IV. Field Guide to Nonprofit Organizations

The NFF's Other Programs

Friends of the Forest – The NFF's Friends of the Forest™ is a communications program to connect people who use and are interested in National Forests with more information about recreation, volunteering, and conservation via a monthly e-newsletter called tree-mail™. Friends of the Forest is the main tool that the NFF and the Forest Service use to build a constituency for the Forest Service and the lands it manages. The program informs people about the numerous resources within and issues affecting National Forests and the Forest Service, and empowers them to take action to help care for the lands. To sign up for free, visit http://www.becomeafriend.org.

Connecting Science to Practitioners – The NFF's projects rely on science that is both useful and sound. In 2002, the NFF formed a partnership with the National Commission on Science for Sustainable Forestry (NCSSF) to provide practical information and approaches that serve the needs of forest managers, practitioners, and policymakers. The partnership oversees a multi-year program of research, assessment, and tool development to implement and evaluate sustainable forestry practices in the U.S. In early 2005, the NCSSF released a findings report based on the first two years of its work. The 2005 report and other practical tools can be found at NCSSF's website.
(http://www.ncssf.org)

Conservation Award Programs

The NFF's conservation award programs have grown into a network of more than 160 partners representing diverse cultures and communities across the country. Together those partners tackle on-the-ground conservation projects that benefit National Forests and surrounding lands. Examples of their successes include:

  • Watershed restoration projects in the Northwest
  • Recreation and trail enhancements in Colorado
  • Development of sustainable forestry and forest products in the Southern Appalachians
  • Wildlife improvements in Montana and Idaho

Contact information for the NFF is available on the organization's website.

Other Ways the NFF Helps the Forest Service

Because of its unique position as a nonprofit partner of the Forest Service, the NFF is able to provide the Forest Service with services essential to the agency's mission in a more efficient manner. These include accepting and managing funds for events (such as the 2005 Centennial events) and soliciting and accepting gifts of cash or funds for direct reinvestment in Forest Service work.