Collaboration

Stewardship Contracting involves a diverse group of community members; individuals representing community-based groups; interest groups; and public agencies. Collaboration is not something new, it is part of our business practice. Collaboration is an open, inclusive, continuous process. In order for collaboration to work, the agency line officer must be involved at key stages of the project. The decision making will remain with the agency; however, true collaboration involves the sharing of ideas and power. Good collaboration builds constituencies.

The following links include information and examples of collaborations.

Other Organizations

• Frequently Asked Questions About Collaboration - prepared by Carol Daly, Flathead Economic Policy Center for the Red Lodge Clearinghouse.
• The Collaboration Handbook (PDF) - prepared by Carol Daly, Flathead Economic Policy Center for the Red Lodge Clearinghouse. The Collaboration Handbook provides common sense and practical advice about putting a collaborative effort together and making it work.
• Western Governors Association Letter (PDF, 1.1 mb) - a letter from the Secretaries of the Department of Agriculture and Interior informing the Western Governor's Association of the ten year authorization for stewardship contracting and the importance of agency collaboration with states and local communities.

Collaboration Lessons Learned

• Hungry Horse/West Glacier Fuels Reduction Stewardship Project - an Assistant Fire Management Officer's description of a Stewardship Contracting project on the Swan Lake Ranger District, Flathead National Forest.
• Sims Mesa Stewardship Project (PDF, 139 KB) - this stewardship project was the result of a cross-boundary ecological assessment of the 256,000 acre Spring Creek / Dry Creek landscape near Montrose, Colorado. This landscape was selected for treatment prioritization because it contains the largest wildland-urban interface (WUI) zone on the Uncompahgre Plateau.
• Westface Stewardship Project - a Timber Management Assistant's description of a Stewardship Project on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Montana.
• Winiger Ridge Ecosystem Management Project (PDF, 210 KB) - a Stewardship Contracting Project involving approximately 38,000 acres of intermixed land ownerships within the Foothills and Montane Life Zones including land managed by Federal, State Parks, Boulder Mountain Parks, Boulder County Open Space, Boulder County Conservation Easements, Boulder City Open Space and Easements, Denver Water Board, individual private owners and private subdivisions. The Colorado State Forest Service and local Fire departments assisted in coordination and education.
• Wolf Creek Stewardship Project - a District Ranger's description of a Stewardship Contracting Project on the Nolichucky/Unaka Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee.
  
  

  Aspen meadow in the Winiger Ridge Project Area before treatment.	Aspen Meadow in the Winiger Ridge Project Area after treatment.

NOTE: Do you have an experience with collaboration and Stewardship Contracting that you would like to share? If so, please submit your story to Tim Dabney, email address: tdabney@fs.fed.us.

Last modified: Thursday, 04-Dec-2008 12:12:40 EST