Highlights below from CWSF Executive Director Caitlyn Pollihan.
WFLC Website
The new Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC) website was launched today and is accessible at www.thewflc.org. The newly designed website features a refreshed layout and serves as a platform to highlight WFLC's work and issue areas.
The old WFLC website will be automatically redirected to the new WFLC website. If you have any questions regarding the website content, please contact Sara Goodwin, WFLC Communications Director.
In addition to the new website, a WFLC one pager was recently developed. This one pager provides a high level overview of WFLC’s work.
CWSF and WFLC Fall Business Meeting
The Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF) and WFLC recently met for our annual business meeting. This meeting included discussion around key partnerships with Western Governors’ Association and the Society of American Foresters. During the CWSF business meeting, the CWSF membership approved the 2017 budget, the 2017 Wildland Urban Interface grant funding recommendations and the workplan and budget Western States Fire Managers Committee. The membership also approved the development of a member network focused on utilization and markets.
During the WFLC meeting, the WFLC membership approved the Western Urban and Community Forestry Networks’ budget and workplan as well as the workplan and budget for the Pacific Islands Forestry Committee and accepted their updated committee charter. The 2017 Western Landscape Scale Restoration Competitive Grant funding recommendations were also presented and accepted by the membership.
The next CWSF and WFLC meeting will be held May 16-18, 2017 at the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff, AZ. Save the date information will be sent out soon. If you are interested in sponsoring or participating as a vendor in this meeting, please contact Grace Mirzeler.
WSFM WUI Meeting
The CWSF Western States Fire Managers (WSFM) Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Grants Committee met this month to discuss and finalize the Committee’s recommendations for Western SFA funding for fiscal year 2017. These recommendations were presented and accepted at the CWSF Fall Business meeting.
CWSF Member Services Associate Grace Mirzeler attended the meeting to facilitate the scoring discussion and conversed with the WSFM WUI Executive Committee on ways to advance the online portal system for the next fiscal year.
Society of American Foresters Conference
Caitlyn Pollihan attended the Society of American Foresters (SAF) Conference in Madison, WI this month. The theme of the SAF conference was ‘Our Transcontinental Land Ethic: Exploring the Differences that Unite Us’.
Mike Lester, Colorado State Forester and CWSF Member, was also in attendance at the SAF Convention. He presented on behalf of the National Association of State Foresters on a ‘policy and popcorn’ session on federal forest lands management and on forest action plans.
CWSF RFP - Power of Partnerships
CWSF is seeking proposals from qualified companies and/or contractors to capture and synthesize activities on federal forest lands that are being accomplished in partnership between Western state forestry agencies and federal land management agencies.
Written proposals must be received by 4:00 p.m. MST on December 2, 2016. View the RFP.