2023 Western Interstate Region Conference
About the Conference
The NACo Western Interstate Region (WIR) Conference brings together county officials from across the nation to focus on pressing issues facing counties and our residents. Each year the conference is hosted by a county within the fifteen Western states – Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawai'i, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming – and provides attendees with the opportunity to interact with federal, state and regional policymakers, participate in educational sessions and take home tools to address challenges.
County News
WIR showcases Utah counties
Counties Celebrate Passage of Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act
Over 700 counties to receive essential resources supporting education, transportation, public safety
Congress passes Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 in victory for counties
In a major victory for counties, Congress passed the bipartisan Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Reauthorization Act of 2025 (S. 356) on December 9. The bill provides payments to counties for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 and FY 2025 and reauthorizes the SRS program through the end of FY 2026, and delivers critical relief to timber-dependent counties that rely on these funds to maintain essential services and transition toward long-term fiscal stability.
House Natural Resources Committee advances Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act
On November 20, the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources advanced the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act (H.R. 4776), which would make important changes to streamline federal permitting and strengthen county involvement in decision-making by amending the National Environmental Policy Act. Counties support commonsense permitting reforms, and NACo secured provisions in the SPEED Act that would guarantee counties a seat at the table during federal environmental reviews.
Nebraska counties add new office, new NACo members
The Nebraska Association of County Officials reached out to its more remote members by opening an office in the western part of the state.
Congress advances resolutions to overturn three Bureau of Land Management resource management plans
On October 8 and 9, the U.S. Congress passed resolutions under Congressional Review Act authority expressing disapproval of three Bureau of Land Management resource management plans covering public lands in Montana, Alaska and North Dakota. The resolutions repeal recently finalized resource management plans and revert the areas to prior land use plans.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces it will not develop a recovery plan for the gray wolf
On November 3, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it would not develop a national recovery plan for the gray wolf, which is currently considered endangered under the Endangered Species Act in much of the contiguous United States. The Service’s assessment, which determines that a nationwide recovery plan is no longer necessary for gray wolves, is consistent with previous federal agency findings that the species no longer warrant endangered or threatened species protection.