January 2025 Newsletter

Organizational Highlights

We are Hiring!

The Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF) is accepting applications for a Director of Wildland Fire. The application window closes on February 7, 2025.

We encourage you to share this opportunity with anyone who may be interested.

BIL and IRA State Forestry Stories

In Northern New Mexico, the Cimarron Watershed Alliance is leveraging Community Wildfire Defense Grant funding to maintain and extend fuel breaks, conduct home hazard assessments, and treat 5,400 acres on private properties.

Photo: Rick Smith

If you are interested in submitting a story, please contact Kelsey Delaney and Sara Goodwin.

Policy Update

January 2025 Policy Update

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

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

Competitive Grants Updates

Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) Program

Round 3 opened for applications on November 21 and will close at midnight (Eastern) on February 28, 2025. If you are interested in applying, please contact your state point of contact, which is listed in the Notice of Funding Opportunities on grants.gov. For more information, visit the Forest Service CWDG webpage and the CWSF CWDG webpage.

If you have any CWDG questions, please contact Halie Miyazawa.

Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) Competitive Grant Program

The FY 2025 LSR grant application process is closed to applicants. The scoring period opened on December 13, 2024, and will close on February 7, 2025. For more information, visit the WFLC LSR webpage.

If you have any LSR questions, please contact Leena Visnak.

Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Grant Program

The FY 2025 WUI grant application period is closed to applicants. Scoring opened on January 3 and will close on February 14, 2025. Additional information is available on the CWSF WUI webpage.

If you have any WUI questions, please contact Leena Visnak.

WUI Calibration Training

The FY 2025 WUI Calibration Training took place in Omaha, Nebraska, from December 10-11, 2024. Nearly 50 people from 16 Western states attended this meeting.

The purpose of this gathering was to calibrate any returning scorers and educate new mentees on the WUI grant scoring process. Attendees scored a variety of practice grants and attended informational sessions on successful state projects, as well as scoring best practices.

The FY 2025 scoring process kicked off on January 3 and will close on February 14, 2025, with the ranked list due to the Washington Office in March.

News and Notes from Our Members and Partners

Member and Partner Transitions

Oregon: Cal Mukumoto submitted his resignation effective January 23, 2025, and Kate Skinner has been named Acting State Forester.

Palau: Kiyara-Mae Eluil Swanson has been appointed as the Palau State Forester.

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.

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 contact Patricia Payne.

Western Happenings

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

States/Pacific Islands:

USDA Forest Service:

Northern Research Station: Looking Ahead to the Future of Forestry
Pacific Northwest Research Station: Quarterly Publication Roundup
Pacific Southwest Research Station: Pacific Southwest Research Station Scientists Partner with Palau to Protect Tropical Forests
Research and Development: January National Research Digest
Rocky Mountain Research Station: Science You Can Use Roundup

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

Meetings Calendar

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

Visit CWSF | Subscribe to our newsletter | Visit WFLC

Questions, comments, feedback? Please contact us!

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