The Trinity County Board of Supervisors voted May 20 to endorse the “Collaborative Strategy for Federal Land Management in Trinity County,” a guidance document developed over more than a decade by the Trinity County Collaborative and local partners.

The document—prepared with input from local foresters, environmental advocates, timber industry representatives, recreation users and federal agency personnel—recommends policies and priorities for federal managers working on national forest and other federally owned lands in Trinity County. County and collaborative leaders said the approach is intended to increase local influence on federal planning, speed project approval and align treatment priorities across landscapes to reduce wildfire risk and support local economies.

Kelly Sheen, executive director of the Trinity County Resource Conservation District and co‑facilitator of the collaborative, presented the paper to the board and summarized its history and aim, saying the guidance reflects “many months of reworking and years of collaborative fieldwork.” She noted the collaboration stretches back to about 2012 and represents a broad cross‑section of county stakeholders.

Public commenters and collaborative members urged the board to endorse the document. Tom Waltz, a collaborative member, told supervisors the plan represents negotiated agreement across a county that often divides evenly in elections: “To have a management strategy that incorporates a real variety of thought…incorporated all those different viewpoints.” Joseph Bauer, another collaborative member, said the document is the result of numerous field trips and meetings and urged supervisors to pass the resolution to strengthen the county’s ability to attract project funding. Other speakers representing the collaborative and local forestry interests described the plan as a long‑term effort to balance ecological benefits, community safety and local jobs.

Supervisors praised the collaborative work and singled out improved working relationships between county and federal staff. In her remarks, Vice Chair Heidi Carpenter Harris noted that Forest Service representatives had reviewed and “put their stamp of agreement” on the white paper, calling the timing “a unique era in the history of Trinity County.” Supervisors said the endorsement does not direct federal agencies to specific actions but is intended as local guidance intended to be applied by federal managers.

The board adopted a resolution endorsing the strategy by unanimous voice and roll‑call vote and directed staff to circulate the document to federal agencies and collaborative partners.

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The document and related cover materials are part of the county packet; staff said the endorsement is meant to make Trinity County a stronger candidate for implementation funding and to provide a single, locally agreed set of priorities for federal land managers to consider.