The protection of Idaho’s rural communities and the health of our forests are critical issues that go beyond just one government agency or interest, so in October of 2019, Governor Little assembled a group of leaders in forest management and policy to help effectively implement Shared Stewardship in Idaho.
Shared Stewardship is an initiative that aims to reduce wildfire risk, improve forest health, and support jobs through additional, coordinated active land management projects.
Additional information about Shared Stewardship in Idaho is available here. Progress and planning of Shared Stewardship projects is available here.
The members of the broad-based Shared Stewardship Advisory Group offer a balance of interests and skills and include the following individuals.
- Governor’s representative: Jamie Neill, Office of the Governor
- Member, Idaho House of Representatives: Representative Sage Dixon
- Member, Idaho Senate: Senator Doug Okuniewicz
- County commissioner: Sherry Maupin, Valley County Commissioner
- Large forest manufacturing representative: Tom Schultz, Idaho Forest Group
- Small forest manufacturing representative: Brett Bennett, Bennett Lumber
- Industrial forest landowner representative: Anna Torma, PotlatchDeltic
- Logger representative: Tim Christopherson, Associated Logging Contractors
- Family forest landowner representative: David Easley, Idaho Forest Owners Association President
- Idaho Forest Restoration Partnership representative: Matthew Ward
- Conservation non-governmental organization representative: Kurt Dyroff, National Wild Turkey Federation
- Conservation non-governmental organization representative: John Robison, Idaho Conservation League
- Idaho Lands Resource Coordinating Council representative: Knute Sandahl, State Fire Marshal
- Idaho Department of Lands: Director Dustin Miller and Ara Andrea
- U.S. Forest Service Northern Region 1: Tim Garcia
- U.S. Forest Service Intermountain Region 4: Kelly Orr
- Natural Resources Conservation Service: Curtis Elke, State Conservationist
- Tribal representative: Gary Aitken, Jr., Council Vice Chair of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho