BEAVER, Utah — From the sky, you can see a bigger picture of the health of a forest.
In some areas, dead timber spans the mountainside. There is new growth popping up in other areas where crews have worked to improve forest health and prevent catastrophic wildfires.
In a pair of national guard helicopters, Governor Spencer Cox led a delegation of U.S. Forest Service officials, Utah Department of Natural Resources employees, members of the Utah State Legislature and others to show the successes of a "shared stewardship agreement" that Utah has with the federal government. FOX 13 News accompanied them on the aerial tour.
"It’s one of the things we should be really proud of. Sometimes we knock the federal government," Gov. Cox said. " This is where the federal and state governments and local governments and private property owners have been working very closely together to reduce the risk of wildfire, to improve wildlife habitation, to improve grazing, to improve water quality. It really is incredible what we are able to do when we put our minds together and use the science behind forest restoration."
The agreement was designed to cut through red tape when it comes to wildfires. It encompasses projects to keep forests healthy by removing dead timber and underbrush to prevent wildfires, improve watershed and air quality. Beaver County Commissioner Tammy Pearson said her community has been partnering with the U.S. Forest Service on projects long before the state inked an agreement and she fully supports it.
"We have a common goal in mind and the common goal is healthy forests," Commissioner Pearson told FOX 13 News. "A healthy forest provides a clean watershed, a healthy watershed, protects private property and in general, it just makes a beautiful public landscape."
It wasn't always this way, said Mary Farnsworth, the regional forester for the U.S. Forest Service.
"There was a lot of head-butting and a lot of angst, and 'What are they doing?' and 'the Forest Service isn’t doing what we want them to do' and 'State guys, I don’t know about them,'" she said.
Farnsworth said they found common ground about wanting to help forests stay healthy.
"As we’ve gone one with shared stewardship? What it’s gained us is the ability to communicate. It’s kind of a way of working, instead of 'these are set agreements,'" she said.
The state signed an agreement with the Trump administration and it has been renewed under the Biden administration. Environmental groups have raised some concerns in the past, largely centered around the "roadless rule" which blocks timber cutting and road building in certain areas (the agreement still doesn't allow for it). But Gov. Cox defended the agreement and said other states are now striking similar arrangements.
"After 10 years, we can show that it is working. Now we have other states that are interested," the governor told FOX 13 News. "In fact, some blue states like California and others who have had catastrophic wildfires."
While both the state and federal government seem happy with the shared stewardship agreement, funding remains an issue. State leaders would like to see more timber removed to protect communities and guard against wildfire. Part of Monday's trip was to show members of the Utah State Legislature how it's working, to get more funding for it. Gov. Cox told the group he would even pick up the phone and call President Biden to push for more federal dollars.
Rep. Carl Albrecht, R-Richfield, whose district includes many of the forest lands, has been critical of the federal government in the past. He supports this initiative.
"What they’re doing here is absolutely essential for the health of the forest and fire prevention," he said, naming all the organizations involved. "They’re all in on this. It’s the best thing that’s happen to the forest in a lot of years."
