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WIldfire Strategy and advisory Services

Practical wildfire, forest, rangeland, and public lands advisory work for startups, governments, and nonprofits

Based in Colorado | Working nationally

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strategy and innovation grounded in reality

Wildfire response is shaped as much by institutions and politics as it is by operations and technology. Whitacre Resource Strategies helps organizations develop wildfire strategies, responses, and programs that can actually be implemented — not just proposed.

We were built on the belief that complex wildfire challenges require practical judgment and durable solutions. Our goal is to provide clear thinking, practical experience, and work that stands up over time.

What We Do

  • Nonprofits and coalitions

    working with nonprofits and coalitions on wildfire, forests, and public lands to build programs and strategies that are practical, effective, and built for the long term

  • State, county, and local governments

    addressing growing wildfire risk with practical experience at all levels of government, with the experience to know how decisions actually get made

  • Wildfire Technology

    helping wildfire tech companies build the government relationships and agency credibility needed to get their products adopted

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About

Whitacre Resource Strategies is led by Bill Whitacre, a wildfire and natural resource policy advisor with experience across fire operations, state and federal policy development, and senior state government leadership.

Bill spent eight years as a wildland firefighter with the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service, followed by senior policy roles at the Western Governors’ Association and in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Colorado. He later served as the first Executive Director of the Forest Climate Working Group, the only national coalition working to utilize forests and forest products as a climate change solution.

His work brings together operational wildfire experience and high-level policy judgment to help organizations develop strategies that are practical, durable, and grounded in how wildfire decisions are actually made.

Our Services

A firefighting airplane drops red fire retardant over a wildfire in smoky skies.
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Firefighters working to extinguish a forest fire in a wooded area with tall trees and smoke in the air.

Wildfire strategy & advisory

  • Pressure-testing assumptions about wildfire technology, risk, response, and mitigation

  • Helping organizations understand decision-making during wildfire incidents

  • Identifying political, regulatory, and operational risks early

Policy & program design

  • Designing wildfire, forest, and rangeland management programs that are implementable and durable

  • Advising on intergovernmental coordination across federal, state, tribal, and local entities

  • Supporting strategies that can attract funding and survive political change

Public-sector navigation & positioning

  • Translating technical solutions into approaches that resonate with agencies and policymakers

  • Helping startups and nonprofits build credibility with public-sector partners

  • Avoiding common pitfalls that derail otherwise strong wildfire solutions

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How engagements work

Whitacre Resource Strategies works on a project basis or as a part-time strategic advisor.

Engagements are:

  • Focused and time-bound

  • Designed to provide senior-level judgment, not additional staff capacity

  • Structured to fit the needs of startups, nonprofits, and public agencies

Typical engagements range from short advisory support to multi-month strategy and program development projects.