On March 1, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order for “The Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production.”
The EO prioritized production of timber, lumber, paper, bioenergy, and other wood products (timber production) as being “critical to our Nation’s well-being.” It further stated: “Timber production is essential for crucial human activities like construction and energy production. Furthermore, as recent disasters demonstrate, forest management and wildfire risk reduction projects can save American lives and communities.”
Because the United States has an abundance of timber resources and our federal policies prevent full utilization of these resources, “it is vital that we reverse these policies and increase domestic timber production to protect our national and economic security.”
Trump directed the US Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz (USFS) to issue new or updated guidance to increase timber production and sound forestry management, reduce time to deliver timber, and decrease timber supply uncertainty.
To date, the Forest Service has signed “Shared Stewardship Agreements” with Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming.
These agreements are establishing partnerships to coordinate and prioritize the USFS work at the state level and pursue implementing the right management for each community to improve forest and watershed conditions and protect communities from devastating forest fires indicative of past administrations and agency environmental policies.
Idaho
On December 5, 2025, Idaho signed a shared stewardship agreement focusing on improving forest conditions in areas designated as “high risk” under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act.
The State and Forest Service have identified two priority landscapes, one in northern and southern Idaho, where they are focusing investments. The Forest Service, NRCS, and Idaho Department of Lands have collaborated and created joint plans to treat federal, state, and private land equally when managing the state’s resources.
“Idaho’s forests are some of the most important working lands in America, and this agreement is exactly the kind of partnership we need to keep them healthy and productive,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. “For too long, federal red tape and hands-off policies left our forests overgrown and our communities at risk. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are fixing that. By doubling timber production through Good Neighbor Authority and speeding up active management, we’re protecting Idaho families, supporting rural jobs, and making our forests stronger for generations to come.”
Wyoming
On January 22, 2026, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon and the US Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz announced the signing of an updated Shared Stewardship Agreement originally signed in August 2020, during President Trump’s first term.
The updated agreement is focusing on invasive species, wildlife, range, vegetation, and recreation management.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, the Forest Service has made unprecedented investments in forest health, reducing wildfire risk, expanding active management, and maintaining access to national forests and grasslands — and shared stewardship is a cornerstone of that policy,” Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said . “These challenges are too big for any one organization. That’s why, under this Administration, we’ve committed to working more closely with our state partners to share resources and make better decisions that benefit the people and communities we serve in Wyoming and across the nation.”
Wyoming’s Shared Stewardship Agreement is a good example of joint management with a state and USFS that prioritizes timber, all forms of energy, wildlife and habitat, recreation, and livestock grazing.
Go here to read about:
- Utah’s plan signed Jan. 8, 2026: U.S. Forest Service, Utah sign next-generation agreement to continue, strengthen long-term partnership
- Montana’s Plan with USFS signed June 30, 2025 to reduce wildfires: USDA Forest Service Signs Historic Agreement to Reduce Wildfire Risk in Montana
