The federal government, including the Forest Service, is authorized under several laws to collaborate and work with partners to carry out projects. There are laws that provide additional authorities and instruments for working in partnership and collaboration with communities, individuals, and organizations. The formal relationship for these partnerships is documented with either a grant or agreement depending on the work to be done and the type of funding. Projects currently include a wide variety of activities such as, but not limited to, work in weeds management, recreation, fuels, wildlife, restoration, and watershed management.

Types of Forest Service Grants and Agreements

• Partnership Agreements 
  • Involve parties with a shared vision wherein mutual interest and benefit exists, usually requiring joint contribution and accomplishment of the work.
  • Partnership Agreements include: Participating Agreements, Challenge Cost-Share Agreements, Cost-Reimbursable Agreements, Good Neighbor Agreements, ANILCA Agreements and Stewardship Agreements.
  • Partners may also contribute funding to the Forest Service for specific projects or activities through the use of Collection Agreements. Other somewhat unique agreements are Fire, Law Enforcement, and Cooperative Road Agreements.
• Grants and Cooperative Agreements 
  • Used when the principal purpose of the relationship is to transfer a thing of value to the State or local government or other recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States instead of acquiring property or services for the direct benefit or use of the United States Government.
  • Grants and Cooperative Agreements are considered Federal Financial Assistance and subject to the Office of Management and Budget Circulars.  The majority of the federal financial assistance programs (grants and cooperative agreements) in the Alaska Region are in support of State, Private and Tribal Forestry programs that include cooperative forestry grants through the state foresters and rural community and economic development grants awarded through a competitive process.
     
• Partnership Agreements
  • Challenge Cost-Share (CS)
  • Participating (PA)
  • Collaborators: any non-federal partner
• Interagency Agreements
  • Interagency Agreement (IA)
  • Collaborators: only federal partners
• Cooperative Law, Road, and Fire Agreements
  • Cooperative Law Enforcement (LE)
  • Collaborators: State and local law enforcement
  • Cooperative Road (RO)
  • Collaborators: State, county/borough, or local public road authorities
  • Cooperative Fire Protection (FI)
  • Collaborators: Fire organizations in th vicinity of national forest lands
• Restoration and Stewardship Agreements
  • Good Neighbor (GN)
  • Collaborators: States, counties boroughs, tribes
  • Stewardship Agreement (SA)
  • Collaborators: any entity that can either perform the work or contract it out
• Federal Financial Assistance and ANILCA Agreements
  • Domestic Grant (DG)
  • Cooperative Agreement (CA)
  • ANILCA (AN) - Alaska National Lands Conservation Act
  • Collaborators: any non-federal partner
• Collection Agreements
  • Collection Agreement (CO)
  • Collaborators: any non-federal partner
• Memorandum of Understanding
  • Memorandum of Understanding (MU)
  • Collaborators: any non-federal partner
     

Grants.gov was established as a governmental resource named the E-Grants Initiative, part of the President's 2002 Fiscal Year Management Agenda to improve government services to the public. Visit Grants.gov to obtain an application and reporting forms, guidance, program information and other pertinent information. For more on regulations and necessary forms for your grant please visit www.whitehouse.gov

Contact us

If you're interested in partnering with the Forest Service, please contact the appropriate district offices. Ask to talk with the District Ranger or a Partnership Coordinator. 

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updated in 5/16/24