The Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC) is a partnership between western State Foresters and USDA Forest Service leaders.
WFLC works collaboratively towards the sustainable management of western forests to ensure the many resources, uses and benefits our forests provide meet our needs today and for generations to come. Learn more about who we are and what we do.
The membership of WFLC is comprised of state and territorial forester members of the Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF), as well as representation from the Forest Service:
- 23 CWSF members
- 17 western State Foresters
- 6 foresters from U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands
- 11 individuals from the Western Forest Service leadership
- 7 Regional Foresters
- 3 Station Directors
- 1 Forest Products Laboratory Director
WFLC is staffed by the Council of Western State Foresters and is governed by an Executive Board that includes the CWSF Executive Committee, two Regional Foresters, a Station Director, and a Western State, Private, and Tribal Forestry Director.
WFLC operates under established national priorities (to conserve, protect, and enhance Western forests) as defined by the 2008 Farm Bill. As required by the 2008 Farm Bill, an analysis of the Statewide Forest Resource Assessments and Strategies for the western states and Pacific Islands found that, as diverse as the West is, there are foundational issues in common across forest types and ownerships. These include:
- Forest health and invasive species
- Wildland fire and the wildland-urban interface
- Sustainable communities and economies
- Climate change, carbon sequestration, biomass energy
- Water quality and quantity
WFLC facilitates information exchange, dialogue, and cross-boundary decision making among the membership, and plays a key role in helping to inform members and partners about timely issues impacting western forestry.
WFLC also manages and delivers the Western Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) grant allocation process.
