We’re making essential investments in fire recovery and resilience

For some Wyoming producers, the 2024 fire season was nothing short of catastrophic. A firestorm around northern Wyoming left nearly one million acres scorched in a matter of days, leaving many in our ag communities to wonder what 2025 would look like. How would assistance be rendered, and how can our state be prepared for the next maelstrom? 

While it was no easy ride, the recently concluded Legislative session has provided resources, both for our 2025 firefighting suppression efforts and for those seeking assistance in the aftermath of last year’s fires. 

We know that invasive annual grasses thrive in drought, fire and bare ground. To maintain the ecological integrity of Wyoming’s landscapes, it is essential to make a stand against terrestrial invasive species. The Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust will administer a program to provide grants to Wyoming conservation districts, weed and pest districts and the Game and Fish Commission. These grants are meant to help restore grass, hay and other vegetation and prevent the establishment of terrestrial invasive species like cheatgrass. 

Funding availability remains important — and especially for the landscape-level treatments necessary after fires. In the final report of my Invasive Species Initiative, one of the recommendations was to “assess state-level funding for invasive weed management to identify opportunities to increase flexibility of use and time constraints on using those funds and to better leverage funding that is available.” The grant funding made available at this crucial juncture responds to the needs we see today, on the ground, facing our producers. 

Wyoming continues to be recognized for our leadership in addressing national resources issues, and doing it through a collaborative process, as a community. My hope is that as our recovery from the 2024 fires continues, we will be able to recover our landscapes for the next generation. 

General information on wildfire recovery resources is available through the Wyoming Grants Management Office at https://sbd.wyo.gov/grants/wildfire-recovery-resources.