Largest Collaborative Agreement for Forest Management in the Country Signed

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Milwaukee (July 16, 2020) – On July 15, the Northeast-Midwest State Foresters Alliance (NMSFA) and the USDA Forest Service signed an Agreement for Shared Stewardship during a virtual signing ceremony. This formal agreement further strengthens the longstanding partnership and commitment to using an all-lands approach for forest management across the Northeast and Midwest United States.

The Agreement continues years of collective effort between the Northeast-Midwest State Foresters Alliance and the Forest Service. It builds on previous collaborative agreements signed in 2009 and 2014. The signatories on this agreement are the Northeast-Midwest State Foresters Alliance President Forrest Boe and the Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen.

“This Shared Stewardship Agreement will enhance our partnership by prioritizing the shared goals of conserving working forest landscapes, protecting forests from harm, and enhancing public benefits from trees and forests,” said Forrest Boe, State Forester of Minnesota and current President of NMSFA.

The Northeast and Midwest are the most populated regions and have the highest percentage of forested land in the country. With a mix of federal, tribal, state, and private ownerships, it is essential that forest managers work together across jurisdictional boundaries, leveraging collective resources and authorities to take an all-lands approach to forest management. 

“Shared Stewardship is about working with our state partners across our shared landscapes on our mutual priorities through partnerships and collaboration,” said Chief Christiansen. “This historic shared stewardship agreement between the Forest Service and the Northeast-Midwest State Foresters Alliance, which includes 20 states and the District of Columbia, will to enhance our collective ability to improve forest conditions across these landscapes using every tool and authority we have.”

Membership of the NMSFA includes Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

To view this press release as a pdf, please click here.