Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Association of State Foresters applauds three major funding announcements by USDA this week: Forest Legacy Program, Wood Innovations Grants and Community Wildfire Defense Grants. Taken together, these federal investments will accelerate much needed work to enhance forest management, protection and conservation across the nation. The announcement reflected a sum of $478 million in [read more]

WASHINGTON—The partners behind the wildfire prevention legend Smokey Bear and his public service advertisement campaign—the longest running in United States history—are pleased to announce the 2024 national Smokey Bear Award awardees. The Smokey Bear Awards are reserved for individuals, teams, and organizations that provide outstanding service with significant and sustained program impact in the wildfire prevention arena. [read more]

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Northwest Wildland Fire Protection Agreement (Northwest Compact) is welcoming Hawaii as its newest member, rendering the compact 11 agencies strong. Eight wildfire compacts operate across North America, allowing the U.S. and Canadian provinces the ability to share information, technology, personnel and other essential resources across borders. Compacts are a critical foundation for effective [read more]

The four cosponsors of the national Wildfire Mitigation Awards have named the individuals and organizations chosen to receive honors this year in recognition of their exemplary commitment to community wildfire risk reduction. WASHINGTON—The Wildfire Mitigation Awards committee has named a recipient of the Wildfire Mitigation Legacy Award in addition to two organizations chosen to receive [read more]

WASHINGTON, D.C.—On July 31, 2023, State Foresters lauded Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s announcement that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service is accepting applications for this year’s edition of the $1 billion Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) program. Launched in July of 2022, the newly established program has already demonstrated itself as a distinct asset in [read more]

WASHINGTON, D.C.—On July 12, 2023, Oklahoma State Forester Mark Goeller shared his expertise on enhancing wildfire prediction and response coordination before the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. As Canadian wildfires dominate discussion, wildfires, their rampant devastation and impact on air quality are gripping the attention of communities around the world. Goeller pointed to Oklahoma’s collaboration with the [read more]

WASHINGTON, D.C.—On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a remarkable investment to conserve some of the nation's most economically and ecologically significant forestlands to the tune of $188 million. Provided through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, these funds will support 34 conservation projects over more than 245,000 acres of the nation's [read more]

WASHINGTON, D.C.—State Foresters welcomed today's announcement from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that nearly $250M will be provided to state forestry agencies under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for the expansion of Urban and Community Forestry programs. This remarkable funding opportunity demonstrates the USDA’s confidence in state foresters and local communities as custodians of [read more]

Kansas State Forester Jason Hartman Testifies Before Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate Forestry and Natural Resources WASHINGTON, D.C.—This week, on behalf of the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), Kansas State Forester Jason Hartman joined representatives from the Nature Conservancy, Neiman Enterprises, National Alliance of Forest Owners and the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute to testify [read more]

NASF Responds: “A Warmly Welcomed and Sorely Needed Down-Payment” WASHINGTON, D.C.—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on March 21, 2023 that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is investing $197 million in 100 project proposals benefiting 22 states and seven tribes, as part of the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) program. The National Association of State Foresters [read more]