Utah forestry officials can expect to have more influence over critical decisions involving the management of the state’s 8 million acres of national forest thanks to an agreement Gov. Gary Herbert and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue signed Wednesday.
The deal obligates the U.S. Forest Service to rely on the state’s guidance for designing, implementing, and prioritizing projects geared toward reducing the risks of damaging wildfires and promoting forest health.
“This agreement is about setting priorities together and combining resources to achieve healthier forests for the people of Utah,” said Perdue, a former governor of Georgia, after the signing witnessed by top Forest Service officials and Utah lawmakers, county commissioners and agency heads.