Bridger-Teton National Forest SVI PHOTO/AUBREY HALE

Lincoln County Commissioner Mel Shumway told listeners in a live studio interview on the Weekday Wake-up that county officials are working to increase timber harvest activity while also tracking a long-running revision process for the Bridger Teton National Forest plan.

Shumway said the county has already seen more logging along the forest’s southern end and is seeking similar momentum elsewhere. “There is, yes,” he said when asked about increased logging in the Bridger Teton “in the southern end of the county.” He added that Lincoln County is coordinating with state forestry officials to help support timber sales in additional districts. “We’re working, trying to work closely with the state forestry,” Shumway said. “We’re getting the good neighbor authority.”

He described efforts to improve on-the-ground coordination by placing a state forester in the area. “We’re trying to get a state forester that would be actually positioned that could help coordinate some of these timber sales for the Bridger and for the Greys River District and the Kemmerer district as well,” Shumway said.

Shumway said the county expects multiple timber-related projects to be scheduled over the next two years. “We’ve got a lot of projects lined up, you know, a couple million worth of board feet that’s hopefully going to be slated for timber sales in the next 18 to 24 months,” he said. The commissioner linked the push to heightened risk and changing forest conditions. “As we’ve realized this winter with our lack of moisture and what we experienced last year with a fire on Willow Creek,” Shumway said, “we need to be very cognizant of our forests.”

He said active forest management is intended to protect communities and maintain the value of forest resources. “We want to make sure they’re managed. We want to make sure there’s value in the resources that we can extract before they are lost,” Shumway said.

Shumway also addressed the forest service revision plan affecting the Bridger Teton Forest Plan, which he said is nearing the end of its planning cycle. “The current Bridger-Teton forest plan is now over 30 years old, so it’s time to renew it and update it,” he said.

He said the revision is in progress and includes multiple phases, with a major milestone envisioned before the public receives final materials. “They’re hoping to have something ready to be mailed out to the public by fall of 2028,” Shumway said, adding that the draft assessments are available but “they’re not ready for public comment … yet.”