Past Reports
BRAND West initiative report
06/23/25
The BRAND West initiative, led by New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, convened experts across industry sectors and all levels of government to identify strategies for expanding access to housing in the West.
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2024 Annual Report
07/24/24
The 2024 Annual Report of the Western Governors' Association highlights the past year’s policy work on topics such as disaster preparedness, health care, land management, rural development, energy, infrastructure permitting, and housing, just to name a few.
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Decarbonizing the West initiative report
06/06/24
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, Chair of the Western Governors’ Association (WGA), launched the Decarbonizing the West initiative in 2023 to examine how decarbonization strategies can position western states at the forefront of innovation and reduce CO2 in the atmosphere. The initiative explored a wide range of engineered decarbonization approaches as well as natural sequestration through enhanced land and agriculture management practices, all of which present enormous opportunities for western states.
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2023 Annual Report
08/08/23
The 2023 Annual Report of the Western Governors' Association highlights the past year’s policy work on topics such as renewable energy, wildfire and disaster assistance, land management, invasive species, rural development, health care, data, workforce development, and water, just to name a few.
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The Heat Beneath Our Feet Initiative Report
06/26/23
The potential of geothermal energy in the West is vast and offers significant advantages and benefits in efforts to expand the portfolio of renewable energy resources. Advances in technology and increased interest in developing domestic sources of low-cost, reliable, clean energy have brought greater attention to the energy potential of the heat beneath our feet.
“The Heat Beneath Our Feet research and recommendations is further positioning Colorado and the West as a leader in geothermal energy,” said Governor Polis. “I appreciate all the Western governors, participants, and community members who worked on this initiative and helped explore the heat beneath our feet.”
Read the full report here.
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Western Governors’ Association 2022 Annual Report
07/26/22
The 2022 Annual Report for The Western Governors' Association highlights the past year’s policy work of the Western Governors on topics such as land management, wildfire mitigation, broadband connectivity, workforce development, and much more.
The report also details work on the Working Lands, Working Communities Initiative, the central policy effort of WGA Chair, Idaho Gov. Brad Little. In addition, you’ll find reports from Gov. Little and WGA Executive Director Jim Ogsbury, as well as an overview of the Winter Meeting and Western Prosperity Roundtable Forum.
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Working Lands, Working Communities Initiative Special Report
07/26/22
The Special Report of the Working Lands, Working Communities Initiative contains targeted recommendations on issues that affect natural resource management and the role that local communities play in successful land planning and management processes.
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Western Governors’ Association 2021 Annual Report
07/28/21
The Western Governors' Association 2021 Annual Report highlights the past year’s policy work of the Western Governors on topics such as broadband connectivity, workforce development, COVID-19, disaster response, cybersecurity, wildfires, species management, and water.
The report also details work on the Electric Vehicles Roadmap Initiative, the central policy effort of WGA Chair and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown. In addition, you’ll find: reports from Gov. Brown and WGA Executive Director Jim Ogsbury, overview of the Winter Meeting, and results from the Celebrate the West art competition.
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Electric Vehicles Roadmap Initiative Special Report
06/30/21
The Special Report of the Electric Vehicles Roadmap Initiative contains targeted recommendations on federal policy issues that affect public and private investments in EV infrastructure across the West. It also includes an umbrella agreement among states around a shared set of principles regarding EV infrastructure planning and identified a suite of voluntary standards to optimize public and private EV infrastructure investments. Read, download the Report
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Western Governors’ Association 2020 Annual Report
07/07/20
The Western Governors' Association 2020 Annual Report highlights the past year’s policy work of the Western Governors on topics such as realigning the state-federal relationship, water management, the launch of the Western Invasive Species Council, and more.
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Reimagining the Rural West Initiative Special Report
06/30/20
The Reimagining the Rural West Initiative Special Report of WGA Chair and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum highlights the work of Western Governors to re-energize rural communities and help them tap into the opportunity that abounds in global economic trends and technological innovation.
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Western Governors’ Association 2019 Annual Report
06/10/19
The WGA 2019 Annual Report highlights the past year’s policy work of the Western Governors on topics such as realigning the state-federal relationship, water management, infrastructure, the launch of the Working Lands Roundtable and more.
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Western Governors’ Biosecurity and Invasive Species Initiative Special Report
06/10/19
The Western Governors’ Biosecurity and Invasive Species Initiative Special Report highlights the work of Western Governors to confront the challenge of nuisance species and pests on western ecosystems. The past year’s workshops and webinars of the Initiative focused on the role of biosecurity in addressing the risks posed by invasive species.
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Western Governors’ Association 2018 Annual Report
06/25/18
The WGA 2018 Annual Report highlights the policy work of the governors on forest and rangeland management, species conservation, the state-federal relationship, water, and energy issues. The report also details the Workforce Development Initiative, the central policy effort of WGA Chair and South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard.
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Western Governors’ Workforce Development Initiative Report
06/25/18
The Workforce Development Initiative Year-One Report highlights the work of Western Governors to bridge the skills gap between workers and employers in the West. The first year of Initiative workshops and webinars focused on how to create enhanced opportunities for students, graduates and displaced workers to help build a more vibrant regional economy.
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