Committees

Next Meeting: 

TBD - No meeting is currently scheduled. New appointments to the RAC are pending.

Meetings are generally held in-person and virtual at the Eldorado National Forest Supervisor's Office, Pyramid Room, located at 100 Forni Road, Placerville, CA 95667. 

To join via Microsoft Teams on your computer or mobile app:

• Click here to join the meeting

  Or call in (audio only)

  +1 202-650-0123, 880349082#    

  Phone Conference ID: 880 349 082 #

• Agenda

Duties of the Committee

Generally, the committee’s role is to review and recommend projects and funding to the Forest Supervisor. Funding is provided under Title II of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act. The Forest Supervisor is responsible for considering the committee’s recommendations in the context of the forest land management plan and the laws and regulations that govern Forest Service activities and to approve the project if appropriate. The committee’s duties are to:

• review projects proposed under Title II by participating counties, tribal governments, organizations and individuals;
• make recommendations to the Forest Supervisor acting for the Secretary of Agriculture about projects and funding in accordance with section 203 of the Act;
• provide early and continuous coordination with appropriate land management agency officials in recommending projects consistent with purposes of this Act under Title II;
• provide frequent opportunities for citizens, organizations, tribes, land management agencies, and other interested parties to participate openly and meaningfully, beginning at the early stages of the project development process under Title II;
• monitor projects that have been approved by the Forest Supervisor; and advise the designated Federal official on the progress of the monitoring; and,
• make recommendations to the Forest Supervisor for any appropriate changes or adjustments to the projects being monitored by the resource advisory committee.

Governing Documents

• National SRS RAC Charter (link)

Apply to Become a RAC Member

Thank you for your interest in the El Dorado Resource Advisory Committee. To apply, fill out these two forms and mail to: ATTN: RAC Coordinator, Eldorado National Forest, 100 Forni Road, Placerville, CA  95667. An original signature is required. 

• Member Interest form (pdf)
• Background Information form - AD-755 [link]

Composition of the Committee

Each RAC shall have 15 members with balanced and broad representation of interests in 3 categories, specified in Section 205 (d)(2) of the Act. Members shall reside within the State(s) in which the committee has jurisdiction and, to the extent practicable, provide local representation in each category.

Step 1: Determine if your project is appropriate for the Program

Requirements: Project proposals must meet the following conditions as set forth in the Secure Rural School legislation:

Project funds may be used for the purpose of making additional investments in, and creating additional employment opportunities through, projects that improve the maintenance of existing infrastructure, implementing stewardship objectives that enhance forest ecosystems, and restoring and improving land health and water quality. Projects shall enjoy broad based support with objectives that may include, but not limited to:

• Road, trail, and infrastructure maintenance or obliteration
• Soil productivity improvement
• Improvements in forest ecosystem health
• Watershed restoration and maintenance
• Restoration, maintenance and improvement of wildlife and fish habitat
• Control of noxious and exotic weeds
• Reestablishment of native species

At least 50 percent of all Title II funds must be used for projects that are primarily dedicated to:

• Road maintenance, decommissioning, or obliteration
• Restoration of streams and watersheds.

Step 2: Determine if your project has the support of the appropriate Federal Official

Projects proposed to the El Dorado County Resource Advisory Committee must be within the geographical boundary of El Dorado County on national forest lands (or non-national forest lands only if there is a strong nexus and benefit to national forest lands. To begin the process, determine the geographical location of your proposed project and contact the appropriate District Ranger listed below.

Placerville Ranger District
Andrew Mischler, District Ranger
530-647-5301, Email

Pacific Ranger District
Dionne Uzes, District Ranger
530-647-5410, Email

Georgetown Ranger District
Dionne Uzes, District Ranger
530-647-5410, Email

Amador Ranger District (for the portion in Eldorado County)
Linda Helm, District Ranger
209-295-5910, Email

Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (El Dorado County east of Sierra Crest)
Lisa Herron, Information Officer
530-543-2815, Email

*Required as part of package: A letter of support from the local District Ranger must be included with each proposal to indicate whether the project will benefit the National Forest and that the local District(s) has the capacity to implement the project or work with sponsoring cooperator(s). 

Step 3: Project Application Process and Instructions

Application Submittal Period: TBA for 2025

• Proposal Process (PDF)

Project Submittal Package:

• Project Proposal Application form (fillable Word doc).  Note: Any proposal that does not use this form will not be considered.
  • ​Proposal Application Form Instructions (PDF)
• Project Criteria Response form (fillable Word doc)
• Letters of Support
• Project Area map
• Letter from the local District Ranger

Where to Submit Proposal: 

Submit the Project Package project electronically to  SM.FS.ElDoradoRAC@usda.gov by the close of business (4:30 pm) on TBD.

Prescreening of Project Proposals: Proposals received will be reviewed by the Designated Federal Official (DFO) to ensure that the application is complete, that the project meets the intent of the legislation, is consistent with the Forest Plan and Federal laws and regulations, and that the funding identified is accurate.

Step 4: Project Review and Recommendation

Review: The Committee will review the project proposals and may contact the project coordinators if they have additional questions. The following is a list of some of the criteria the Resource Advisory Committee will use when reviewing and selecting projects.

Required Elements

• Does the project meet the intent of the Legislation?
• Is there support from the District Ranger(s)?
• Will it be accomplishable within the allotted time frame?  Project must be initiated by TBD and funds must be obligated by TBD.

Additional Criteria

• Why is this project necessary here and now?
• Is there a project advocate with the capacity, competence, and ability to complete the project?
• Is the NEPA/CEQA work completed or is the project NEPA/CEQA compliant?
• Will this address a problem that the Forest Service within El Dorado County is committed to?
• Is there an opportunity to leverage additional funds?
• Are there other partners?
• Are there letters of support from other stake holders?
• Is there a high likelihood of success?
• Are provisions included in the project for maintenance into the future?

After reviewing and discussion the Committee selects the projects and amounts that are being recommended for funding.

Step 5: Project Approval and Notification

1. The recommendation package is reviewed and signed off by the Designated Federal Official, the Eldorado National Forest Supervisor.
2. Project Coordinators are contacted with the decision and information on the next steps.

• View the Previous Projects page.

The Secure Rural Schools program provides critical funding for schools, roads, and other municipal services to more than 700 counties across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

The Forest Service was established in 1905 with 56 million acres of land. By 1910, the amount of National Forest System land tripled to 172 million acres. Today, the agency manages approximately 196 million acres. Congress ratified the Act of May 23, 1908, as a measure to support rural counties whose tax base was limited by the growing amount of Federal land. A portion of Forest Service funds generated through multi-use activities, such as grazing, timber production, and special use permits, are distributed to eligible counties to help maintain local roads and schools.

By the year 2000, after decades of declining agency revenues, Congress passed the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act to help stabilize the funds available to rural counties.

Payments are divided into three distinct categories, or Titles: Title I for roads and schools, Title II for projects on Federal lands, and Title III for county projects. 

For further information check out the SRS website:

• www.fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/secure-rural-schools

Under Title II of the Act, the Secretary of Agriculture may establish a Secure Rural Schools resource advisory committee for part of a national forest or for one or more national forests to ensure that each national forest on which special projects are proposed has access to a RAC.

Secure Rural Schools RACs were first established under the “Secure Rural School and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-393). Since 2000, the Secure Rural Schools legislation has been reauthorized and amended several times.  

For further information check out these websites:

• www.fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/secure-rural-schools/act
• HR 2099 Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2021 (link)

Each county in an eligible state must elect to receive one of the following payments:

• a share of the state’s 25-percent payment, OR
• a share of the “State payment”.

25-percent - Since 2008 the 25-percent payment has been based  on a 7-year rolling average national forest receipts, distributed among the counties in which the national forest is situated in proportion to acreage of national forest in the affected counties.  25-percent payments must be used for public schools and roads in accordance with 16 U.S.C. 500. Under 16 U.S.C. 500, the State has broad discretion as to how to allocate the payment for public schools and roads, including authorizing the county to make the allocation.

State payment - The county share of the Secure Rural Schools Act State payment is allocated to public schools and roads (Title I), special projects on national forests (Title II), and county projects to be used for Firewise communities activities, to reimburse counties for emergency services on the national forests and for development of community wildfire protection plans (Title III). 

Title I and Title III funds are received by counties.  Title II funds are retained by the Forest Service for projects that are recommended by a RAC. 

Title II funds may be used for the for protection, restoration, and enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat, and other resource objectives consistent with the Act on Federal land and on non-Federal land where projects would benefit the resources on Federal land.

The purposes of the Act include making additional investments in, and creating employment opportunities through title II funded projects that:

• improve the maintenance of existing infrastructure;
• implement stewardship objectives that enhance forest ecosystems; and
• restore and improve land health and water quality;

The funds may be used for projects that enjoy broad based support and have objectives that may include--

• road, trail, and infrastructure maintenance or obliteration;
• soil productivity improvement;
• improvements in forest ecosystem health;
• watershed restoration and maintenance;
• the restoration, maintenance, and improvement of wildlife and fish habitat;
• the control of noxious and exotic weeds; and
• the re-establishment of native species.

Planning and implementing the projects should help improve cooperative relationships among the people that use and care for Federal land and the agencies that manage the Federal land.