V. Volunteers

Volunteer Paperwork (continued)

Challenge Cost Share Agreements – The Forest Service often enters into Challenge Cost Share Agreements with partner organizations that mobilize volunteers for the agency. These organizations play a crucial role in recruiting and training volunteers groups such as students and seniors. Challenge Cost Share Agreements allow the Forest Service to reimburse organizations for the cost of their materials and/or labor. If a project uses a Challenge Cost Share Agreement, each individual volunteer still must complete a Volunteer Agreement. Chapter VI – Grants and Agreements – provides more information about Challenge Cost Share Agreements.

Safety Issues

For safety purposes, a volunteer is treated like a federal employee. The standards that govern worker safety apply to all volunteer activities. If a volunteer is injured while performing work for the Forest Service, he or she may receive compensation for work injuries as entitled under the Tort Claims Act and Federal Employees Compensation Act.

Volunteering with the Forest Service often involves physically demanding work, and sometimes includes working with heavy equipment such as chain saws. Volunteers receive safety training, including specific instruction and testing on any tools and equipment they will use, before going to work. Anyone working with heavy equipment should be in good physical condition, and volunteers may be required to obtain a medical examination at Forest Service expense.

Resources

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™. Volunteer opportunities are posted in each issue and will eventually be posted on a permanent section of the Friends of the Forest website. To sign up for free, visit http://www.becomeafriend.org.

Interested individuals can also fill out a Volunteer Application for Natural Resource Agencies online. This form assists agencies in recruiting, placing, and training volunteers.

Managing Volunteers: A Field Guide for USDA Forest Service Volunteer Coordinators is a comprehensive guidebook from the Pacific Northwest that provides “nuts and bolts” information for Forest Service staff who work with volunteers. The guidebook includes information on recruiting, training, supervising, and recognizing volunteers; requirements for record-keeping; and examples of forms and agreements.

Lists of volunteer candidates and positions, whether at a local, regional, or national level, are very helpful both for recruiting potential volunteers and for finding out about volunteer opportunities. Two national level databases that provide volunteer placement for public lands agencies, including the Forest Service, are:

• Take Pride in America – This program seeks, supports, and recognizes volunteers who work to improve the nation's public lands. Take Pride involves federal, state, and local governments; conservation, youth, and recreation groups; and national corporations and organizations. The Take Pride website offers resources for volunteers and connects volunteers with service opportunities. Take Pride is the public lands branch of the USA Freedom Corps.

• Volunteer.gov/gov – This easy-to-use portal provides information about public sector volunteer opportunities. Users can search for opportunities by keyword, state, activity, partner, and date. Volunteer.gov/gov, part of the USA Freedom Corps Network, is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, other state and federal agencies, and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Other volunteer lists include:

Other effective ways to recruit volunteers or find out about service positions include internet links to partnerships, interagency e-mails, volunteer displays at visitor centers, and adopt-a-programs.

The online Partnership Resource Center has additional resources for volunteers and Forest Service employees who work with volunteers.

Contacts

There are Volunteer Coordinators in each Region, Research Station, and Forest Service office. For more information about volunteer programs, contact the Volunteer Coordinator in your Region or your nearest Forest Service office. A list of Volunteer Coordinators is available at the Partnership Resource Center website.