2026 CWSF/WFLC Spring Meeting

Become a Sponsor or Exhibitor!

View sponsor and exhibitor opportunities for the 2026 Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF)/Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC) Spring Meeting. If you wish to participate, please email Patricia Payne or complete the information form by April 10, 2026.

Ponderosa Pine Utilization Summit: Outcomes & Actions

In November 2025, forestry leaders and practitioners came together for the Ponderosa Pine Utilization Summit to engage in strategic conversations and working sessions to examine and advance the state of ponderosa pine forests and industry across the West.

Building on insights from the Summit, the Forest Stewards Guild and Hardigg Consulting, with input from the CWSF Forest Products Committee, developed the Ponderosa Pine Utilization Summit: Outcomes and Actions, which outlines key challenges, solutions, and opportunities for action.

The Ponderosa Pine Action Plan highlights both the urgency and need for continued collaboration to advance shared recommendations across the areas of supply, infrastructure and mills, markets and innovation, and workforce.

National Invasive Species Awareness Week

February 23-27 marks National Invasive Species Awareness Week. Throughout the week, we will be sharing posts on our LinkedIn highlighting invasive species and the role state forestry agencies play in protecting forest health across the region. 

(Note that you will be prompted to log in to your LinkedIn account to view the content.)

Good Neighbor Authority Spotlight - Colorado

Widespread mortality from spruce beetles and sudden aspen decline affects roughly 40% of spruce and aspen stands on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) in western Colorado.

Utilizing the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA), the Colorado State Forest Service and the USDA Forest Service are implementing large-scale forest treatments to enhance forest health, reduce fuels, and protect critical watersheds.

Photo: Jodi Rist

NEWS & NOTES FROM MEMBERS & PARTNERS

• Following the retirement of Dr. Cindi West, Dr. John Rothlisberger has been selected to serve as Acting Director of the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station and Forest Products Laboratory, effective January 25, 2026.

• Sarah Fisher has been selected as the USDA Forest Service Deputy Chief for Fire and Aviation Management.

• Following Kacey KC’s transition to the Oregon Department of Forestry, Ryan Shane has been appointed to serve as Acting State Forester for the Nevada Division of Forestry. 

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

Important upcoming CWSF/WFLC dates include: 



• WFLC WUCF Annual Meeting | March 24-25, 2026 | Virtual
• CWSF/WFLC Spring Meeting | May 12-14, 2026 | Nebraska City, NE
• CWSF GNA Annual Meeting | August 4-6, 2026 | Colorado (TBC)

For a quick look at recent happenings across the West, check out the features below: 

STATES/PACIFIC ISLANDS

____

• Alaska: Governor Dunleavy Enters State of Alaska into Shared Stewardship Agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to Increase Productivity of Alaska’s Forests
• Arizona: February Forestry in Focus
• California: CAL FIRE Launches Forest Health Education Campaign
• Kansas: 2026 Wildfire Awareness Week
• Nevada: Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Announces State Forester Leadership Transition | Division of Forestry Awards Highest Accolade to Kacey KC, Recognizing Exemplary Service 
• New Mexico: News from New Mexico's Forests

USDA FOREST SERVICE

____

• Northern Research Station/Forest Products Laboratory: Rooted in Research Roundup: Oaks from Acorns to Lumber
• Pacific Southwest and Pacific Northwest Research Stations: Forest Explorer Monthly Newsletter | Quarterly Roundup of Publications 
• Research & Development: February National Research Digest | Wood Innovations: Economic Development
• Rocky Mountain Research Station: Webinar Series: Fire Science You Can Use | Comprehensive Fire Effects Syntheses for Managers and Planners | Bark Beetle Science Roundup | Focal Species Toolkit
• Washington Office: U.S. Forest Service and State of Alaska Sign 20-Year Shared Stewardship Agreement | U.S. Forest Service Announces Funding Opportunity to Strengthen Forest Products Economy, Forest Sector Jobs | Forest Service Announces $182 Million in Retroactive Secure Rural Schools Payments to Support Counties, Schools, and Wildfire Preparedness | Forest Service, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians Sign Shared Stewardship Agreement to Advance Forest and Rangeland Restoration in Oregon

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

Questions, comments, feedback? Please contact us!