US Forest Service and Montana Sign Shared Stewardship Agreement
USDA Signs Historic Agreement to Reduce Wildfire Risk in Montana
US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced that US Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz and Montana Governor Greg Gianforte have signed a Shared Stewardship Memorandum of Understanding, establishing a new framework to advance forest restoration and reduce wildfire risk across the state.
The agreement expands collaborative efforts to accelerate active forest management, safeguard communities, and support sustainable timber production. The Forest Service and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation will jointly identify and implement large-scale forest management projects, beginning with about 200,000 acres in northwest Montana. The memorandum also leverages federal tools—including the Good Neighbor Authority—to streamline implementation and reduce delays.
The Shared Stewardship model emphasizes outcome-driven, cross-boundary strategies to address wildfire risk, insect and disease outbreaks, and other landscape-level challenges. Both agencies will commit staff to statewide coordination, set restoration and timber targets, and track results through a public-facing dashboard.
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