This issue in Five Questions, we talk to James Ogsbury, Executive Director of the Western Governors' Association.
The Western Governors’ Association has been around for more than 30 years, how has the organization changed over that time?
So much has changed in 30 years, from the governors we represent to the issues we tackle. But, at its heart, WGA remains the same: a bipartisan engine of collaborative policymaking to promote the interests of the extraordinary region that is the American West.
How are WGA members working to support each other in the realm of emergency management?
The increase in the number and severity of Western wildfires since 2000 has led to greater sharing of firefighting personnel and equipment across state lines. Also, WGA recently launched the Western Governors’ Drought Forum, an initiative of WGA Chairman and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, to help Western decision-makers better anticipate and manage the impacts of the slow-motion disaster of drought.
In 2014, forest and wildfire management was a top priority for WGA members. How has the WGA gotten involved in this area?
The Governors helped persuade Congress to expand programs that empower states and industry to assume a more active role in the restoration of national forests. WGA is also pursuing a legislative solution to the practice known as “fire borrowing,” in which federal agencies shift money from fire prevention accounts to pay for firefighting. By diverting the very funds needed to reduce wildfire threats, the government creates a vicious cycle of high fire risk and elevated emergency expenditures.
You work closely with the Governors of 19 Western States and three U.S.-flag islands. What is one characteristic prevalent among these leaders that you admire?
Western Governors are chief executives who are practical, pragmatic and solutions-oriented. Governors have neither the time nor enthusiasm for indulging in the partisan gamesmanship that characterizes other arenas of American government. They are too busy getting things done.
What is the most memorable trip you have ever taken?
Antarctica. Pods of orcas skirting along the edge of the Ross Sea ice shelf. South Pole station. Emperor penguins yakking at my feet. Truly the trip of a lifetime.