U.S. Forest Service and Idaho Department of Lands expand partnership to increase active forest management across Idaho

BOISE— The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) announced five new Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) agreements to expand active forest management, accelerate restoration, and strengthen long-term collaboration across Idaho’s national forests.

The agreements provide $12.4 million in federal funding for timber sale preparation and implementation, hazardous fuels reduction, road improvements, timber salvage, reforestation, post-wildfire recovery, thinning, watershed protection and other forest restoration activities.

A key component is a 20-year statewide GNA agreement covering all national forests in Idaho. It establishes a long-term framework for sustained investment, coordinated planning and implementation of forest management projects.

Together, the agreements are expected to support more than 100 future GNA timber sales and dozens of additional restoration projects across Idaho. The work will increase the pace and scale of forest management to improve forest health, reduce wildfire risk, support rural economies and provide sustainable timber supplies.

“These agreements strengthen Idaho’s partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and provide a long-term framework for increasing forest management and reducing wildfire risk,” said Idaho Gov. Brad Little. “This work supports my Make Forests Healthy Again Executive Order and our shared commitment to healthy, resilient forests and strong rural communities.”

The agreements build on the 2025 Idaho Shared Stewardship Agreement between the state and the USFS, which calls for expanded sustainable timber production, accelerated landscape-scale restoration, increased hazardous fuels reduction on national forests and greater use of GNA to advance cross-boundary forest management.

“These Good Neighbor Authority agreements strengthen our partnership with the Idaho Department of Lands and reinforce our shared commitment to Idaho’s communities. By accelerating forest treatments across diverse landscapes, we’re working together to reduce wildfire risk, improve forest health, and protect the places where Idahoans live and work. Healthy forests mean resilient communities, and these agreements help us support both,” said Michiko Martin, Regional Forester, Southwest and Intermountain Regions, U.S. Forest Service.

“These agreements give us the tools and resources to put more forest management projects on the ground and build on the success we’ve had through Good Neighbor Authority,” said Jon Songster, IDL Deputy Division Administrator of Forestry. “With a long-term statewide framework and new federal funding, we can increase the pace and scale of work that improves forest health, reduces wildfire risk and supports Idaho’s forest products industry.”

Since Idaho first implemented Good Neighbor Authority in 2016, the state has become a national leader in collaborative forest management. It has used it to increase forest restoration on federal lands through partnerships among IDL, the Forest Service, local governments, tribes, private industry and other stakeholders. These projects support local jobs, reduce wildfire risk and improve forest conditions.