I. Working in Partnership with the Forest Service
A Note on Working with Governments
Whenever a Forest Service project, policy or decision has the potential to affect another government or its jurisdiction, the Forest Service is required to consult with that other government. This is a separate consultative relationship, and occurs with American Indian and Alaska Native tribes, states, local governments, and other federal agencies. For example, the Forest Service works with counties when county roads cross Forest Service jurisdictions, and with tribes on issues surrounding treaty rights and access to sacred sites. It is important to note that partnerships are not created in lieu of consultative relationships with other governments.
Transforming Urban Environments
Working closely with partners, the Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry Program promotes the creation of healthier, more livable urban environments.
In Seattle, a grant from the Urban and Community Forestry Program helped volunteers revitalize a polluted brownfield into a passive park with trails and native forest habitat. The site had been overrun with invasive blackberry thickets, transient camps, and garbage and vehicle dumps. The partnership transformed the land, part of the Environmental Protection Agency's Brownfields Program, into a vibrant oasis for the local community.
In response to the events of 9-11, the Living Memorials project creates lasting, living memorials to the victims of terrorism for their families, their communities, and the nation. With funding, technical assistance, and new tools provided by Urban and Community Forestry, the project has engaged a network of 4,600 people who have planted thousands of trees and reclaimed vacant neighborhood lots as part of more than 150 projects in 28 states and four countries.
Documenting Partnerships
Documenting a partnership is an important step because it clarifies objectives, describes roles and responsibilities, and ensures accountability by all parties. There are many types of formal arrangements, or “instruments,” that the Forest Service uses to document work with others. The correct instrument to use depends primarily on who the parties are, the type of project, who will benefit, and whether and how the parties exchange funds or other resources.
Instruments for documenting relationships fall into four basic categories: mutual benefit agreements, Federal Financial Assistance, contracts, and other agreements.
- Mutual benefit agreements. These instruments document partnerships that provide
mutual benefit for each party and are therefore true partnership instruments according to federal law:
- Challenge Cost Share Agreement
- Participating Agreement
- Joint Venture Agreement
- Watershed Restoration and Enhancement Agreements (Wyden Amendment)
- Federal Financial Assistance. Instruments in this category are used to
stimulate or support the activities of non-federal organizations for a public purpose. Instruments used under
Federal Financial Assistance are:
- Cooperative Agreement
- Grant
- Contracts. The Forest Service uses contracts to acquire goods and services
that benefit the Forest Service. Types of contracts include:
- Micro-purchasing
- Simplified Acquisition
- Stewardship Contract
- Other agreements. The Forest Service uses a variety of other agreement instruments
that do not fall into any of the above categories. These include:
- Interagency Agreement
- Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
- Cooperative Research and Development Agreement
- Volunteer Agreement
- Collection Agreement
- Cost Reimbursable Agreement
Grants, agreements, and contracts are discussed in more detail in Chapter VI – Grants and Agreements and Chapter VII – Contracting with Partners.