Good Neighbor Authority The Basics and R5 Overview - PowerPoint Presentation

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Good Neighbor AuthorityThe Basics and R5 Overview

R5 Stewardship and Good Neighbor Authority Agreements WorkshopFebruary 27, 2019

Jason Ko - USDA Forest ServiceState and Private ForestryPacific Southwest Region

Forest

Service

Good Neighbor Authority: OverviewQuestions to be addressed during this presentation:What is the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA)What does GNA allow FS to do?

Where can GNA be applied?How does funding work?How has R5 used GNA to date?

Good Neighbor Authority: WhatWhat is the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA)?GNA allows FS to enter into agreements and fund any State* agency to perform forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration services on NFS lands2014 Farm Bill – permanent authority

2018 Omnibus – expanded Roads work + added Wyden**2018 Farm Bill – adds Counties* and Tribes*

Good Neighbor Authority: What (GNA Allowed Activities)What activities does GNA allow?Forest and watershed restorationHazardous fuels reductionFish and wildlife habitat improvement

Activities to treat insect and disease infected trees

Good Neighbor Authority: What (Key GNA Parameters)Key GNA ParametersAn area where the state* has “complementary activities” Adjacency is not required

No match requiredNot restricted by mutual interest/mutual benefit10 year agreementsForest Service approves any marking guides and silvicultural prescriptionsProgram income allowed from sale of forest products from NFS landsProgram income can be used for NEPA

Good Neighbor Authority: What (Not GNA Allowed Activities)What doesn’t GNA allow?Construction of paved or permanent roads or parking areas Construction, alteration, repair, or replacement of public buildings or works Activities in Wilderness or designated

roadless areasOther lands where vegetation removal isn’t allowedIs not a collection authority Is not reciprocalsee participating agreement w/ wyden authority

Good Neighbor Authority: WhenWhen could GNA be used?For any of the above listed activitiesCase studies to followAdditional possibilitiesStaffing to temporarily fill FS staff capacity

ID team, surveys, etcCollaborative and planning supportOR Federal Forest Restoration Program exampleNote: CEQA exemption for GNA work with NEPA*prescribed fire, thinning, or fuel reduction projects undertaken on federal lands to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire + reforestation

Good Neighbor Authority: WhoWho is responsible for what?     Relies more on state’s* processesFS responsible for NEPA DecisionState can do all work up to NEPA Decision (eg: sale prep, environmental analysis, biological assessments, surveys, etc.)

Roles and responsibilities should be clearly delineated in agreement How does funding work?There is no additional GNA funding associated with the authorityAny funding that can be used on/off NFS lands can be transferred to the partner State agency to be used in same mannerStewardship retained receipts cannot be usedGNA agreement does not have to include funding transfer from FSGNA is not a collection authorityCan be combined with GGRF, Joint Chiefs, or LSR funding opportunities

Good Neighbor Authority: Agreement Structures

Rural Voices Conservation Coalition Publications: https

://www.ruralvoicescoalition.org/publications/

Good Neighbor Authority: How2016 Regional Master AgreementMaster Agreement with CA Natural Resources Agency – VERY GENERALAll Departments under CA-NRA are eligible to work with FS: CAL FIRE, California Conservation Corps, Dept of Conservation,

Dept of Fish and Wildlife, Dept of Parks and Recreation, Dept of Water Resources, State Conservancies National Forests enter into Supplemental Project Agreements (SPA) tied to Master for project-level work.SPA signed by SO and local State agency or CALFIRE cooperator3 SPAs signed to date with Cal Fire under 2016 MasterEldorado NF – Fuels work, part of Fire Adapted 50Sierra NF – Tree mortality work, no funding – paired with WydenKlamath NF – Fuels work, incl timber and roads

Good Neighbor Authority: How Cont.Additional GNAs in R5Master Agreement with State of Nevada for Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Inyo NF and Humboldt Toiyabe NFSPA: Fuels work w/ timber and biomass

Standalone GNA between Plumas NF and Sierra Nevada ConservancyReforestation work for Moonlight fireMaster Agreement with Sierra Nevada ConservancyNo SPAs yetDeveloping Master Agreement with CalTransForest and fuels work near state highways, incl timber

Good Neighbor Authority: How (Cal Fire GNA SPA Process)Cal Fire GNA SPA processProject is identified as appropriate for GNA authority and agreement.NF staff and Cal Fire Unit Chief work together to elaborate SOW and budget

Support from RO GNA team are available to help ID project and develop agreement (Jason Ko, POC)This draft is reviewed by Cal Fire HQ (Matthew Reischman) for budget and SOWA revised draft is sent to FS G+A mailbox for review Any proposed changes from designated FS G+A rep are sent back to the Cal Fire HQ, the FS unit and Cal Fire Unit Chief for concurrence.FS G+A signs a final draftCal Fire HQ signs (Reischman)The Forest Supervisor signs

Good Neighbor Authority: How (Sierra Nevada Conservancy GNA SPA Process) Sierra Nevada Conservancy GNA SPA processProject is identified as appropriate for GNA authority and agreement.NF and SNC staff work together to elaborate SOW and budget

Support from RO GNA team are available (Jason Ko, POC)A draft is sent to FS G+A mailbox for review Any proposed changes from designated FS G+A rep are sent back to the SNC and the FS unit for concurrence.FS G+A signs a final draftFor SNC, the Chief Executive Officer, or designee signsFor the Forest Service, the relevant National Forest Supervisor, or designee signsCopies of the final SPAs should be sent to the FS RO of the Master Agreement for tracking purposes

Good Neighbor Authority: How (Region 4 and 5 Supplemental Project Agreement Coordination)Region 5 and Region 4 Supplemental Project Agreement coordination:No Supplemental Project Agreements (SPAs) will be signed that include both Region 4 and Region 5 National Forests. Separate SPAs are required for each regionAll SPAs for Region 5 National Forests being signed by the appropriate Forest Supervisor or designee. SPAs for the Humboldt-

Toiyabe National Forest in Region 4 will be signed by the Forest Supervisor for the Humboldt-Toiyabe, or designee, coordinating with the program and administrative contacts listed below for Region 5.A copy of the final SPA and any modifications will be sent to the USFS Region 5 Project Coordinator and Administrative Contact for reference.A copy of Region 4 Program Performance Reports will be sent to the Region 5 Project Coordinator.

Good Neighbor Authority: How (Key Resources)Key ResourcesGNA Case Studies across the west: https://www.ruralvoicescoalition.org/publications/

FS GNA information and pdf agreement templates: http://www.fs.fed.us/farmbill/gna.shtml Fillable templates (internal FS): http://fsweb.wo.fs.fed.us/aqm2/wo/grants/Templates.phpInternal FS GNA SharePoint: https://usdagcc.sharepoint.com/sites/fs-ga-gna/SitePages/Your%20%20Good%20Neighbor%20Authority%20Information%20Source.aspx R5 examples to be available post-workshop

Thank you for your Attention! GNA Contacts:Jason Ko, R5 SPF: jmko@fs.fed.us Chris Fischer, R5 SPF: cfischer@fs.fed.us

Constance Zipperer, R5 G&A: czipperer@fs.fed.us TBD RO Stewardship Forester:

Forest

Service