CHEYENNE, Wyo.—Annually, the Wyoming State Forestry Division provides the opportunity for educational outreach related to forest management, wildfire mitigation, and assistance programs at forestry field day events. This summer, several forestry field days have been held across the state of Wyoming including the Big Horn Mountains, Casper Mountain, Laramie County Fire District #8, and Ryan Park. In all, 166 individuals have participated in the forestry field days held this summer. This is a valuable opportunity for private landowners and forestry/fire professionals from local, state, and federal agencies to cultivate a strong relationship and promote healthy forest management and wildfire prevention across the landscape.

The Ryan Park Field Day kicked off the series of forestry field days. At this event, private landowners learned about forest health conditions in the Snowy Range, how to actively manage their forests, wildfire risk-related information, the importance of address identification in case of an emergency, and on-going projects on the Medicine Bow National Forest. The Laramie County Fire District #8 event also touched upon forest health and wildfires. The Big Horn Mountains Field Day included discussion on the Western Spruce Budworm, estate planning for forested private land owners, as well as additional updates from partnering agencies. Private landowners at the Casper Mountain Field Day learned about wildfire behavior and defensible space, as well as the Western Balsam Beetle, Red Belt, and other forest health concerns on the mountain.

The Wyoming State Forestry Division looks forward to continuing to build its relationship with private landowners across Wyoming and partnering with local, state, and federal agencies to promote healthy forest management and wildfire mitigation efforts.