In late May, Danielle Okst, Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC)/Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF) Executive Director, joined the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) Wildland Fire Committee Meeting in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Danielle provided an update on the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) Program. Danielle’s remarks focused on the basic elements and background of CWDG; submissions, results, and learnings from round one; and looked ahead to round two. Learn more about CWDG. 

For a deeper look at the western process in round one, check out our March blog post. 

Photo: Lee Benson, Public Information Officer for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry

The Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) Task Force convened for its first in-person annual meeting in beautiful Issaquah, Washington, from June 20-22, 2023. The Task Force voted to become a standing committee; met with federal, county, and tribal partners; and shared challenges and successes in GNA implementation.

Learn more about the meeting in a guest blog post from GNA Task Force Chair Trevor McConchie. 

Photo: Laura Wagner

CWSF Forest Health Committee

The CWSF membership voted unanimously to stand up a Forest Health Committee, which will consist of state Forest Health program managers who will meet bi-monthly, with Forest Service Forest Health program managers joining every other meeting. The kick-off meeting for this new committee will be Tuesday, August 8, from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time.

For more information about the new Forest Health Committee, please contact Laura Wagner.

CWSF Forest Stewardship/Landowner Assistance Committee

The CWSF membership voted unanimously to stand up a Forest Stewardship/Landowner Assistance Committee, which will consist of state Forest Stewardship program managers who will meet bi-monthly, with Forest Service Forest Stewardship program managers joining every other meeting. The kick-off meeting for this new committee will be Thursday, August 10, from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time.

For more information about the new Forest Stewardship/Landowner Assistance Committee, please contact Laura Wagner.

CWDG Program

Projects that are being funded from the fiscal year (FY) 2022 CWDG program can be found here. Applications from the Western Region for FY 2022 can be found in the portal.

The FY 2023 timeline for the second cycle of applications is tentatively set to open in July. This date is subject to change 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.

Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) Competitive Grant Program

The FY 2023 LSR Competitive Grant Program is officially closed. Recommendations have been reviewed and approved by the WFLC Executive Board. The recommendation letter is publicly available to view on our website. For more information, visit the WFLC LSR webpage. The FY 2024 timeline is tentatively set to open in August and close in November; exact dates will be announced once finalized.

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

Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Grant Program

The FY 2023 WUI Grant Program is officially closed. Recommendations have been reviewed and approved by the CWSF Executive Committee. The recommendation letter is publicly available to view on our website. For more information, visit the CWSF WUI webpage. The FY 2024 timeline is being determined and will be announced once finalized.

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

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. 

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

The NASF Awards Committee is accepting nominations for the 2023 NASF Awards. These awards recognize individuals that exemplify outstanding qualities in their respective areas of expertise. Only nominations submitted on or before Friday, July 28, through this online form will be considered. Descriptions of the awards and guidelines for selection are included on the first page of the online form.

The 2023 NASF Award winners will be honored in person at the 2023 NASF Annual Meeting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.