News

WASHINGTON, D.C.–The National Association of State Foresters welcomes the well-qualified leadership materializing at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). To maximize public benefits from forests and reduce catastrophic wildfire threats, State Foresters need experienced federal agency leaders who understand the complexities of the issues, the value of strong state-federal partnerships, and the urgency of needed [read more]

WASHINGTON, D.C.–State Foresters applaud the recent enactment of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, which contains sweeping measures to improve public land management and outdoor recreation nationwide. The Act’s explicit expansion of the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) will accelerate critical forest management work across boundaries on national, state, tribal and county lands. [read more]

WASHINGTON, D.C.– President Biden signed a stopgap spending bill to keep federal agencies functioning through March 14, 2025. The measure includes more than $100 billion in aid to Americans struggling to recover from natural disasters, citing hurricanes “Helene and Milton and [the] Hawaii wildfires” among examples of late. The announcement and resulting funds will have a significant [read more]

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The USDA Forest Service has announced nearly $210 million in funding made available per the Forest Landowner Support initiative through the Inflation Reduction Act. For State Foresters, this is a welcome and much needed incentive to support private landowners’ efforts in sustainable forest management. State forestry agencies provide technical assistance to more than 200,000 landowners [read more]

In a letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committee leadership, the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) called for the inclusion of critical forestry needs in an upcoming disaster assistance package. NASF outlined several funding and legislative requests, including $1.164 billion for timber block grant funding for private landowners impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. [read more]

The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) collaborated with key partner organizations on a letter urging Congressional leaders to pass bipartisan wildfire prevention and resilience legislation by the end of 2024. The letter highlights the urgent need to shift from reactive to proactive wildfire management, drawing attention to recommendations from the Wildland Fire Mitigation and [read more]

NASF submitted comments responding to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to amend Land Management Plans for old-growth forests across the National Forest System (NFS). Old-growth forests contribute to nature-based climate solutions, increase biodiversity, mitigate wildfire risks, enhance climate resilience, enable subsistence and cultural uses, provide outdoor recreation [read more]

The National Association of State Foresters sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to emphasize the importance of the exceptional events demonstration for prescribed fire and the need for increased use of the process at the EPA regional offices. Prescribed fire is a critical tool for state forestry agencies to reduce hazardous fuel [read more]

NASF submitted comments responding to the Occupational Safety Administration’s (OSHA) request for input regarding the potential impacts to the wildland firefighting community of incorporating various National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards into the proposed Emergency Response Standard. In the comments, NASF expressed concern that the National Wildfire Coordinating Group's (NWCG) existing standards and training are [read more]

The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) submitted comments in response to the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service request for public input to support the preparation of proposed regulations intended to implement the Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program. The purpose of the Program is to facilitate farmer, rancher, and [read more]