways that federal agencies can better prevent, mitigate, suppress, and manage wildland fires. They will also develop policy recommendations and strategies that can be utilized to restore lands affected by wildfire.
A native of Ennis, Germann has headed the DNRC Forestry Division since April 2018. She first went to work for DNRC in 2004 as a part-time staff person in the Forestry Division’s seedling nursery. In 2007, she was hired full-time as a planner in the Trust Lands Division’s Forest Management Bureau. She was promoted to chief of that bureau in 2012.
The USDA “Confronting the Wildfire Crisis” is a 10-year strategy to squarely address the wildfire crisis in the places where it poses the most immediate threats to communities. The strategy calls for treating millions of acres of national forests, state, local, Tribal, and private lands. The Commission will play a critical role in the successful outcome of this challenge.
“The USDA findings and strategies align nicely with the Montana Forest Action Plan and will create additional opportunities for reducing wildland fire risk to our communities and infrastructure. We look forward to the development of actionable steps to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health,” said Kaster.
The first meeting of the commission has yet to be announced.
