CWSF Newsletter - February 2023

CWSF Newsletter | February 2023

Organizational Highlights

2023 CWSF/WFLC Spring Meeting

The 2023 Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF) and Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC) Spring Meeting will take place in Boise, Idaho, from Tuesday, May 16, at 8:00 a.m. to Thursday, May 18, at 5:00 p.m.

Early bird registration ends on February 17. Save $100 on registration costs by registering on or before Friday, February 17.

Please contact Patricia Payne if you have any questions.

Good Neighbor Authority Resources

The WFLC Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) Information and Resources webpage has been updated with two new resources:

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 amended the SEC. 439. Section 8206(a)(4)(B)(i) of the Agricultural Act of 2014, to include Bureau of Land Management managed land in the road reconstruction text concerning GNA projects (located under the Authorizing Language and Relevant Legislation header).
The USDA Forest Service Chief’s August 2022 letter which clarified partnership agreement requirements for multiple fund types (located under the USDA Forest Service/BLM Implementation Tools and Resources header).

To submit a suggested resource for inclusion on the webpage, complete the following Google Form.

Competitive Grants Timeline Update

The fiscal year (FY) 2022 Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) program is officially closed. The FY 2023 timeline for the second cycle of applications has yet to be determined and will be announced once finalized. 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.

The FY 2023 Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) Competitive Grant Program is officially closed. Applications were evaluated during the scoring period which ended December 16, 2022. Recommendations have been reviewed and approved by the WFLC Executive Board and will be available to the public later this month. For more information, visit the WFLC LSR webpage.

The FY 2023 Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Grant Program opened for applications on October 5, 2022, and closed on January 17, 2023. Applications are currently being evaluated during the scoring period ending March 1. For more information, visit the CWSF WUI webpage.

If you have any LSR or WUI questions, please email info@westernforesters.org.

The True Cost of Wildfire in the Western U.S.

Hard copies of The True Cost of Wildfire in the Western U.S. report are still available. If you would like to request a hard copy (or copies) to be mailed to you, please contact Sara Goodwin.

The True Cost of Wildfire in the Western U.S. aims to convey information on the full range of costs associated with wildland fire in order to inform leaders and policymakers as they work to improve wildfire response and mitigation. This report was released during the WFLC Fall Meeting in Santa Fe, NM, November 2022.

To access an electronic copy of the report, visit the WFLC resource library or directly at https://www.thewflc.org/TrueCostofWildfire.

Policy Update

This month's policy update highlights the release of the first report from the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, the introduction of a wildfire legislative package in the House, and funding opportunities through the USDA Forest Service Wood Innovations and Community Wood Energy grant programs. It also discusses the release of “Strengthening Tribal Consultations and Nation-to-Nation Relationships: A USDA Forest Service Action Plan.”

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 email Patricia Payne.

Meetings Calendar

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

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