Below is a news release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is a longtime advocate for active forest management treatments, which enhance wildlife habitat, reduce the risk of high intensity fires and improve overall forest health.
U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a next-generation agreement that builds on a successful shared stewardship partnership. The agreement expands opportunities for timber production, new wood uses, restoring landscapes, and reducing wildfire risk to communities, ecosystems, and local economies across Utah.
“I applaud Gov. Cox for reaffirming the importance of our partnership and recommitting to ensuring healthy forests on public and private lands,” said Chief Schultz. “More importantly, our shared vision includes expansion of sustainable timber production, advancing wood utilization opportunities, accelerating landscape-scale restoration, and increasing the pace and scale of forest treatments to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires, while also seeking additional opportunities for cooperative management of other resources on National Forest System lands. It’s a win for people in Utah and across the nation.”
“Utah knows how to manage land well and has done so successfully, side-by-side with federal partners, for decades. This agreement doesn’t change who owns or controls national forests. It simply lets us work together more efficiently,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. “This allows us to combine capacity, funding and expertise so we can quickly and more effectively care for our forests now and far into the future.”
The agreement follows similar agreements with Montana and Idaho. It also supports implementation of President Trump’s Executive Order 14225, Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production, and strengthens the 2004 Utah Good Neighbor Authority, which allows the Forest Service to authorize states, counties and federally recognized tribes to conduct certain projects on federally managed lands. Through the Good Neighbor Authority, the Forest Service and the state have reduced hazardous fuels and improved forest, rangeland and watershed health, including fish and wildlife habitat.
Agreements like these are essential to maintaining healthy landscapes, thriving rural economies, safer communities, and resilient infrastructure. USDA looks forward to working with all interested states, counties and federally recognized tribes to expand these efforts and deliver lasting benefits for our forests and rural communities.
National forests supply raw materials that support construction and wood energy industries, provide 180 million Americans with clean water, and host millions of visitors every year due to their world-class recreation opportunities.
Click here for more information about the agreement.
(Photo source: Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest)