State forester: Wyoming better prepared for 2026 fire season; $3.5M forest‑health grants draw strong demand

State Forester Kelly Norris told the Joint Appropriations Committee that Wyoming enters the 2026 fire season with materially expanded response capacity after legislative investments in aviation, staffing and forest‑health programs.

Norris summarized early‑season activity (486 wildfires burning about 23,100 acres to date) and said aviation assets contracted this season — a type‑3 helicopter, a type‑2 helicopter and four single‑engine air tankers (SEATs) — have been employed across multiple incidents. "Wyoming is entering the 2026 fire season in a significantly stronger position than one year ago," Norris said.

The forester also outlined operational expansion: two new state wildland fire modules (Gannett Peak and Prong Horn), expanded smoke‑buster inmate crews (25 participants this summer), and a smoke‑busting and fuels‑reduction schedule. The smoke‑buster crew and modules have already supported multiple fires this season, the forester said, with aviation resources delivering tens of thousands of gallons of water and retardant to initial attack operations.

Norris described a competitive, legislatively funded $3.5 million forest‑health grant program that drew 31 applications requesting $12.2 million and proposed partial funding for 22 projects across 13 counties; reviewers included representatives from Game and Fish, DEQ, BLM, conservation districts, and forestry experts. Senator Hicks and other lawmakers urged further investment; Senator Hicks asked the committee to consider a $10 million supplemental next year to leverage local matches and to build a longer‑term program to prevent catastrophic fires.

What happens next: State Forestry will finalize grant contracts, begin site visits this summer, and continue aviation and module operations during fire season. Legislators signaled interest in additional supplemental funding to scale forest‑health projects.