Stewardship Contracting Results

Success Stories

• Mt. Hood National Forest Strategic Stewardship Plan (PDF, 1.6 MB) - Stewardship Contracting is one tool used by the Mt. Hood National Forest to implement the Mt. Hood National Forest Strategic Stewardship Plan.
• Controlling Oak Wilt, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forests - a USDA Forest Service Eastern Region (Region 9) Success Story reporting the Lakewood-Laona Ranger District's use of Stewardship Contracting to control the spread of oak wilt.
• Clearwater Stewardship Project - one of the nation's first stewardship contracts, on the Seeley Lake Ranger District, Lolo National Forest, Montana.
• Burns Creek Swing Stewardship Contracting (PDF, 1.8 MB) - a stewardship contracting project involving a repackaged timber sale on the George Washington-Thomas Jefferson National Forest, in southwest Virginia.
• Discovering a Working Forest in the Northeast (PDF, 160 KB) - a stewardship contract positions the White Mountain National Forest for work on an interpretive trail, in New Hampshire.
• Urban Interface Fuels Treatment in Western Montana: Hungry Horse and West Glacier Fuels Reduction Stewardship Contracting Project - urban interface fuels treatment involving mechanized and hand labor in western Montana.
• Lakeface-Lamb Land Stewardship Contract Pilot Project - a wildland urban interface project focused on the residential and commercial development along the southwest shore of Priest Lake and the unincorporated community of Lamb Creek in the panhandle of Northern Idaho.
• Morgan Cut Stewardship Pilot (PDF, 1.2 MB) - a stewardship contracting project involving a contract logging services in the National Forests in North Carolina.
• Sims Mesa Stewardship Contracting Project 2005 Accomplishments (PDF, 139 KB) - This stewardship project was the result of a cross-boundary ecological assessment of the 256,000 acre Spring Creek / Dry Creek landscape near Montrose, Colorado. This landscape was selected for treatment prioritization because it contains the largest wildland-urban interface (WUI) zone on the Uncompahgre Plateau.
• Stewardship Contracting Champions for 2007 Recognized - Common to successes across the National Forest System are champions for stewardship contracting. Earlier this year [2008], four champions were recognized for their efforts.
• Treasure Interface Stewardship Project (PDF, 2.0 MB) - a stewardship contracting project involving fuel reduction, prescribed fire, habitat improvement, and the maintenance and restoration of ecosystems on the Libby Ranger District, Kootenai National Forest, Montana.
• Wayne National Forest Hosts Ohio’s First Lady for Partner’s Special Project (PDF, 126 KB) - Mrs. Hope Taft, wife of Ohio’s Governor Bob Taft, visited the Wayne NF in October to tour a special botany project being coordinated by Forest’s conservation partners.
• White Mountain Stewardship - web page for a Stewardship Contracting project on the Apache Sitgreaves National Forests in Arizona.
  • The First Five Years of the White Mountain Stewardship Project (PDF, 2.8 MB)
  • White Mountain Stewardship Project: Using a Large Scale Stewardship Contract (PDF, 0.5 MB)

Collaboration

Stewardship Contracting involves a diverse group of community members; individuals representing community-based groups; interest groups; and public agencies. Collaboration is not new; it is part of our business practice. Collaboration is an open, inclusive, continuous process. For collaboration to work, the agency line officer must be involved at key stages of the project. The decision making will remain with the agency; however, true collaboration involves the sharing of ideas and power. Good collaboration builds constituencies.

• The Collaboration Handbook - prepared by Carol Daly, Flathead Economic Policy Center for the Red Lodge Clearinghouse. The Collaboration Handbook provides common sense and practical advice about putting a collaborative effort together and making it work.
• Western Governors Association Letter (PDF, 1.1 mb) - a letter from the Secretaries of the Department of Agriculture and Interior informing the Western Governor's Association of the ten year authorization for stewardship contracting and the importance of agency collaboration with states and local communities.

Collaboration Lessons Learned

• Hungry Horse and West Glacier Fuels Reduction Stewardship Project - an Assistant Fire Management Officer's description of a Stewardship Contracting project on the Swan Lake Ranger District, Flathead National Forest.
• Sims Mesa Stewardship Project (PDF, 139 KB) - this stewardship project was the result of a cross-boundary ecological assessment of the 256,000 acre Spring Creek / Dry Creek landscape near Montrose, Colorado. This landscape was selected for treatment prioritization because it contains the largest wildland urban interface (WUI) zone on the Uncompahgre Plateau.
• Westface Stewardship Project - a Timber Management Assistant's description of a Stewardship Project on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Montana.
• Winiger Ridge Ecosystem Management Project (PDF, 210 KB) - a Stewardship Contracting Project involving approximately 38,000 acres of intermixed land ownerships within the Foothills and Montane Life Zones including land managed by Federal, State Parks, Boulder Mountain Parks, Boulder County Open Space, Boulder County Conservation Easements, Boulder City Open Space and Easements, Denver Water Board, individual private owners and private subdivisions. The Colorado State Forest Service and local Fire departments assisted in coordination and education.
• Wolf Creek Stewardship Project - a District Ranger's description of a Stewardship Contracting Project on the Nolichucky/Unaka Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee.

Reports

There are a variety of reports available summarizing Stewardship Contracting accomplishments and reviews.

Fiscal Year 2017 Reports

• Evaluation Report: Case Studies of Public Engagement in Stewardship Contracting FY 2017 Programmatic Monitoring Report to the USDA Forest Service (PDF, 1.2 MB)

Fiscal Year 2016 Reports

• The Role of Communities in Stewardship Contracting FY 2016 Programmatic Monitoring Report to the USDA Forest Service, June 2017 (PDF, 990 KB)

Fiscal Year 2015 Reports

• The Role of Communities in Stewardship Contracting FY 2015 Programmatic Monitoring Report to the USDA Forest Service (PDF, 2.6 MB)

Fiscal Year 2014 Reports

• The Role of Communities in Stewardship Contracting FY 2014 Programmatic Monitoring Report and Project Case Studies to the USDA Forest Service, January 2015 (PDF, 1.3 MB)

Fiscal Year 2013 Reports

Summary of Stewardship Contracting accomplishments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013.

• The Role of Communities in Stewardship Contracting: FY 2013 Programmatic Monitoring Report to the USDA Forest Service, March 2014 (PDF, 2.0 MB)
• Acres Treated in 2013 through US Forest Service Stewardship Contracts (PDF, 1.4 MB)

Fiscal Year 2012 Reports

Summary of Stewardship Contracting accomplishments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012.

• The Role of Communities in Stewardship Contracting: FY 2012 Programmatic Monitoring Report to the USDA Forest Service, January 2013 (PDF, 5.6 MB)

Fiscal Year 2011 Reports

Summary of Stewardship Contracting accomplishments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011.

• The Role of Communities in Stewardship Contracting: FY 2011 Programmatic Monitoring Report to the USDA Forest Service, January 2012 (PDF, 10.3 MB).

Fiscal Year 2010 Reports

Summary of Stewardship Contracting accomplishments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010.

• The Role of Communities in Stewardship Contracting: FY 2010 Programmatic Monitoring Report ot the USDA Forest Service, January 2011 (PDF, 2.5 MB).

Fiscal Year 2009 Reports

Summary of Stewardship Contracting accomplishments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009.

• The Role of Communities in Stewardship Contracting: A Programmatic Review of Forest Service Projects Report to the USDA Forest Service - FY2009 (PDF, 1.4 MB).

Fiscal Year 2008 Reports

Summary of Stewardship Contracting accomplishments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008.

• Programmatic Monitoring of the Role Local Communities Play in Developing Stewardship Contracts: FY 2008 Report to the USDA Forest Service (PDF, 684 KB)
• Stewardship Contracting Inquiry Team Report and Proposed Action Items (July 2008) (PDF, 86 KB)
  The Forest Service employees conducted a mid-point review of stewardship contracting authority in early April 2008.
  • Appendix A - List of Identified Barriers to Stewardship Contracting (PDF, 44 KB)
  • Status of 2008 Stewardship Contracting Inquiry Team Recommendations (April 28, 2010) (PDF, 18 KB)

Fiscal Year 2007 Reports

Summary of Stewardship Contracting accomplishments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007.

• Programmatic Monitoring of the Role Local Communities Play in Developing Stewardship Contracts: FY 2007 Report to the USDA Forest Service (PDF, 331 KB

Fiscal Year 2006 Reports

Summary of Stewardship Contracting accomplishments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006.

• Programmatic Monitoring of the Role of Communities in Stewardship Contracting: Final Report to the USDA Forest Service FY 2006 (PDF, 282 KB)
  • Appendix A: Survey Template (PDF, 235 KB)
  • Appendix B: Membership of Regional Teams (PDF, 76 KB)

Fiscal Year 2005 Reports

Summary of Stewardship Contracting accomplishments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005.

• Forest Service Implementation during FY 2005 of the Stewardship Contracting Authority provided by Section 323 of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2003 (as contained in division F of P.L. 108-7; 16 U.S.C. Note) (PDF, 574 KB)
  A report prepared by the USDA Forest Service to the Appropriations Committees of the U.S. House and Senate, July 2006.
• FY 2005 Stewardship Contracting Accomplishments (PDF, 9 KB)

Fiscal Year 2004 Reports

Summary of Stewardship Contracting accomplishments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004.

• FY 2004 Stewardship Contracting Accomplishments (PDF, 12 KB)
• Forest Service Implementation During FY 2004 of the Stewardship Contracting Authority Provided By Section 323 the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2003 (as Contained in Division F of P.L. 108-7; 16 U.S.C. 2104 NOTE) (PDF, 674 KB)
  A report prepared by the USDA Forest Service to the Appropriations Committees of the U.S. House and Senate, April 2005.
• Implementation of Multiparty Monitoring and Evaluation: Final Perspectives on the USDA Forest Service Stewardship End Results Contracting Demonstration Program (PDF, 2.0 MB)
  A report prepared by the Pinchot Institute for Conservation under contract to the Forest Service, presents project level information pertaining to the agency's use of the stewardship contracting pilot authorities as required by Section 347 of the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999 (P.L. 105-277) and subsequent amendments. March 2005.

Fiscal Year 2003 Reports

Summary of Stewardship Contracting accomplishments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003.

• Transmittal Letter from the USDA Forest Service to Congress, February 17, 2005 (PDF, 15 KB)
  • Forest Service Implementation During FY 2003 of the Stewardship Contracting Authority Provided by Section 323 of P.L. 108-7 (PDF, 64 KB)
    A report prepared by the USDA Forest Service to the Appropriations Committees of the U.S. House and Senate, July 2004.
  • Implementation of Multiparty Monitoring and Evaluation: The USDA Forest Service Stewardship End Results Contracting Demonstration Program (PDF, 543 KB)
    A report prepared by the Pinchot Institute for Conservation under contract to the Forest Service, presents project level information pertaining to the agency's use of the stewardship contracting pilot authorities as required by Section 347 of the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999 (P.L. 105-277) and subsequent amendments. September 2004.

Previous Fiscal Year Reports

• Implementation of Multi-party Monitoring and Evaluation: The USDA Forest Service Stewardship Contracting Pilot Projects FY 2002 (PDF, 2.5 MB) - The full Report to the Appropriations Committee for FY 2002.
• Forest Service Implementation of Stewardship Contracting Pilot Projects During FY 2001 (PDF, 2.7 MB) - The full Report to the Appropriations Committee for FY 2001.
• Forest Service Implementation of Stewardship Contracting Pilot Projects During FY 2000 (PDF, 1.8 MB)
  A report prepared by the Pinchot Institute for Conservation summarizing implementation of Stewardship Contracting Pilot Projects During FY 1999.
• Forest Service Implementation of Stewardship Contracting Pilot Projects During FY 1999 (PDF, 1.9 MB)
  A report prepared by the Forest Service summarizing implementation of Stewardship Contracting Pilot Projects During FY 1999.

Reviews

• Stewardship Contracting Assessment (November 23, 2004)
  At the Chief’s request, the Washington Office carried out an expedited review of the implementation, rules and awareness of stewardship contracting. Regional Offices were asked to provide written responses to a number of questions and 74 interviews were carried out with internal and external people.
• Letters to Congress, Office of Management and Budget, and Comptroller General in response to GAO Report, November 16, 2004 (PDF, 121 KB) - attached is the USDA's Statement of Action, October 21, 2004.
• FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT Additional Guidance on Community Involvement Could Enhance Effectiveness of Stewardship Contracting (PDF) - a United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report to Congressional Requesters, June 2004.