Nearly 120 attendees gathered in Kalispell, MT, June 11-13, for the 2024 National Forest Legacy Program (FLP) Summit.

The 2024 FLP Summit was hosted by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC), with invaluable support from a planning team composed of representatives from state and federal agencies. 

Representatives from 46 states, three territories, and several partner organizations attended the 2024 FLP Summit. This marks the first occasion since 2018 that the group has gathered in person, and it provided the opportunity for several dozen new FLP coordinators to meet their peers from across the nation.  

BIL and IRA State Forestry Stories

A new story from CAL FIRE has been added to the Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF) 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: Kevin Key

News and Notes from Our Members and Partners

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

States/Pacific Islands:

• Alaska: State Wildland Firefighters to Receive Incentive Pay Increase
• California: CAL FIRE Community Newsletter July 2024 Intel and Fire Science Edition 
• Colorado: Colorado State Forest Service Opens New Field Office in Rifle, Forests and Feathered Friends Right Outside Your Colorado Home
• Hawai'i: Ten Years of Fighting Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death
• Kansas: Kansas Canopy Podcast; Smokey Bear Summer Reading Travels
• Oregon: Lightning across Oregon reminds everyone to be informed and prepared
• Utah: State Fire Officials Are Seeing an Increase in Fire Activity
• Washington: DNR Enacts Statewide Burn Ban

USDA Forest Service:

• USDA Forest Service Northern Region: Firefighting Community Mourns the Death of Pilot and June 2024 Northern Region Update
• USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region: 75 days without wetting rains; highest level of wildfire response activated
• USDA Forest Service Southwestern Region: USDA Forest Service Invests Nearly $17 Million into Deferred Maintenance Projects in the Southwest Region

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