Barrasso Seeks “Good Neighbor” Legislation
Agencies in the Greater Yellowstone area refer to it as a “blurring the boundaries.” Now, Wyoming’s U.S. Senator John Barrasso has reintroduced bipartisan legislation that would allow the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to work with state foresters tocomplete projects that cross ownership boundaries. Barrasso says that forests in Wyoming and across the Intermountain West currently face serious threats, including forest fires and an unprecedented bark beetle epidemic. As such, he says extending Good Neighbor authority will make it easier for local, state and federal land managers to protect and manage those forests. This, he says would ensure they have additional tools available for land managers to perform wildfire restoration, address bark beetles, and improve wildlife habitat, regardless of boundary lines. Currently, only Colorado and Utah benefit from Good Neighbor authority.
