Workshop to Advance Wildfire Smoke as a National Public Health Priority

World Forestry Center will host a two-day workshop, November 12–13, 2025, bringing together public health experts, forestry professionals, and policy leaders to address one of the most pressing issues facing communities across the country: wildfire smoke.

This workshop aims to establish a cohesive group of experts committed to elevating wildfire smoke as a national public health priority. Participants will explore the root causes and cascading impacts of wildfire smoke, identify interdisciplinary interventions, and chart a path forward that connects forest management and public health strategies.

Together, attendees will consider two guiding questions:

What is at stake?
What must change to enable meaningful solutions?

Wildfire smoke exposure is a growing and is currently under-recognized as a public health threat. Addressing this challenge requires more than reactive measures—it calls for leadership and collaboration across sectors. Cross-sector engagement between public health and forestry professionals is essential to ensuring that forest management strategies protect both ecological and human health.

“At World Forestry Center, we believe that solutions to wildfire and smoke begin with conversation and collaboration,” said Tim Hecox, Director of Programs and Experience. “This workshop is about building the relationships and shared understanding needed to take meaningful, collective action.”

Workshop outcomes will inform a roadmap for sustained cross-sector collaboration and help shape the agenda for a larger strategy in 2026.

The workshop will convene leaders from across the country, including representatives from the American Lung Association, Fire Adapted Learning Network, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, MegaFire Action, National Tribal Air Association, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon Health Authority, Stanford Medicine, The Nature Conservancy, and the University of Colorado School of Public Health.