Idaho plans to ramp up logging activity on U.S. Forest Service land through a new Shared Stewardship agreement.

Idaho is planning to work with the U.S. Forest Service to significantly boost logging and timber sales from National Forest trees in the Gem State.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little and fellow Idahoan, Chief of the Forest Service Tom Schultz, on Friday announced the renewal of the state’s Shared Stewardship agreement with the U.S. Forest Service.

Agreement aims to reduce wildfire fuels through targeted logging
The state and federal entity have had an agreement in place since 2018, but the new one comes with goals such as to roughly double current timber sales from National Forest land to 100 million board feet annually within five years.

Little, Schultz and Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller emphasized Friday that the idea is to reduce wildfire risk.

“This broader approach allows us to reduce fuels at a meaningful scale, protecting communities, improving forest health, strengthening local economies,” Little said Friday at a press conference. “… I deeply value our partnership as we work to prevent devastating fires, protect property and safeguard Idaho.”

Schultz said the goals in the updated agreement align with President Donald Trump’s “Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production” executive order issued in March that directs federal agencies to pursue ways to boost logging production and timber sales from federal lands.

Officials in the U.S. The Department of Agriculture, where the Forest Service is housed, are predicting a 25% increase in the volume of timber product sales over the next four years, Schultz said.

The Forest Service is providing about $4 million upfront to ramp up the effort, he said, and the boosted timber sales are expected to cover ongoing costs. Other goals include working with private landowners to create fuel breaks and reduce fuels in areas where people live close to the wildland interface.

The Idaho Department of Lands has developed a map of priority areas for logging and other fuel reduction, such as prescribed burns. Forested areas near McCall and in North Idaho around Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint are among the primary focus areas.

The agreement also includes plans to use the revenue from timber sales for fish and wildlife habitat restoration, tree replanting, and recreation improvements.

Idaho is facing a projected budget shortfall of about $58 million for the current fiscal year, and a roughly $600 million deficit in the next fiscal year. Agencies are not expected to be able to increase staffing or request new employees during the upcoming legislative session. Miller said the state lands department has unique authority to be able to hire foresters to scale up activities if the income from it is sufficient.

Miller said the plan is to “bring on additional foresters to grow the program commensurate to the need.”

Source: eastidahonews.com