INTRODUCTION

EPA has been preparing to review its policies for addressing PM-10 air quality impacts from wildland fires since it finalized its policy concerning natural events (including wildfires) in May of 1996. A Steering Committee of stakeholders was established in October 1996 to discuss the interests and concerns of each stakeholder, and establish goals and directions for the policy review. The Steering Committee includes representatives from the land management agencies in the Departments of Interior and Agriculture, the National Association of State Foresters, the Department of Defense, and State and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators, and the Sierra Club. The first Steering Committee meeting was held in mid-November, 1996. The goal is to provide the EPA with detailed recommendations of policy changes by the end of 1997. Since the Steering Committee was established, the EPA decided to bring the review of its air quality policies concerning prescribed fire under the Ozone/PM/RH FACA process. The EPA felt it prudent to make this change because the decisions the Agency ultimately reaches as a result of the FACA process will likely affect the very air quality policies under review regarding prescribed burning, and because prescribed fire issues have already been raised within the Ozone/PM/RH FACA process. The Steering Committee will now become a FACA workgroup and will henceforth be refered to as the Wildland Fire Issues Group (WFIG). The purpose of the FACA Wildland Fire Issues Group (WFIG) is to provide the FACA Subcommittee and ultimately EPA with recommendations for revising its policies for implementing the current PM-10 standards, and any new fine PM NAAQS, with respect to prescibed fire and its impacts.