BOISE, ID — Idaho leaders signed a renewed Shared Stewardship agreement Friday, expanding a statewide effort to accelerate forest management and reduce wildfire risk.

Governor Brad Little joined U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz and Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller to formalize the updated partnership, which broadens cooperation across federal, state, and private lands. The agreement boosts long-term planning, expands active forest treatments, and increases timber production targets.

Little said Idaho’s early work under the Good Neighbor Authority positioned the state to take on a stronger leadership role. He described the new agreement as a continuation of Idaho’s strategy to manage forests across entire landscapes and reduce threats to rural communities.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the plan aims to reverse years of slow federal management by increasing timber production and speeding up fuel-reduction projects. Schultz added that Idaho and the Forest Service will now work to double timber output from National Forest System lands through joint restoration and thinning projects.

Under the agreement, the state and federal government commit to raising annual timber sale volumes to as much as 100 million board feet within five years—twice current levels. The framework also streamlines planning, identifies new funding opportunities, and sets measurable performance targets for projects statewide.

Idaho was the first state to sign a Shared Stewardship agreement in 2018. Since then, the state has completed 64 Good Neighbor Authority timber sales totaling more than 209 million board feet and expanded cross-boundary fuel-reduction efforts.

State officials say the updated agreement will support rural economies, improve forest resilience, and strengthen partnerships as Idaho confronts longer, more intense fire seasons.