The U.S. Forest Service is preparing to ramp up timber production in Utah after Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz and Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed a new long‑term stewardship agreement last week. The deal brings the two governments into closer alignment to expand sustainable timber production, accelerate forest‑health treatments, and reduce wildfire risk across one of the country’s most fire‑prone regions.
As it stands, Utah is home to more than 18 million acres of forest (7.28 million hectares) and 3.6 million acres of timberland (1.46 million hectares) capable of supporting commercial production — a resource the Forest Service says underpins the state’s rural economy.
“I applaud Gov. Cox for reaffirming the importance of our partnership and recommitting to ensuring healthy forests on public and private lands,” Schultz said. “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.”
Governor Cox said the agreement strengthens an already effective model of state–federal cooperation. “Utah knows how to manage land well and has done so successfully, side‑by‑side with federal partners, for decades,” he said. “This agreement doesn’t change who owns or controls national forests. It simply lets us work together more efficiently. It will be better in every single way for our lands,” giving Utah a stronger role in managing more than 8 million acres (3.24 million hectares) of national forests.
Wood Central understands that the new agreement mirrors arrangements in Montana and Idaho, two of the most heavily forested states in the country. Montana contains around 22.5 million acres of forest, while Idaho has nearly 21 million acres of national forest land, making both states central to the Forest Service’s broader strategy to expand sustainable timber production and reduce wildfire risk.
It also supports the implementation of President Trump’s Executive Order 14225, Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production, which last year directed federal agencies to “free up” millions of hectares of U.S. forests for timber production. At the time, President Trump said the United States was “so restricted environmentally” and argued that the country had “more forests than almost anybody,” adding that the U.S. should not need to rely on Canadian timber. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has since committed to increasing timber output from more than 144 million acres (58 million hectares) of federally managed forests nationwide.
The agreement also reinforces the 2004 Utah Good Neighbor Authority, which allows the Forest Service to authorise states, counties, and federally recognised tribes to conduct certain projects on federally managed lands. Through this mechanism, Utah and the Forest Service have reduced hazardous fuels and improved forest, rangeland, and watershed health, including fish and wildlife habitat.
Federal officials say agreements of this type are essential to maintaining healthy landscapes, supporting rural economies, and improving community safety. National forests supply raw materials for construction and wood‑energy industries, provide clean drinking water to 180 million Americans, and support millions of recreational visits each year.
