Organizational Highlights

2024 CWSF/WFLC Fall Meeting


Registration is now open for the 2024 Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF)/Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC) Fall Meeting. This year’s meeting is November 5-7, 2024, in Missoula, MT. 


Visit our registration page for more details.


Please contact Patricia Payne with any questions.

Working in the Woods

Danielle Okst, Executive Director of CWSF/WFLC, and Dana Coelho, National Program Manager, Urban & Community Forestry for the USDA Forest Service, teamed up to deliver a presentation at NOAC 2024 in Boulder, CO, on July 30. They addressed approximately 50 students and explored a range of career opportunities within the forestry sector, providing valuable insights into the diverse roles available in the field. The students were eager to learn about programs and experiences that would support building their networks and skills on their forestry career journey. 


To complement the presentation, CWSF Communications Intern Autumn Oberhart designed an informative handout detailing various forestry career paths, helping students better understand the range of opportunities available.


View the handout.

BIL and IRA State Forestry Stories

Two new stories from South Dakota have been added to CWSF’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) webpage.

If you are interested in submitting a BIL or IRA story, please contact Kelsey Delaney and Sara Goodwin.


Photo: Tony Seidl

Policy Update

August 2024 Policy Update


Read the latest policy update from Neil Simpson, CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy. This month’s policy update covers: 



Click the links above to jump to each individual topic or download a PDF in the CWSF publication library.

Meet a Forester

Chad VanOrmer


This month, we are pleased to feature Chad VanOrmer, Regional Forester for the USDA Forest Service Alaska Region. 

Committee Updates

 

GNA Spotlight - California

View our Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) webpage for this month’s GNA Spotlight, which features work in California to improve fire resiliency on National Forest System lands surrounding the community of Yreka through reducing fuels and lowering stand density in strategic areas. 

Photo: Dan Blessing with Shasta Valley Resource Conservation District

 

Competitive Grants Updates

Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) Program


The FY 2023 CWDG award list has been announced. Learn more about the announcement and funded projects. The timeline for round 3 is being determined and will be announced once finalized.


If you have any CWDG questions, please contact Halie Miyazawa.

Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) Competitive Grant Program


The FY 2025 LSR grant process is now open and will close on November 15, 2024. For more information, and to view a recording of the FY 2025 informational webinar, visit the WFLC LSR webpage.


If you have any LSR questions, please contact Leena Visnak. 

Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Grant Program


The FY 2025 WUI grant application period will open on September 13, 2024. Additional information will be announced on the CWSF WUI webpage.


If you have any WUI questions, please contact Leena Visnak. 

News and Notes from Our Members and Partners

Job Opportunities

Looking for a job opportunity in forestry? Find your next position in western forestry on the CWSF job blog.


If you would like to submit a job posting, please contact Patricia Payne. 

Western Happenings

For a quick look at a few of the recent happenings in the western region, check out the features below: 


States/Pacific Islands:



USDA Forest Service:



If you have a press release or feature you would like to include in an upcoming newsletter, please email Sara Goodwin. 

Meetings Calendar

See the calendar of meetings and events hosted by CWSF/WFLC and partner organizations.

Grant Accomplishment Reporting Portal

The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) has partnered with the USDA Forest Service, the Department of Interior—Office of Wildland Fire, and the Timmons Group to build more effective data management solutions for state, tribal, community, and other local-level federal grant recipients to demonstrate how landowners and resource managers sustain the nation’s forests and grasslands, protect communities from wildland fire, and restore fire-adapted ecosystems. 


The Grant Accomplishment Reporting Portal (GARP) will track and utilize data that demonstrates the implementation of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy. This data collection also includes a collaboration of data products: the National Fuels Initiative (NFT) Explorer, the CWDG Funding Dashboard, and the National Fire Department Response Boundaries Explorer.


The portal's reporting will be split into four different Accomplishments Reporting Modules (ARMs) to help capture specific key accomplishment details. The ARMs will be rolled out in phases, starting with the release of the first ARM in August.


Subscribe to GARP news for the latest updates. Watch a short introductory video about GARP.

7th Annual Cohesive Strategy Workshop

Registration is open for the 7th Annual National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy Workshop, September 16-19, 2024, in Atlantic City, NJ. This workshop is hosted by the International Association of Wildland Fire, the Wildland Fire Leadership Council, and its three regional strategy committees.


Learn more and register.

Arbor Day Accepting Reforestation Project Proposals

The Arbor Day Foundation is currently accepting proposals for large-scale planting projects that focus on improving the environment, wildlife habitat, watershed restoration, carbon sequestration, and other benefits. 


Submit a reforestation proposal online by August 30 to be considered.

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