SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Federal and state land managers have signed an agreement to cooperate on vast forest lands in Illinois.

The agreement signed this past week was between the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.

It establishes a system for the two agencies to collaborate on forest management and mutual goals in tackling challenges facing communities, landscapes and natural resources.

IDNR Director Colleen Callahan and Forest Service chief Vicki Christiansen said land managers in Illinois face multiple challenges including managing catastrophic storms, droughts, flooding, insect and disease outbreaks, invasive species and increasing public use.