The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Fire Protection, have signed a groundbreaking 20-year shared stewardship that expands cross‑boundary forest management and strengthens Alaska’s forest products industry. The agreement represents the largest scale of state-federal collaboration in Alaska’s history in terms of acreage and duration, and provides a long-term framework to address the unique challenges facing the state’s forests and communities. “This agreement outlines our commitment to work together, actively managing the Tongass National Forest to create healthy forests, while contributing to a stable, vibrant rural economy,” Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said. “We will deliver  measurable results — in part, by enabling the state to implement projects on up to 300,000 acres across the Tongass through Good Neighbor Authority. This will mean more acres treated, more communities protected, more jobs created, and healthier forests for generations to come.”

• Juneau Independent, by Mark Sabbatini: Dunleavy signs ‘shared stewardship’ agreement with U.S. Forest Service to boost timber production