FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Governor Mark Gordon, U.S. Forest Service Sign Updated Stewardship Agreement

“This is about more than trees. It’s about managing entire landscapes, across boundaries and jurisdictions, to ensure healthier forests, safer communities, and more resources for future generations.”

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Jan. 22, 2026 – Governor Gordon (R-WY) and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz have signed an updated Shared Stewardship Agreement, reaffirming and strengthening the long-standing partnership between the State of Wyoming and the USDA Forest Service (USDA-FS).

“Wyoming values the relationship between the U.S. Forest Service and the State of Wyoming,” Governor Gordon said.  “This is about more than trees. It’s about managing entire landscapes, across boundaries and jurisdictions, to ensure healthier forests, safer communities, and more resources for future generations.”

Wyoming and the USDA-FS have operated under a Shared Stewardship Agreement since 2020. Rather than replacing the current framework, the updated agreement formally recognizes the substantial progress already achieved and sets a clear path for future collaborative planning and implementation.

“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.”

Currently, three state agencies operate under master agreements through the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) to implement projects on USDA-FS administered lands.

The revised agreement also expands opportunities for participation by additional federal, state, and local partners in the co-development and execution of projects. This multi-agency, cross-boundary collaboration reflects Wyoming’s resource management approach and strengthens coordination across jurisdictional lines.

"Renewing this partnership reaffirms our shared commitment to stewarding Wyoming’s forests and rangelands together. The long-standing collaboration between the Forest Service and the State of Wyoming continues to strengthen our ability to address wildfire risk, support local communities, and sustain the health of these landscapes for generations to come,”  Troy Heithecker said, Regional Forester for Rocky Mountain and Northern Regions, U.S. Forest Service.

Wyoming’s Shared Stewardship Agreement is a distinctive and unique commitment between Wyoming and the USDA-FS in the joint management of resources beyond timber, encompassing energy, wildlife and habitat, recreation, and livestock grazing.

For more information contact:

Amy Edmonds, Communications Director, [email protected]

Janelle Collins, Strategic Communications Director, [email protected]

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