Authored by Kim Slezak, Nebraska Forest Service

The Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF) Forest Products Committee (FPC) gathered for its 2025 Annual Meeting at the High Country Conference Center in Flagstaff, Arizona, following the successful Ponderosa Pine Utilization Summit.

The CWSF FPC was established in 2017 to address a range of regional forest utilization issues. In cooperation with western State Foresters, the FPC works to support sustainable forest management, the forest industry, and communities. Membership of the FPC includes state forestry agency foresters, forest product, utilization, and marketing specialists from 17 western states and six U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands, as well as a State Forester advisor and a staff liaison from CWSF. The USDA Forest Service is a critical partner and integral participant in committee activities and conversations.

The 2025 annual FPC meeting provided a critical opportunity for committee members and partners to meet in person to network and address utilization issues and opportunities at the state, regional, and national level. This year’s meeting was hosted by Dave Bruton, FPC Chair, with support from the FPC leadership team and CWSF staff. Attendees included representatives from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, the USDA Forest Service, CWSF staff, and Forest Stewards Guild staff.

First on the agenda was an after-action review of the Ponderosa Pine Utilization Summit with the FPC planners, Forest Stewards Guild, and Hardigg Consulting.  

The agenda included time for a lightning round of FPC member presentations on priorities, successes, and lessons learned.  

Much of the time was spent completing the 2025 FPC Work Plan Review and finalizing the 2026 Work Plan for approval at the CWSF meeting in December. The new FPC State Forester Advisor, Jeremy Douse of Alaska, was the first sounding board for some of FPC's future plans. 

The FPC looks forward to 2026 and beyond, building on action items that were brought forth during the Ponderosa Pine Utilization Summit – some of which are transferable to other species in the West.

The FPC meets virtually every other month and once in person per year.

To learn more about the FPC, visit www.westernforesters.org/about/committees/forest-products-committee.