The award-winning National Fire Equipment Program (NFEP) located at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) incorporates firefighter innovation with industry expertise to provide the Department of the Interior with economical, safe, and efficient fire equipment. The program is responsible for around 1,200 fire vehicles in the BLM, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs fleets. John Fitchner, NFEP manager, and Justin Lammers, production assistant equipment specialist, talk about their wildland fire careers on the road to the NFEP and explain how the program operates. The NFEP continually seeks improvement in all aspects of support, evaluation, and development of fire equipment through proactive training and communication. John and Justin also discuss their involvement with training events and reviews, new technology, and improved safety features; some of which led the program to be awarded the 2018 Pulaski Award for continued excellence in equipment innovation and development. Piper Brandt, BLM Fire Public Affairs Specialist, also debuts as the new Wildfire Matters podcast co-host.

Michele Crist, landscape ecologist for the Bureau of Land Management fire planning and fuels management program, studies landscape changes in the environment including research on non-forested burned areas, invasive species, and sagebrush conservation design. Her work is focused on developing landscape-scale modeling frameworks and restoration strategies for sagebrush lands, forests, and wildlife habitats. Michele discusses her education, career, and research developing science-based land management goals and objectives to help with land management policy and planning processes and assesses the impacts of existing or proposed land management on ecological resources and wildlife habitats.

Ever wonder what happens to a burned area after a wildfire? How about the seeds used for land restoration? Jake Ferguson, the BLM National Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR) program lead, talks about the immediate emergency actions taken to stabilize the land, the burned area rehabilitation (BAR) process and the work that goes into post-fire recovery which may include seeding when deemed necessary after a damaging wildfire. Brandon Brown, BLM National Seed Coordinator explains the National Seed Warehouse System (NSWS) developed to streamline seed buying for various types of land management projects, including ESR, and ensure that high-quality seed - of which 90% purchased is native seed - is readily available for the field when needed. We discuss the importance of both programs and how they are critical to support the BLM mission to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.