Consultants Vitae...

Ted Tveidt

Ted worked for the United States Forest Service on the Flathead National Forest for 38 years. When he retired, he was serving in the capacity as Forest Fuels Specialist. In that capacity, he provided technical expertise to the Ranger Districts on fire, fuels and ecology programs. He coordinated the fuels management and wildland fire training on the forest. As the Forest Fuels Specialist, he was involved in the burning of 6 to 10 thousand acres of natural and activity fuels annually.

Prior to his assignment as the Forest Fuels Specialist, Ted served as the Fire Management Officer on the Tally Lake Ranger District. He was responsible for performing burns for big game habitat improvement, preparing cost/benefit analysis on selected projects, and supervised complex burns on the district.

Ted has extensive fire management experience. He is qualified as a Safety Officer, and Operations Section Chief, serving on both Type I and Type II teams during his career. He most recently served as the Regional Safety Officer and review fire operations throughout Montana. Ted is also qualified as a prescribed fire complex burn boss.

Jim VanDenburg

Jim VanDenburg recently retired from the USFS as the Forest Silviculturist on the Flathead National Forest. His duties included program management and project review for the forest silvicultural program, reforestation, thinning, silvicultural prescriptions for all fuel treatments, and public assistance with insect and disease problems.

Prior to his assignment as the Forest Silviculturist, VanDenburg worked on the Swan Lake District as the district silviculturist, where he was responsible for silvicultural prescriptions for vegetation treatments and other duties.

Jims fire management experience is also extensive, he is qualified as a Type II Logistics Section Chief and served on an Incident Management Team from 1989 to 1995 in complex wildfire assignments. He also instructed at the Northern Region Training Center in many of the logistics courses.

Dave Poncin

Dave Poncin is the President and principal consultant for Poncin & Associates. He has been an "expert witness" for the US Department of Justice and a private law firm dealing with costs and claims on large wildland fires.

Dave Poncin served as the Fire Management Staff Officer for the Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forests. He retired in January of 1997. Dave has extensive management experience in fire and fuels management, including prescribed natural fire. His work on these forests provided him with experience in dealing with heritage resources and threatened and endangered species.

Dave has an extensive work history of interagency cooperation, ranging from the Nez Perce Tribe, local law enforcement agencies, Idaho Conservation League, and many others. In his position on the Nez Perce NF, he served as the Law Enforcement Coordinator and developed close working relationships with local law enforcement agencies.

Dave Poncin served as an Incident Commander on a National Incident Management Team from 1983 to 1988, managing incidents throughout the nation. In addition, Dave has served most recently as the Multi-Agency Coordination Group Manager and as a Training Specialist.

Dave Poncin has a Bachelor of Sciences degree from the University of Montana in forestry.

Linda Williams

Linda currently works as the Chouteau County Disaster & Emergency Services Coordinator and Extension Agent. Linda has significant experience working with the public and private sectors in both of her work areas. Linda has received training in all phases of emergency management and applies these skills on a daily basis in Chouteau County.

Linda also serves on the Chouteau County Local Emergency Planning Committee. Linda Williams is a certified Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician - Intermediate. She also serves as the Chouteau County Emergency Medical Services Coordinator.

Linda serves as an Information Officer on a Type II Incident Management Team and has had significant experience dealing with the media on wildfires and wildland-urban interface fires.

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