The Clearwater Timber Protective Association and the Potlatch Timber Protective Association were formed independently in 1905. Although formed separately, they were established with the same goal: to detect wildland fires and extinguish them quickly. The associations operated separately until they merged in 1966. The newly formed Clearwater-Potlatch Timber Protective Association operated as a non-corporate entity until 1982, when the Association completed filings under the Idaho Nonprofit Corporation Act. The Clearwater-Potlatch Timber Protective Association, Inc. protects 988,838 acres owned by various federal and state agencies, and private landowners. The Association is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of member representatives and is subject to the provisions of the Idaho Forestry Act. By contract with the Idaho Department of Lands, the Association essentially performs as a fire protection district within the state. Chief Fire Warden Kane Steinbruecker oversees an administrative staff and four separate areas of fire protection. The four areas consist of various permanent and seasonal employees, each trained to varying levels in the Incident Command System. Being nationally qualified, the Association is able to send employees all over the USA to participate in other agencies’ fires. For over a century, the core belief of quick, safe initial attack has been and will continue to be the mission of the C-PTPA.