2022
The fifth Student Congress was held in Boise, Idaho on October 3-6, 2022
To view the student authored report and findings, please visit the Public Lands Foundation Page.
As with previous congresses, this event featured expert presentations, panel discussions, and field trips that resulted in student-led recommendations for future public land management. During the 2022 event, select college and university students from across the country examined western fire management through field work and policy discussions, culminating in a student authored report that was presented in Washington DC February 2023.
The 20-25 students were selected meet for four days along with four or five advisors who have had long careers in public policy and land management. They discussed current issues and potential solutions and made recommendations relative to what they believed to be important considerations for future policy making. The first day of the Student Congress included an opening reception with policy makers and event organizers. The second day of the event included a field trip and a tour of the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, ID. Students met in small groups with policy makers to discuss pre-Student Congress reading material and assignments. They then convened as a forum, where they developed responses to specific questions on the future of public land management, and ultimately produce recommendations that could impact future land management.