Governor Signs Order To Enhance Wyoming’s Forest Protection Efforts

Wyoming's landscape is made up of many different classifications.

• Mountains
• High Plains/ Grasslands
• Basins
• Forests

On August 1, the state's Forestry Division received a big win courtesy of Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon. The Governor signed Executive Order 2025-04: Increase of Active Forest Management in Wyoming.

Overall, there are more than 9 million acres of forest land in the state, which is about 15% of the total area in  Wyoming. Many of those areas are inside the Bridger-Teton, Shoshone, Medicine Bow-Routt, and Bighorn National Forests.

According to the Facebook Post:

The new Executive Order provides clear direction and support for Wyoming State Forestry Division to expand our work. We will continue to move forward with increasing our Good Neighbor Authority program, updating federal-state shared agreements, implementing landscape-level cross boundary projects, and increasing wildfire suppression coordination.

The Wyoming State Forestry Division was officially formed in 1952 by the Legislature. Under State Statute, the State Forester is mandated to “have direction of all forest interests and all matters about forestry within the jurisdiction of the State of Wyoming.” The Forestry Division fulfills this charge by providing three basic programs to the people of the state: State Trust Land Management, Fire Management, and Assistance Forestry.

By signing the EO, the Governor has ensured projects will move ahead to help reduce wildfire fuels. Forest ecosystems will become stronger and healthier.

Over the last few years, fires have had a significant impact on Wyoming. In 2024, over 810,000 acres. Which is much larger than the previous five large fire years.  Fires like the Elk Fire, which was the largest in the Bighorn National Forest.