Stewardship Contracting on Federal Forest Lands

Congress’s authorization of stewardship end-result contracting has given the USDA Forest Service (USFS) and USDOI Bureau of Land Management (BLM) a valuable tool to address concerns about forest health issues while also meeting the needs of rural, forest-based communities. Stewardship contracting (Click here for a definition ) was tested by the USFS on a pilot basis starting in 1998 until long-term authority was granted in 2003. At that time, Congress authorized its widespread use on National Forest System and BLM lands through September 2013.

For over a decade, the Pinchot Institute has been involved in developing, testing, and establishing federal legislative authority for stewardship contracts. From 1999-2005, The Pinchot Institute developed and facilitated a multiparty monitoring and evaluation program aimed at informing Congress on the strengths and weaknesses of new contracting tools under the pilot authorities. Since 2005, the Forest Service and BLM have turned to the Pinchot Institute in order to meet the Congressional mandate to monitor—on an annual, programmatic basis—the role local communities play in the development of stewardship contracts.

Restoration thinning of an overstocked Ponderosa Pine stand in the Santa Fe National Forest, NM.

For reports on our Pilot and Programmatic monitoring efforts click on the appropriate link below or visit the Forest Service's Stewardship Contracting website.

Programmatic Monitoring of the Role Local Communities Play in Developing Stewardship Contracts: FY 2008 Report to the USDA Forest Service

Programmatic Monitoring of the Role Local Communities Play in Developing Stewardship Contracts: FY 2007 Report to the USDA Forest Service

Programmatic Monitoring of the Role of Communities in Stewardship Contracting: Final Report to the USDA Forest Service FY2006. Appendix A. Appendix B.

For the FY 2005 report on community involvement in stewardship contracts, visit the Forest Service's FY 05 Implementation Report (the Pinchot Institute's contribution is Chapter 4.)

The Role of Communities in Stewardship Contracting: A Programmatic Review of Forest Service Projects. FY 2004 Report to the USDA Forest Service

Stewardship Contracting: A Summary of Lessons Learned from the Pilot Experience

Project Leader: Brian Kittler, Project Manager