The Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) Committee was established as a standing committee in 2023. Prior to serving as a committee, the GNA members met as a Task Force.
The mission of the GNA Committee is to perform as an exemplary network within the Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF) to share information and resources; advise state and federal leadership, staff, and partners through expert technical guidance; and provide recommendations for policy improvements regarding federal forest management, shared stewardship, and the use of the GNA to western state foresters and their federal counterparts.
Membership
Membership of the committee consists of a representative from those CWSF member states and Pacific Islands that have opted in. Appointments are made on a voluntary basis by western State Foresters.
Leadership
The committee is led by a leadership team and rotates annually among member states to ensure the widest diversity of expertise and representation. The 2025 leadership team includes:
- Chair: Christine Mares (AZ)
- Vice-Chair: Kyle Sullivan-Astor (OR)
- Secretary: Everitt Meritt (CO)
- Past Chair: Trevor McConchie (WA)
- State Forester Advisor: Tom Torres (AZ)
- CWSF Staff Liaison: Kelsey Delany
Work Plan
Each year, the committee produces a report for the CWSF Fall Meeting. This report highlights key accomplishments from the past year and a look at work for the year ahead. Recent reports are featured below:
Blog Posts
- April 2024 - 2024 GNA Committee Annual Meeting
- June 2023 - 2023 Good Neighbor Authority Task Force Annual Meeting
Highlights
- New! 2024 Western State Forestry Agencies Good Neighbor Authority Activities and Accomplishments - CWSF staff and the GNA Committee partnered to develop a western synthesis of GNA activities and accomplishments across 13 state forestry agencies from the time each state began implementing GNA through the end of state fiscal year 2024. (View the 2023 synthesis.)
- GNA Information and Resources Webpage - Assisted in developing and contributing content to the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC) GNA Information and Resources webpage and contributed monthly state spotlights on GNA projects in the West.
- New! GNA Spotlights StoryMap - embedded below and accessible at https://arcg.is/WGOi.
Contact
If you wish to contact a member of the Good Neighbor Authority Committee, please contact Kelsey Delaney.