SALT LAKE CITY – The state of Utah recently entered into a 20-year cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, to help actively manage national forests across Utah. The agreement builds on and strengthens Utah’s Shared Stewardship partnership, which the state and the Forest Service have had in place since 2018, and formalizes a cooperative management framework. 

The agreement assigns Utah a greater management-supporting role, allowing the state to provide funding, staffing capacity, contracting expertise and technical support to help implement forest management projects in a timely and efficient manner. For decades, Utah has partnered with federal agencies, local governments, tribes, conservation organizations and private landowners to implement landscape-scale projects that improve watershed health, wildlife habitat, rangeland conditions and resilient ecosystems statewide.

“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 agreement 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.”

Utah faces increasing challenges from frequent and severe wildfires, insect and disease outbreaks, recreation demands and management backlogs. Federal resources alone are often insufficient to address these issues at the required pace and scale. This agreement provides a long-term framework to proactively address these risks, while protecting nearby communities and natural resources.

“I applaud Gov. Cox for reaffirming the importance of our partnership and recommitting to ensuring healthy forests on public and private lands,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. “More importantly, our shared vision includes expansion of sustainable timber production, advancing wood-use opportunities, accelerating landscape-scale restoration, and increasing the pace and scale of forest treatments to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires. It’s a win for people in Utah and across the nation.”

Planning will be conducted jointly by the state and the Forest Service, using the best available science and data. All applicable projects will continue to undergo environmental and permitting reviews. Environmental analysis, public input and compliance with federal law are fully maintained under this agreement.

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.