Chair's Initiative
Working Lands, Working Communities
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The final workshop for the Chair initiative of Idaho Gov. Brad Little, Working Lands, Working Communities, convened federal, state and local policymakers and stakeholders to discuss emerging issues, share success stories and provide a forum for the development of bipartisan strategies to improve cross-boundary land and natural resource management.
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Gov. Spencer Cox opened the Salt Lake City workshop by imploring the federal government to work closely with states on the pressing land management issues facing the West, including drought and wildfire. The workshop also included roundtable discussions with regional experts about innovations in forest products, the challenges of increased tourism, and strategies for building capacity in communities to coordinate and sustain successful rangeland conservation efforts.
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In the wake of one of the West's worst fire seasons,Colorado Gov. Jared Polis hosted a workshop for Gov. Brad Little's Chair Initiative that featured federal, state and local policymakers and stakeholders in discussion about strategies to improve cross-boundary land management and wildfire mitigation. Topics included post-fire restoration, forest management infrastructure, collaborative conservation, and the challenges of developing a forestry workforce, among others.
During his keynote address, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy emphasized the importance of sustainable resource development and urged the federal government to streamline permitting processes so that states can effectively leverage their natural resources for community benefit and avoid businesses outsourcing production to foreign countries. The workshop for the central policy effort of WGA Chair, Idaho Gov. Brad Little, also included conversations about rural workforce capacity, water quality, forest management and tourism.
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