To promote the safe, legal, and responsible use of
prescribed fire as a natural resource management tool.
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BYLAWS Revision 06/13/2006 NEBRASKA
PRESCRIBED FIRE COUNCIL ARTI The Name of this organization is the Nebraska
Prescribed Fire Council (Council). ARTICLE 2.
MISSION, OBJECTIVES, AND PRESCRIBED FIRE DEFINITION Section 2.1 Mission Statement. The Council’s mission is to promote the safe, legal, and responsible use of prescribed fire as a natural resource management tool. Section 2.2 Objectives.
The
Council encourages the exchange of information, techniques and experiences among
practitioners of prescribed fire in Nebraska. The Council’s objectives
include: 1) promoting and providing training related to the safe use of
prescribed burning; 2) providing education and outreach regarding the purpose,
and benefits of prescribed burning; 3) working to assure that Nebraska state law
supports the right and ability of the public to use prescribed fire; 4)
developing and maintaining cooperative relations between prescribed fire
practitioners; 5) striving to establish affordable insurance opportunities for
practitioners and contractors; 6) working to assure available funding for
activities associated with prescribed fire. Section 2.3 Prescribed
Fire Definition Prescribed
fire is the safe and responsible use of fire as a land management tool, carried
out under specific conditions laid out in a plan designed to achieve an
objective. ARTICLE
3. STEERING
COMMITTEE Preface. Meetings
of the Council shall be arranged, conducted and recorded by the Steering
Committee of the Council. The
Steering Committee shall have no extra authority or powers beyond their
responsibilities regarding Council meetings. Section 3.1
Members of the Steering Committee. The
Steering Committee shall be comprised of the Chair, Vice-chair, Secretary and
three additional members. Steering
Committee members shall also be members of and elected by the Council.
Section 3.2
Terms and Term Limits. Steering
Committee members shall serve a term of two years, or until their successors
have been duly elected. Officers
shall be elected by the Steering Committee. Section
3.3 Steering Committee
Duties. The Chair of
the Steering Committee shall be responsible for setting meeting agendas,
communicating meeting dates, times and locations to Council members, and for
communicating with Chairs of any Committees established by the Council as
necessary for reports and progress updates.
The Chair or the Chair’s designee (e.g., Education/Outreach Committee
representative) shall represent the Council in communications with outside
entities. The Chair shall also be responsible for running the Council meetings. The Vice-Chair shall support the Chair in these tasks, and
shall assume the duties of the Chair if the Chair is unavailable.
The Steering Committee Secretary shall record minutes from each Council
meeting and shall distribute those minutes to all Council members.
The Secretary shall also maintain a current roster of Council members. ARTICLE
4. COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP Section 4.1
Members and Memberships.
The Council shall have members and memberships, divided into the
following classifications:
Organizational membership. Organizations
shall mean incorporated 501 (c)(3) non-profit organizations and local chapters
thereof, unincorporated non-profit organizations, and for-profit corporations.
Organizational members shall have voting rights on the Council, one vote
per organization. Multiple individuals may represent organizational members,
but the organization as a whole shall have one Council vote.
Individual membership.
Individual shall mean those persons not representing a particular
non-profit organization, corporation, or government agency, who represent only
themselves. Individual members
shall have voting rights on the Council.
Agency membership.
Agency shall mean federal, state, or local government agencies, as
established by statute. Agency members shall have voting rights on the Council.
Agencies may be represented by multiple individuals, but the agency as a
whole shall have one Council vote. Section 4.2
Membership Terms. Membership
shall be contacted annually by the secretary to determine membership status.
Membership shall only be in one membership category; one individual may
not hold membership in multiple classifications. Section 4.3
Membership Requirements. Any
organization, individual, or agency wishing to support and promote the purposes
of the Council may apply for membership, and upon signing the Statement of
Membership Principles shall become a member of the Council in the appropriate
classification. Section
4.4 Member Responsibilities.
Members shall adopt and adhere to the Nebraska Prescribed Fire Council
Statement of Membership Principles (attached).
Steering Committee meetings may be attended by any Council member or by
the public. Section 4.5
Limited liability of volunteers.
Except as provided in (Note: does Nebraska have a similar statute?)
Section XXX, Nebraska Statutes, a volunteer, whether such
volunteer is a member or a non-member of the Council, is not liable to any
person for damages, settlements, fees, fines, penalties or other monetary
liabilities arising from any act or omission as a volunteer.
A "volunteer" means an individual who provides services to or
on behalf of the Council without compensation. ARTICLE
5. COMMITTEES
Section 5.1 Committees;
Committees shall be established by the Council to address issues of
interest to the purpose and mission of the Council.
These committees shall be comprised of members of the Council and shall
have a Chair selected from among the Committee members.
Committees shall remain active as long as the issue or action they were
formed to address is ongoing. Section
5.2 Committee Responsibilities.
The Chair of each Committee shall make a report to the Council on the
actions taken by the Committee since the last Council meeting; in addition, when
necessary, the Chair shall offer recommendations for action by the Council based
on the work of the Committee. Pursuant
to the issues they address, Committees may or may not have authority to make
decisions on behalf of the full Council, as the full Council deems appropriate. ARTICLE
6. ADMINISTRATION
Section 6.1
Regular Meetings. The
Council shall meet regularly, at least annually. Section 6.2
Notice of Meetings. Notice
of each meeting shall be given not less than one month prior to each Council
member. Section 6.3
Voting. Any issue put forward to the Council that requires a
vote of the Council shall be presented at Council meetings.
Voting will take place at Council meetings or by prior written
correspondence. Section 6.4
Council Funds. The
Council shall not hold funds in account(s) set up for the Council. The Council shall not receive dues from its members nor shall
it request such dues. From time to
time the Council may decide to spend funds pursuant to its mission.
In these situations, the Council shall endeavor to secure outside funds
to cover these costs or, Council members may elect to contribute toward the
costs at hand without expectation of reimbursement from the Council. ARTICLE 7.
AMENDMENT. Section
7.1 Amending By-laws. These
Bylaws may be amended by the Council in the following manner: Any proposed
amendment shall be placed on the agenda for the next regularly scheduled meeting
of the Council and shall be sent to all Council members at least 30 days prior
to that meeting. Council members
shall discuss and vote on the proposed amendment during their regular meeting or
by written correspondence. Certified and true correct copy of the By-Laws adopted
the _____ day of _____________, 200___ by
the Nebraska Prescribed Fire Council.
BY: _______________________ Secretary NEBRASKA PRESCRIBED FIRE COUNCIL
STATEMENT OF MEMBERSHIP PRINCIPLES Members of the Nebraska Prescribed Fire Council seek to further the mission of the Council: to promote the safe, legal, and responsible use of prescribed fire as a natural resource management tool. Prescribed
fire is the safe responsible use of fire as a land management tool, carried out
under specific conditions laid out in a plan designed to achieve an objective. Members will strive to enhance the public perception
of prescribed fire in their fire-related activities.
When appropriate, we will work cooperatively with government agencies,
for-profit businesses, private individuals and non-profit organizations to
accomplish our goals of using, promoting, and enhancing prescribed fire as a
land management tool in Nebraska. In recognition of these ideas, the undersigned
adopts this Statement of Principles as a member of the Nebraska Prescribed Fire
Council. ______________________________________
Name ______________________________________
Organization (if
applicable)
__________________ Date
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