USDA Agreements Give States Ability to Log Federal Forests

State-employed workers will be able to conduct timber harvesting and forest thinning projects in federally-managed national forests in Wyoming under a “shared stewardship” agreement that Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and the state of Wyoming signed Tuesday.

With Wyoming’s support Tuesday, all 11 Western states have signed agreements sharing national forest stewardship with states. The agreements are part of a broader Agriculture Department effort to give states more influence over federal lands management to address wildfires and other ecological risks.

The agreements raise potential legal issues regarding states making decisions for a federal agency, said Mark Squillace, a natural resources law ...