The Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF) and Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC) is pleased to announce Danielle Okst as the new Executive Director.

Most recently, Danielle served as the Director of Policy and previously served as the Associate Policy and Grants Director. As Director of Policy, Danielle played an integral role in facilitating the region’s competitive grant processes and worked closely with members and partners to advance forestry issues across the West.

Laura Schweitzer’s last day with CWSF and WFLC was on March 2. The staff and members wish Laura well on her next steps as Deputy Regional Forester with the USDA Forest Service Region Pacific Northwest Region.

View the press release.

The 2023 CWSF and WFLC Spring Meeting will take place in Boise, Idaho, from Tuesday, May 16, at 8:00 a.m. to Thursday, May 18, at 5:00 p.m.

We are nearing our registration deadline of April 15. To secure your spot, all attendees are encouraged to register by Friday, April 15. Please contact the Riverside Hotel to make your room reservations before our room block ends on April 7. After that date, you cannot book at the per diem rate.

Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) Program

The White House and USDA Forest Service have announced the fiscal year (FY) 2022 CWDG program list of successful projects that will be funded from the first round. View the USDA Press Release and the full project list for more information.

For a deeper look at the western process, read our blog post “$197 Million Invested in State, Private, and Tribal Lands Through Community Wildfire Defense Grants”. 

The FY 2023 timeline for the second cycle of applications has yet to be determined 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.

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.

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

Utilizing the Good Neighbor Authority, an agreement in Colorado created a Community Protection Zone on federal lands adjacent to communities in the wildland-urban interface.

Read more about the White Cloud Fuels Reduction Project.

The WFLC Forest Legacy Publication has been updated to include a feature on Arizona’s San Pedro River Ecosystem Forest Legacy Project, permanently protected through USDA Forest Service Forest Legacy Program. 

Learn more on the WFLC Forest Legacy webpage. 

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.