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.

Related News

Greg Brophy, Colorado director of the Western Way, addresses the WIR Board of Directors. Photo by Charlie Ban
County News

Interest in energy generation builds in the West

Counties are exploring the potential for energy generation on their public lands, but local control will set the stage for a tradeoff.

Bureau of Land Management Acting Director John Raby speaks to the WIR Board of Directors during the 2025 NACo Legislative Conference in March. He addressed a workshop remotely during the 2025 WIR Conference in Pennington County, S.D. in May. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

BLM, HUD target public lands for housing

A multi-agency push could open up hundreds of thousands of BLM acres near towns and cities to development for attainable housing.

The Western Interstate Region Executive Committee meets for the first time in 2025 during the WIR Conference in Pennington County, S.D.. From left: Immediate Past President John Espy, Carbon County, Wyo.; President John Peters, Mono County, Calif.; Dwayne McFall, Fremont County, Colo. and Second Vice President Derrick DeGroot, Klamath County, Ore. Photo by Rebecca DeWitt
County News

WIR grows membership, offerings in South Dakota

Members of NACo’s Western Interstate Region learned about and fueled the work being done by the National Center for Public Lands Counties at the WIR Conference in Pennington County, S.D.

Large bison walks across prairie
Advocacy

House Natural Resources Committee considers the Endangered Species Act Amendments Act of 2025

On March 6, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) introduced the Endangered Species Act Amendments Act of 2025, which makes several important changes to the Endangered Species Act and addresses key county concerns. 

Harvester working with thinning in a pine forest
Advocacy

USFS begins disbursement of revenue sharing payments amid lapse in SRS funding

On April 11, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service began distributing funds to support public schools and roads in counties containing national forest lands.

Terry Wolf recounts his years of experience as a Washakie County, Wyo. commissioner during a public lands panel March 2 at NACo’s Legislative Conference. Photo by Lana Farfan
County News

Resource plans strengthen public lands counties

If the National Center for Public Lands Counties aims to be known as the repository of knowledge and experience learned by veteran county officials, it could do worse than featuring Terry Wolf as a seasoned expert.