The Biden administration tapped five Coloradans to serve on a commission charged with developing strategies to tackle the national wildfire crisis.

Dan Gibbs, Jim Hubbard, Madelene McDonald, Scott Miller and Mike Morgan were selected to be five of the 36 non-federal members of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, the departments of the Interior, Agriculture and Homeland Security announced on Thursday.

The five Coloradans were chosen out of more than 500 applicants to join the commission, along with 11 federal members.

“Colorado is a national leader in fire prevention, preparedness and response,” Gov. Jared Polis said. “As we face the reality of a year-round fire season, we are taking additional steps to prevent the spread of fires and keep Coloradans safe and healthy, and we look forward to sharing our forward-thinking approach with national partners on this commission.” 

Gibbs is the executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. Hubbard is a former Colorado State Forester and was undersecretary for natural resources and environment at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. McDonald is a senior watershed scientist at Denver Water. Miller is the senior regional director for the Southwest Region of the Wilderness Society. Morgan is the division director of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.

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Hubbard and McDonald are primary members of the commission, while Gibbs, Miller and Morgan are alternate members.

The inclusion of so many Coloradans comes as Colorado has suffered increasingly devastating wildfires in recent years. In December, the most destructive wildfire in state history, the Marshall fire, tore through more than 1,000 homes in Boulder County. The three largest wildfires in Colorado history all occurred in 2020.

“It is paramount that Coloradans have a seat at the table,” said U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. “As Colorado faces record drought and megafires, Dan, Jim, Madelene, Scott and Mike are critical voices we must listen to as we seek to restore lands affected by wildfire and prevent future blazes. … (The commission) will help us better mitigate and manage wildfires in the long term.”

The commission is required to send its wildfire mitigation policy recommendations to Congress by August 2023. It will also recommend strategies on how to restore lands affected by wildfires.

The $1-trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress in November established the commission. The law also allocated $234 million this year to fund programs to reduce wildfire risks, detect wildfires, institute firefighter workforce reforms and build more resilient infrastructure.