Trump wants to log more trees. He'll need states' help.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed a pair of executive orders to increase logging in national forests and on other federal lands.
Trump’s orders direct federal agencies to set aggressive targets for timber harvests and to circumvent environmental laws such as the Endangered Species Act that protect critical habitats.
State officials and forestry experts say Trump’s plan relies heavily on state land management agencies to carry it out. Most states say they’ll cooperate to some extent — especially to boost wildfire prevention projects. But most states also are concerned that federal workforce cuts will undermine their goals, and some worry about loosening environmental standards.
“It’s 100% dependent on state partnerships,” said Dallin Brooks, executive director of the National Hardwood Lumber Association trade group. “It really is contingent on the states going in and helping. The states have the expertise, the manpower, the local desire, and they’re less likely to face battles on the environmentalist front.”
Leaders in liberal-leaning states say they’ve invested heavily in wildfire resilience work on federal forests. They’re cautiously optimistic that Trump’s orders could allow them to expand such projects. But they oppose efforts to slash environmental regulations to boost commercial logging.
Meanwhile, foresters in conservative-leaning states say they welcome the chance to increase domestic timber production and help a struggling industry.
https://stateline.org/2025/03/20/trump-wants-to-log-more-trees-hell-need-states-help/