Last week NASF signed on to a coalition letter encouraging the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies to include an extension of the Stewardship Contracting authority in the FY 2014 budget.
The letter highlighted the history and importance of Stewardship Contracting to the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Stewardship Contracting gives them the authority to enter into stewardship contracts and agreements on federal lands to achieve landscape-scale management goals at minimal costs. Treatments authorized under these contracts and agreements promote healthy forests and reduce fire hazards, increase watershed resilience, and expand business and job opportunities.