October 2025 Policy Update

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

• Potential Legislation to Transfer the USDA Forest Service to the Department of the Interior
• Senate Fix Our Forests Act Advances out of Committee
• Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025 Advances out of Committee
• Department of the Interior Reveals Reduction in Force Plans
• Bill Introduced to Require the National Guard to Carry out the FireGuard Program 
• Bill Introduced to Improve Wildfire Hazard Alerts with Transportation Closure Information Systems
• Government Accountability Office Report on Wildland Firefighter Communications and Tracking

Click the links above to jump to each individual topic or download a PDF on our website.

2025 PIFC Executive Committee Meeting

The 2025 Pacific Islands Forestry Committee (PIFC) Executive Committee Meeting was held on September 19–20, 2025, in Waimea, Hawai‘i. 

The meeting brought together island foresters, USDA Forest Service representatives, and other partners from across the West to share program updates, identify training and capacity needs, and set priorities for the year ahead.

2025 Forest Health Committee Annual Meeting 

The CWSF Forest Health Committee met virtually on September 30 and October 1, bringing together more than 20 representatives from state and federal agencies to share updates and discuss key forest health priorities. 

The meeting included updates from the USDA Forest Service Washington Office Forest Health Program and the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) Forest Science and Health Committee, as well as discussions on aerial detection surveys and Hazardous Fuels Transportation Grants. Attendees also participated in a lightning round to share successes, challenges related to forest pests, and strategies to enhance forest resilience. The meeting concluded with the development of the 2026 committee work plan, setting the direction for the committee’s priorities in the year ahead.

2025 Western State Fire Managers Annual Meeting 

The Western State Fire Managers (WSFM) held their annual meeting virtually on October 7–9. During the meeting, fire managers reviewed the 2025 fire season, current challenges and successes with resource sharing agreements and mechanisms, and discussed National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) committees. The agenda also included reports from the WSFM subcommittees, including Western State Fire Business Managers (WSBM), Mental Health and Wellness, Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) grant program, Training and Workforce Development, and Wildfire Resiliency.

The WSBM also met earlier this month, on October 6, to discuss current challenges each state is experiencing, share successes and resources, and recap the 2025 fire season.

The WSBM and WSFM concluded their annual meetings with a combined session on October 9 to further discuss state-to-state and master agreements, compacts, financial elements and possible solutions for greater efficiency, gaining perspective from both fire business managers and fire managers. This joint meeting remains a valuable component of the annual meeting, enhancing coordination between the two groups across Western states.

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Smokey Bear Awards, the highest national honor for outstanding work and significant program impact in wildfire prevention.

Learn more about the award criteria and submit a nomination. All nominations must be submitted by December 31, 2025.