Davis, Emily JaneAbrams, JesseWollstein, KatherineMeacham, James E.Steingisser, Alethea Y., 1970-Cerveny, Lee K.2017-10-262017-10-262017https://hdl.handle.net/1794/229482 pagesWildfires are growing in size, frequency, and severity across rangelands in the U.S. West. Although fire is a natural component of sagebrush steppe ecosystems, it can also threaten values such as sage-grouse habitat, forage for grazing, and residential and commercial structures and encourage invasive plant establishment. Wildfire suppression responsibilities have historically been divided among resident ranchers, some rural fire districts, and government agencies. But wildfire, and interest in managing it, crosses ownership boundaries. Since the 1990s, numerous Rangeland Fire Protection Associations (RFPAs) have emerged in Oregon and Idaho, and a recent law authorizes RFPAs in Nevada as well. RFPAs organize and authorize rancher participation in fire suppression alongside federal agency firefighters, typically from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). These all-volunteer crews of ranchers have training and legal authority to respond to fires on private and state lands in landscapes where there had been no existing fire protection, and can become authorized to respond on federal lands as well. There has been growing policy interest in better understanding the RFPA model.en-USCreative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-USWildfires--Prevention and controlRangelands--Fire managementFire extinctionRanchersUnited States. Bureau of Land ManagementOther