The Aspen Institute

This past summer, wildfires blazed across the western United States, putting communities, wildlife, and water supplies at risk. As the effects of climate change worsen, each wildfire season is intensifying and our approach to dealing with these wildfires is no longer enough. The Aspen Institute and The Nature Conservancy have joined forces to drive a more resilient path forward, convening expert voices to develop comprehensive recommendations and solutions.

On October 26, 2021, Aspen Institute and The Nature Conservancy hosted a wildfire resilience partnership launch event that featured keynotes from the Honorable Kate Brown, Governor of Oregon, and Tommy Beaudreau, Deputy Secretary of the Interior, and closing reflections on moving forward from Colorado Senator Michael Bennet.

The first panel focused on the all levels of government and society needed for wildfire resilience and featured David Hayes, Special Assistant to the President for Climate Policy, Hilary Franz, Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands, Don Gentry, Chairman, The Klamath Tribes, and Rita Hite, Executive Vice President, External Relations and Policy, American Forest Foundation, in conversation with Amanda Paulson, Correspondent, Christian Science Monitor.

The second panel honed in on landscape-scape wildfire resilience management and featured Jaelith Hall-Rivera, Deputy Chief of State and Private Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Saat Alety, Director of Federal Affairs and Public Policy, Allstate, and Lyle Laverty, Former Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish Wildlife and Parks, in conversation with Cassandra Moseley, Vice President for Research and Innovation and Research Professor, University of Oregon.