CWSF Newsletter - April 2024

CWSF Newsletter | April 2024

Organizational Highlights

2024 CWSF/WFLC Spring Meeting - Register by May 3

The 2024 Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF)/Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC) Spring Meeting is coming up! The meeting will take place May 21-23, 2024, in Fargo, North Dakota. Please register by May 3.

Meeting details, draft agenda, and registration information are available on the CWSF and WFLC websites.

Photo: Visit Fargo-Moorhead

After the Flames Workshop and Conference

CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy Neil Simpson attended the recent After the Flames Workshop and Conference hosted by Coalitions & Collaboratives in Estes Park, Colorado.

The conference was well attended, with representatives from local, state, tribal, and federal governments, private industry, and a broad range of non-governmental organizations.

USDA Deputy Under Secretary Meryl Harrell, along with Jenna Knobloch (USDA), Collin Haffey (WA DNR), Jonathan Bruno (Coalitions & Collaboratives), and Craig Nelson (Okanogan Conservation District), kicked off the workshop with a panel titled ‘Beyond the Burn, Envisioning a More Equitable Post-Fire Future.’ The panel set the stage for the three-day workshop, which had approximately 40 sessions covering all aspects of post-fire recovery.

Specialists covered topics ranging from social, policy, and finance considerations to prepare for a wildfire to case studies and technical information from practitioners and researchers. Wildfire Commission members Lucinda Andreani, James Hubbard, Brian Kittler, and Madelene McDonald spoke on a panel describing report recommendations for post-fire recovery.

Learn more about the meeting.

Photo: Neil Simpson

BIL and IRA State Forestry Stories - Washington Feature

A new feature from the Washington Department of Natural Resources has 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.

Policy Update

April 2024 Policy Update

Check out our latest policy update from Neil Simpson, CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy. This month’s policy update highlights:

Committee Updates

Western State Fire Managers Health and Wellness Webpage

The CWSF Western State Fire Managers (WSFM) Mental Health & Wellness Subcommittee recently developed a webpage focused on resources to support wildland firefighters and their families. This webpage will serve as a resource hub displaying a training calendar, a document library for states and Pacific Islands in the western region, and contact information to reach CISM-trained professionals or the WSFM Health & Wellness Coordinator.

View the webpage.

2024 GNA Committee Annual Meeting

The CWSF GNA Committee Annual Meeting took place April 2-4, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona.

Learn more about the meeting in a guest blog post authored by Christine Mares, Good Neighbor Program Manager for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and Vice-chair on the GNA Committee.

Photo: Christine Mares

Meet a Forester

Kevin Khung

This month, we are pleased to feature Kevin Khung, Director of State, Private, and Tribal Forestry for the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region.

Competitive Grants Updates

Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) Program

Thank you to those who submitted applications and those who helped applicants through the application process for the FY 2023 CWDG program. The list of awarded projects for the second round is being finalized and approved. For more information, visit the CWSF CWDG webpage or the USDA Forest Service CWDG webpage.

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

Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) Competitive Grant Program

The FY 2024 LSR Competitive Grant Program is now officially closed. Recommendations have been ranked and reviewed by the WFLC Executive Board and sent to the Washington Office. For more information, visit the WFLC LSR webpage.

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

Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Grant Program

The FY 2024 WUI Competitive Grant Program is now officially closed. This year’s applications have been ranked and approved by the CWSF’s Executive Board and sent to the Washington Office. For more information, visit the CWSF WUI webpage.

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

News and Notes from Our Members and Partners

Member and Partner Transitions

USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station: Valerie Hipkins accepted the position of Director for the Pacific Northwest Research Station effective July 1. Hipkins currently serves as Associate Deputy Chief for Research and Development in the Washington Office. She replaces Paul Anderson upon his retirement in June 2024. Hipkins will concurrently serve as Acting Director for the Pacific Southwest Research Station. Hipkins serving in this concurrent role is part of a pilot study to explore the growing overlap between the stations.
USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station: Richard Barhydt accepted the position of Director for the Rocky Mountain Research Station effective July 1. Barhydt currently serves as Director for the Pacific Southwest Research Station. He replaces Frank McCormick, who has served as Acting Director since Monica Lear accepted a position with USDA in 2023.

To view a list of current CWSF and WFLC members, view our member directory . If you are a member and wish to update this information, please contact Sara Goodwin.

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:

Arizona: Arizona Forestry Observes Arbor Day with Tree Planting Ceremony at State Capitol
Colorado: Governor Polis, Colorado State Forest Service Announce 31 Wildfire Mitigation Grants; Christina Burri Selected As Deputy State Forester; Forestry Students Calculate Economic Benefit of Campus Trees to Celebrate Arbor Day
Hawaii: Hawaiʻi Forestry Projects Get Grant Support
Nebraska: Forest Service program brings hands-on learning to classrooms
South Dakota: Emerald Ash Borer Confirmed in Lennox, SD
Washington: DNR Joins Partner Agencies To Collaborate on Prescribed Fire, Smoke Management
USDA Forest Service Alaska Region: Alaska’s National Forests providing the 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree
USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region: California Receives Additional $33M to Support Schools, Roads as Part of Investing in America
USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station: Avian Ambassadors and Tribal Perspectives: A Bird’s Eye View of Prescribed Fire

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.

Visit CWSF | Subscribe to our newsletter | Visit WFLC

Questions, comments, feedback? Please contact us!

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