Policy/Legislation | Council of Western State Foresters

Policy Update, April 2025

Read the latest policy update from Neil Simpson, CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy.

Policy Update, March 2025

Read the latest policy update from Neil Simpson, CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy.

Policy Update, February 2025

Check out our latest policy update from Neil Simpson, CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy.

Policy Update, January 2025

Read our latest policy update from Neil Simpson, CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy.

Policy Update, December 2024

Check out our latest policy update from Neil Simpson, CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy.

Policy Update, October 2024

Check out our latest policy update from Neil Simpson, CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy.

Policy Update, September 2024

Check out our latest policy update from Neil Simpson, CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy.

Policy Update, August 2024

Check out our latest policy update from Neil Simpson, CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy.

Policy Update, July 2024

Check out our latest policy update from Neil Simpson, CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy.

Policy Update, June 2024

Check out our latest policy update from Neil Simpson, CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy.

Policy Update, May 2024

Check out our latest policy update from Neil Simpson, CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy.

Policy Update, April 2024

Check out our latest policy update from Neil Simpson, CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy.

Policy Update, March 2024

Check out our latest policy update from Neil Simpson, CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy.

Policy Update, February 2024

Check out our latest policy update from Neil Simpson, CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy.

Check out our latest policy update from Neil Simpson, CWSF/WFLC Director of Policy, which details the latest on fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations and previews the uptick in forestry and wildfire issues in Washington, D.C., including flexible funding for Forest Action Plans, hazardous fuels funding, reforestation, and the Good Neighbor Authority.

Policy Update, November 2023

This month’s policy update highlights a new Memorandum of Understanding between the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recent policy resolutions passed by the Western Governors' Association, and the latest information on fiscal year (FY) 2024 Appropriations.

Policy Update, October 2023

This month’s policy update highlights ON FIRE: The Report of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, the newly released Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Wood Innovations, Community Wood, and Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance Grants, and updates from Washington D.C.

Policy Update, September 2023

This month’s policy update includes information on three resolutions passed at the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) Annual Meeting, Good Neighbor Authority, the Farm Bill, the Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act, and the possibility of a government shutdown.

Policy Update, August 2023

This month’s policy update highlights the fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations, the Farm Bill, efforts to increase federal wildland firefighters' pay, and a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for temporary bridges.

Policy Update - March 2023

Read the March 2023 legislative and policy update.

Policy Update - February 2023

Read the February 2023 legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, December 2022

Read the December 2022 legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, October 2022

Read the October 2022 legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, September 2022

Read the September 2022 legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, August 2022

Read the August 2022 legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, July 2022

Read the July 2022 legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, June 2022

Read the June 2022 legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, May 2022

Read the May 2022 legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, April 2022

Read the April 2022 legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, March 2022

Read the March 2022 legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, February 2022

Read February's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, January 2022

Read January's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, December 2021

Read December's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, October 2021

Read October's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, September 2021

Read September's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, August 2021

Read August's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, June 2021

Read June's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, May 2021

Read May's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, April 2021

Read April's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, March 2021

Read March's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, February 2021

Read February's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, January 2021

Read January's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, November 2020

Read November's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, October 2020

Read October's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, September 2020

Read September's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, August 2020

Read August's legislative and policy update.

Congress Passes Great American Outdoors Act

With a 310-107 vote on Wednesday, the United States House of Representatives passed landmark legislation in the form of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA).

Policy Update, July 2020

Read July's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, June 2020

Read June's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, May 2020

Read May's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, April 2020

Read April's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, March 2020

Read March's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, February 2020

Read February's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, January 2020

Read January's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, November 2019

Read November's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, October 2019

Read October's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, September 2019

Read September's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, August 2019

Read August's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, July 2019

Read July's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, June 2019

Read June's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, May 2019

Read May's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, April 2019

Read April's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, March 2019

Read March's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, January 2019

Read January's legislative and policy update.

Policy Update, November 2018

Read November's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, October 2018

Read October's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, September 2018

Read September's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, August 2018

Read August's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, July 2018

Read July's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, May 2018

Read May's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, April 2018

Read April's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, March 2018

Read March's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, February 2018

Read February's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, January 2018

Read January's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, November 2017

Read November's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, October 2017

Read October's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, September 2017

Read September's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, July 2017

Read July's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, June 2017

Read June's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, May 2017

Read May's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, April 2017

Read April's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, March 2017

Read March's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, February 2017

Read February's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, January 2017

Read January's legislative and policy update from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, November 2016

Read November's legislative and policy updates from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, October 2016

Read October's legislative and policy updates from CWSF's Policy Director.

Policy Update, September 2016

Congress returned early this month from recess and is in session for a few short weeks before recessing again in October. Discussions have picked back up on several issues of interest to CWSF members including fiscal year 2017 spending, energy legislation, wildfire funding and forest management.

Policy Update, August 2016

Both the House and Senate remain in recess until early September. This policy update includes a summary of several bills - introduced earlier this summer - that may be of interest to CWSF members.

Policy Update, July 2016

Read July's legislative and policy updates from CWSF's Policy Director.

CAL FIRE Chief Ken Pimlott Testifies at Senate Committee Hearing

Yesterday, Chief Ken Pimlott, California State Forester and Director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), and member of the Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF) and the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), testified at the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing in Washington D.C.

Policy Update, June 2016

The following blog post features CWSF's legislative and policy updates from June 2016.

Policy Update, May 2016

The latest CWSF Legislative and Policy Update was published in late April 2016 and provides information on issues of importance to our members. Please note that the update highlights only a selection of the issues the CWSF is monitoring.

CWSF Legislative and Policy Update - April 2016

The April 2016 edition of the CWSF Policy and Legislative update is now available in our publication library. This update provides information on issues of importance to the CWSF.

Policy Update - April 2016

CWSF partners with our regional state forestry association colleagues – the Northeastern Area Association of State Foresters (NAASF) and the Southern Group of State Foresters (SGSF) – as well as the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) on priority policy and legislative items of common interest to state foresters nationwide.

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