From seed to forest, recovery doesn’t happen on its own. Across the country, the Forest Service works with state, local and other partners to reduce wildfire risk, restore landscapes and grow the next generation of forests. This is shared stewardship in action. (Forest Service video by Michael McCool)

In forests across the United States, recovery often begins with something small.

A seed.

Over time, forests grow, adapt and renew themselves through cycles shaped by fire, weather and insects. But in some cases, forests can be pushed beyond their ability to recover quickly on their own.

That is where management begins.

Inside one cold-storage facility at the Lucky Peak Nursery in Idaho, thousands of young trees sit in carefully organized boxes, waiting for the right conditions to be planted. Each one is a carefully grown product, representing months of planning and coordination between state and federal partners.

The work done at this Forest Service facility is just one example of similar, intentional planning underway in forests across the country, where partners are working together to reduce risk and improve forest conditions across the landscape.

Thousands of seedlings are stored in cold conditions at a Forest Service nursery in Idaho. These trees support coordinated forest management efforts across the country.

Where it begins

Wildfire remains one of the most visible forces shaping forest landscapes.

In the Boise National Forest, burned trees from a recent, devastating fire stand black and barren — charred remains of their former glory. They must be harvested quickly before they lose their value as lumber. Although wildfire can be part of a natural cycle, if left alone, these standing dead trees can pose safety risks to visitors and nearby communities.

A burned section of forest in Idaho shows the aftermath of wildfire. While fire can play a natural role, severe events can leave behind hazardous conditions that require active management.

The fire that raged across this forest is just one of many forces that can affect the health of a forest. Managing those risks requires coordination across boundaries that are invisible to the fire itself. In situations like this — and even before disaster strikes — the Forest Service works hand in hand with state and local partners.

For Dustin Miller, director of the Idaho Department of Lands, that cooperation is essential.

“About 95% of our acres border either the U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management,” Miller said. “So, the relationship with the federal agencies matters.”

When the forest needs help

Across the region, that cooperation is formalized through an approach known as shared stewardship.

The model emphasizes collaboration between federal, state and local entities to identify risks, plan projects and carry out work more efficiently.

“Shared stewardship was an initiative rolled out by the Forest Service,” said Brian Davis, South Idaho shared stewardship coordinator. “It’s realizing that we need to do a better job and be a better partner with our neighbors.”

Much of that work focuses on reducing hazardous fuels — dense underbrush and unhealthy trees that can intensify wildfires and increase risk to nearby communities.

Thinning operations and the removal of unhealthy trees help reduce the amount of fuel on the landscape, lowering the potential for fires to grow more severe.

Jamie Barnes, director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, said the approach has evolved beyond an idea into measurable work on the ground. That work does not stop at ownership boundaries.

“Not just state land… not just local land… but also federal land — working across all jurisdictions of the landscape,” Barnes said.

Forest crews working across jurisdictional boundaries to reduce hazardous fuels, mark dead trees for removal. Shared stewardship allows coordinated planning and implementation across multiple partners.

Working together on the ground

In practice, shared stewardship allows partners to divide responsibilities based on capacity and expertise.

The Forest Service often leads planning and environmental analysis, while state partners assist with implementation, including timber removal and fuels reduction.

When timber is removed as part of these projects, it can help support additional restoration work, including site preparation and future planting efforts.

That work also plays a role in supporting local economies and sustaining forestry operations in rural communities. In addition, removing extra timber can help reduce wildfire risk.

In Montana, Gov. Greg Gianforte emphasized the importance of reducing that risk through active management.

“Our forests are choked with dead and dying timber — a tinderbox ready to burn,” Gianforte said. “By reducing those fuel loads, we’re significantly reducing wildfire risk.”

For those working on the ground, the partnerships built through shared stewardship often become second nature.

“We don’t really even realize we’re working with a different agency,” Barnes said. “We work so well together… we spend more time with our partners than we do with our own families.”

Contactors use logging machinery to clear a dead trees from the forest. Removing hazardous fuels helps reduce wildfire risk while supporting forest management efforts. Timber from these projects can also contribute to local economies.

The next forest

Restoration does not end with clearing damaged trees.

It begins again with planting.

At facilities like the Lucky Peak Nursery in Idaho, millions of seedlings are grown each year, carefully matched to the conditions where they will be planted.

“So, every year we grow millions of trees,” said Sara Wilson, nursery manager. “The purpose for those trees is to go out into the woods… and grow into nice big healthy trees for the future.”

Those seedlings are prepared for specific elevations, soil types and climates, helping ensure the next generation of forest is well suited to the landscape.

The work extends across landscapes that do not follow property lines.

“Shared stewardship really gives us an opportunity for everybody that owns the forest,” Idaho Gov. Brad Little said. “Because the bugs, the fires — nobody knows where the lines are on the map.”

The results of these coordinated efforts are already visible across the landscape.

“We’ve been increasing capacity… we’ve been doing interagency work across the landscape… and we’ve been protecting watersheds,” Barnes said.

Shared stewardship brings federal, state and local partners into the same effort — coordinating work across boundaries to improve forest conditions and reduce risk.

Forests do not grow by accident.

They are shaped by planning, management and cooperation.

And with the right care, the cycle continues.

Learn more about our Shared Stewardship program.