| MEMBERSHIP:
At
the close of 2007, there were 535 members in the Western Region. This represents
over 58 % of the total FFLA membership. NEW
DIRECTORS:
During 2007 the Western Division welcomed two new directors.
Dixie Boyle leads the newly created New Mexico chapter and Sondra Jackson Kellogg
became the new Colorado-Utah chapter director. CONFERENCE:
The
15th annual Western Region Conference was held September 23rd to 25th in Seeley
Lake, MT. The conference was hosted by the Northern Idaho/Montana Area Chapter.
More than 50 FFLA members plus some guests and speakers attended. Once again,
the conference attendees enthusiastically supported the silent auction with donations
and bids. Nearly $750 was raised - well over the amount necessary to provide the
seed money for the 2008 conference. Active lookouts of both the Montana state
DNRC and the Lolo National Forest were visited. This was another great conference,
enjoyed by all who attended. LOOKOUTS:
There
were ongoing and/or successfully completed lookout restoration projects in virtually
every state of the Western Region. One ongoing project is Double Arrow Lookout,
which was visited by the conference attendees. Just a couple of months later,
this lookout was saved from destruction by a wildfire.
Once again in 2007,
dozens of fire lookouts were seriously threatened by large wildfires. The only
confirmed loss from wildfire was Loon Creek Point Lookout in the Salmon-Challis
National Forest. There would have been many more lookouts lost if not for the
hard-working and dedicated crews who wrapped these lookouts.
Five lookouts
in Washington state were severely damaged during a winter storm in late 2006.
Gobblers Knob, Shriner, and Red Mt. Lookouts got new roofs and have been mostly
repaired, Cleman Mt. Lookout was destroyed, and the fifth, Harriet's Lookout,
had its cab destroyed and the future of its 60 foot wooden tower is unknown.
One new lookout was constructed, Sexton Mt. in Oregon, which replaced the
previous lookout that had been destroyed by vandals.
Thanks
to all who have supported the FFLA and the fire lookouts.
Dave Bula,
Western
Deputy Chairman, FFLA | 
