NRDP-Forest Service Partnerships
Here are some of the successful partnerships that State Councils have had with the Forest Service. For more information, contact Office of Community Development Desk Officer Ella Ennis.
The Colorado Rural Development Council, in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, the Partnering Institute, the National Park Service-Rivers & Trails Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Sonoran Institute, the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Forest Service, created the Conservation Assistance Tools (CAT) database. Launched in March 2000, this searchable database has information on available grants, cost-sharing, and technical assistance for natural resources projects in the western United States. It is designed to help local communities identify the information, potential partners, and financial support needed to undertake conservation projects.
The Maine Rural Development Council strategically addressed adding value to Maine forest products by promoting the "advanced engineered wood product" (AEWP) developed at the University of Maine at Orono. The Council conducted a regional conference in February 1998 on the commercial potential of this technology, and promoted collaboration among the wood lot owners, scientists, researchers, manufacturers and transportation agencies. The Council undertook these efforts in close collaboration with the Forest Service. Also the MRDC has established enduring inter-agency relationships such as the wood products service provider network.
Minnesota Rural Partners convened Council partners with interests in the Minnesota River Watershed, specifically addressing agro-forestry issues. These institutions developed a strategy (the Minnesota River Agro-Forestry Initiative) to promote agro-forestry. The strategy caused the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - Forestry Division to promote agro-forestry in the riparian areas by recruiting landowners interested in planting trees on their Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres. Demonstrations were conducted throughout the basin. Prairie County and the Wes Min RC&D have hosted many of the demonstration site visits and conducted training sessions for landowners and others. With funds from a USDA Forestry Rural Development Grant, MRP produced a video to promote collaborative processes using the Minnesota River Agro-forestry example. MRP continues to monitor and convene the participants in this initiative as needed. In this effort, the MRP is raising awareness and promoting good conservation practices, assisting the development of a tree growing industry in Minnesota, and is promoting collaborative processes in agro-forestry and conservation.
In Fall 2000, the New Hampshire Rural Development Council assembled public and private organizations to form four task forces on Technical Assistance, Health, the Northern Forest, and Community Development. This effort is part of the Council's three-year plan to publish "The State of Rural New Hampshire" and "A Rural Agenda for New Hampshire." The goal of this broader objective is to bring together fragmented data and groups to create a "rural voice" that will impact policy, legislation, and allocation of resources affecting rural communities. The Forest Service is one of three federal agencies represented on these teams. The Council convened and facilitated all but the Technical Assistance task force, for which it brought in the Community Development Forum.
The Pennsylvania Rural Development Council'sSustainable Forest Based Economic Committee is the oversight committee for the Council's work on forest related issues. Among these are the Timber Bridge Program. The PRDC Timber Bridge Working Group has facilitated cooperation among federal and state agencies, the research community and the private sector to develop cost-effective timber bridge designs, standards and specifications, and on occasion sponsor research of new types of wood for bridges. It has also raised awareness of the potential for timber bridges by coordinating dedication ceremonies for seven bridges and supporting enactment of the state's capital budget bill for additional timber bridges to be constructed on a timely basis. The Forest Products Working Group has begun work on a Pennsylvania Forest Products Development Plan. This is a joint undertaking with the PA Hardwoods Development Council and the Forest Service. To speed the work of this group, the Council has hired a consultant to work as a secretariat for the planning effort.
The Utah Rural Development Council routinely reviews applications before submission to the U.S. Forest Service Community Assistance Program. URDC has worked to strengthen the Forest Service program by making communities aware of other available resources so they can leverage existing program funds and, on occasion, by advising recipient communities where they might get a better value for their dollar. Nevertheless, the Council knows that without the Forest Service funding program, no opportunity would exist to assist communities and organizations. Accordingly, URDC makes an effort to be involved in this program to help with its delivery and implementation. For example, the Council recently offered to coordinate the Forest Service program with local communities and district foresters. URDC has offered to fill this role, in partnership with the Forest Service, because the position is currently not staffed. The Council can effectively assume this responsibility as it already maintains contact with the targeted communities, and strongly supports the mission of the Forest Service.
The Utah Rural Development Council, serving as the Vice Chair for the Southwest Utah Planning Authorities Council (SUPAC), helped develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among the Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the State of Utah to deal with Wild and Scenic Rivers designations in Utah. This MOU formalizes the cooperative relationship among the parties to conduct studies of Utah's rivers for potential designation under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. It confirms commitments to coordinate Federal processes conducted for planning activities; to share data and planning resources between State and Federal agencies; and, where appropriate, to coordinate public education and information outreach programs. This MOU eliminates duplication of effort and reduces the likelihood of conflicts among agencies on this issue in Utah.
Through a grant provided by the Four Corners Sustainable Forests Partnership, the Utah Rural Development Council joined with the Southern Utah Forest Products Alliance (SUFPA) to sponsor and conduct networking workshops in a six-county area of the southern Utah's Four Corners region. Workshops were held in Fall 2000 in Castle Dale, Price, Richfield, Torrey, Monticello, and Bluff; an additional meeting may be held in Kanab this year. Designed to promote the value of community forestry and cooperative marketing to the region's forestry employees and woodworkers, the open-house workshops are helping to build cross-regional networks among wood businesses and link these enterprises to local business resources. Such resources include county economic development directors, RC&D representatives, Workforce Services specialists, USU Extension Agents, and SBDC offices.
The Klikitat Pilot project is an ongoing telecommunications infrastructure project begun two years ago by the Washington State Rural Development Council. This project was designed to determine Klikitat County's telecommunications needs and develop an investment plan and guide that could be used by other rural communities. As a result of this project, Klikiat County has met its three telecommunications goals: to secure telecommunications infrastructure for a remote ranch; to attain Internet service for Glenwood and Bickleton, two rural communities; and to establish local dial-up capacity throughout the county. WSRDC coordinated this project, with Washington State University handling the educational component, needs survey, and evaluation. Yakima Community College served as a facilitator and technical advisor for Klikitat County and its communities. Community College of Spokane provided technical assistance to the project. The Agency for Community, Trade, and Economic Development contributed $15,000 to the project, and the U.S. Forest Service offered a $53,000 grant.
Wisconsin Rural Partners, in 1998, organized and co-sponsored with the Great Lakes Forest Alliance a training course on "Conflict Resolution in Land Use Decision Making." The training provided participants the nuts and bolts of a collaborative learning model developed and presented by two experts from Oregon State University. The participants worked through the collaborative learning process together, using a model of multiple recreational uses in the Chequamegon/Nicolet National Forests in northern Wisconsin. Fifty percent of the participants were Forest Service rangers and administrators.
Wyoming Rural Development Council, in partnership with the Wyoming Business Council, offers an affordable community assessment tool for the state's rural communities. The project was developed to provide strategic planning to rural communities that lacked the financial resources to support such an effort. Looking for an affordable, easy process that would produce good results, WRDC modeled its community assessment program after the Texas Rural Development Council's Resource Team program. In developing its own Resource Team program to conduct community assessments, WRDC trained 130 individuals from partnering organizations, which include the DOT, HUD, NRCS RC&Ds, and the U.S. Forest Service. Representatives from these organizations donate their time to serve on resource teams as members or team leaders and then write a report upon completion of a community assessment. Thirteen assessments are already completed, and 15 more are scheduled to begin in September 2001. One year after program implementation, each of the 13 communities WRDC assessed has completed projects, built beneficial relationships with various rural organizations, and improved their communications network. For example, the first participating community, Douglas, has already benefited from the assessment, noting in its follow-up report that it has formulated a downtown merchant association and developed a tech training center.
Wyoming Rural Development Council's Executive Director, Mary Randolph, served on the National Review Panel for the Forest Service during 1998. This panel helped the Forest Service prepare its National Economic Action Program: 2002 and Beyond.
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