A new 20-year cooperative agreement between Utah and the U.S. Forest Service aims to restore forests damaged by bark beetles, including areas of the Manti-La Sal National Forest in Sanpete County.

Gov. Spencer Cox and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz signed the agreement last Thursday at the State Capitol. The deal gives Utah a greater role in managing more than 8 million acres of national forest land.

State leaders say the partnership is the result of decades of work and will help improve forest health, reduce wildfire risk, and strengthen local involvement in land management.