NWTF Co-CEO Kurt Dyroff Joins Western Leaders to Advance Shared Stewardship

Dyroff served as a panelist during the session, "Shared Stewardship 2.0: A New Era of Collaborative Forestry," alongside USDA Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Director Amanda Kaster and Colorado Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Dan Gibbs. The panel examined how the shared stewardship model has evolved since its launch in 2018 and how expanded partnerships between states, the USDA and conservation organizations like the NWTF are accelerating forest restoration and improving the health of public lands across the West.

"Shared stewardship succeeds because organizations bring different strengths to the table, united by a common goal of creating healthy, productive forests," Dyroff said. "The NWTF is proud to play a critical role by helping turn collaborative plans into on-the-ground conservation that reduces wildfire risk, restores wildlife habitat and strengthens America's rural communities. I'm honored to have joined Chief Schultz, Director Kaster and Director Gibbs, discussing how partnerships like these are shaping the future of forest management across the West. I want the thank the Western Governors’ Association and all of the governors and leaders in attendance for the many productive and meaningful conversations."

Participation in the Western Governors' Association Annual Meeting underscores the NWTF's role as a trusted conservation partner and ensures the organization's on-the-ground experience informs conversations about the future of western forests. By bringing decades of collaborative conservation experience to policymakers and agency leaders, the NWTF continues to advance practical solutions that benefit wildlife, communities and outdoor traditions.

"Partnerships like the one the Western Governors' Association shares with the National Wild Turkey Federation help make WGA a trusted forum for bipartisan policy development,” WGA Executive Director Jack Waldorf said. “Kurt’s expertise is deeply valued by Western Governors as they work to address complex land management and wildfire challenges. We look forward to continuing this productive partnership with NWTF as we advance and strengthen shared stewardship in the years ahead.”

For the NWTF, the conversations at the WGA meeting represent decades of work building trusted partnerships that deliver meaningful conservation on the ground.

Today, the NWTF serves as one of the Forest Service's largest nonprofit conservation partners and streamlines collaborative projects across National Forest System lands, leveraging federal, state and private investments to restore wildlife habitat and improve forest health. The agreement enables the NWTF to work alongside national forests throughout the country to implement projects that reduce hazardous fuels, improve wildlife habitat, restore watersheds and increase public access to healthy forests.

That work is carried out by the NWTF's conservation delivery team, including foresters, wildlife biologists and active forest management specialists who work alongside federal and state agencies to plan and implement landscape-scale restoration projects. Across the West, NWTF staff collaborate with the Forest Service, state forestry agencies, state fish and wildlife departments, Tribal partners, local governments, private landowners and other conservation organizations to improve forest conditions and conserve wildlife habitat.

As western forests continue to face increasing pressure from catastrophic wildfire, prolonged drought, insect and disease outbreaks and decades of accumulated forest fuels, the need for collaborative, cross-boundary management has never been greater. Through active forest management, the NWTF helps create healthier forests that better support wildlife, enhance watershed health and reduce wildfire risk for nearby communities.

About the National Wild Turkey Federation

Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 25 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. Since 2022, the NWTF has also invested over $2.3 million in critical wild turkey research that, when leveraged with partner contributions, has resulted in more than $22 million to guide the management of the wild turkey and to ensure sustainable populations. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale to create healthy forests and wildlife habitats, clean and abundant water, resilient communities and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF is committed to creating a nation united by the life-changing power of the outdoors.