The Wyoming Forest Stewardship program is part of a nationwide effort developed by the National Association of State Foresters in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service. A Forest Stewardship plan applies resource management principles to private forest lands that will benefit current and future landowners and society at large.

If you are interested in a Stewardship Plan and own two or more acres of forest land, you can obtain Forest Stewardship assistance from the Wyoming State Forestry Division. One of the District Foresters will help you to write a Forest Management Plan for your forest's future based on your personal Stewardship goals for the land.

The District Forester will go with you on a tour of your forest land. He will discuss various methods you could use to accomplish your goals for the land. And, he will provide information about the cost-share incentives to private landowners which will help them to accomplish the various practices which are included in a Forest Stewardship Plan.



Cost-Share Agreement

The Wyoming State Forestry Division is administering a grant program through the Fremont County Protection District's Cooperative Wildland Fire Management Program (Firewise) that provides cost share funding to create defensible space and reduce fuel loads on private lands.  Participants will be entitled to funds for practices including:

·       Defensible Space: thinning, pruning and fuels removal in a circular area not less than 90 feet from the exterior of the residence.

·       Fuel Treatment: thinning and pruning areas other than the defensible space.  Spacing of leave trees shall follow the recommendations of the plan.  All green or dead fuel larger than 3 inches in diameter will be removed from the site.  Slash shall be lopped to 12 inches in height or less or chipped.

·       Fuel Breaks: the exterior boundary and both sides of the roads within fuel treatment areas shall have all slash removed from the site. Slash shall be lopped to 12 inches in height or less or chipped.

·       Slash Treatment: treat logging or thinning slash from a pre-existing sale or thinning by: lop and scatter not to exceed 12 inches in height, or pile and burn, remove or chip. 

The cost-share agreement is designed to assist landowners with the costs of implementing recommended fuels reduction activities.  The costs of completing the activities are turned into the Firewise Coordinator and up to 65% of the total cost of the activity will then be paid to the landowner.  The program allows homeowners to do the work themselves and charge an hourly rate for in-kind services or to hire a private contractor to accomplish the tasks outlined in the Stewardship Agreement. 

For further information, contact State Forestry at (307) 856-8655