Spencer Cox & Tom Schultz

Utah has had more than 7 million acres of national forest for over a century but not the say it wanted in managing them. That changed Thursday morning when the state finalized a new agreement with the U.S. Forest Service, intended in part to expand logging. “This is something we’ve been working for — wanting — literally, for generations in our state,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said at the state Capitol before signing the document. “And now the moment is here where we can be involved on the front end of these decisions.” Utah is the third state to formalize such an agreement with the Forest Service this year, following Idaho and Montana. The compacts come after President Donald Trump directed federal agencies in March to speed approval of logging projects and set goals for timber sales, calling it a way to reduce wildfire risk.