The 2024 Annual Policy Forum was chock-full of in-depth policy discussions about everything from digital equity and workforce development to extreme heat and wildfire mitigation. 

Especially noteworthy were the ‘”fireside chats” between Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves, and Dr. Homer Wilkes, the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).  

The west has undergone extraordinary growth in recent years, presenting challenges and opportunities for western communities. The annual 2023 Annual Policy Forum, hosted in Bozeman by Governor Greg Gianforte, convened community members, policymakers, and experts to discuss strategies for strengthening community resources and ensuring smart and sustainable development to effectively manage the growing West. 

Panels explored the interconnected and often compounding resource constraints across human, physical, and financial dimensions and the ways in which to address them.  

The 2022 Annual Policy Forum was hosted by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt at the 21c Museum Hotel Oklahoma City. This year’s forum focused on state strategies for allocating the influx of federal funds that were provided as part of the American Rescue Plan and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and bolstering the capacity of rural and underserved commuities to access these resources.

At the 2021 Annual Policy Forum, WGA Chair and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, along with Vice Chair and Idaho Gov. Brad Little and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, spoke about the challenges and opportunities faced by western states face in the wake of COVID-19. In addition, the Forum hosted a broad range of discussions on connectivity and the digital divide, workforce development, and disaster resilience and recovery.