NASF joined more than 90 other organizations in a coalition letter to support the permanent reauthorization of Stewardship Contracting Authority, with no changes, in the 2012 Farm Bill. First enacted as a pilot program in the FY1999 Interior Appropriations bill and then reauthorized for another 10 years within the 2003 Omnibus Public Lands bill, stewardship contracting offers forest managers the use of innovative contracting methods to achieve forest management objectives, increase and diversify job opportunities, and lengthen work seasons.The signing organizations collectively agree that permanent stewardship contracting reauthorization is essential to restore and foster healthy forest ecosystems and provide stability and employment to rural communities.
Benefits include the ability to establish jobs, expand forest products markets, diversify landscape treatments, and promote active management of forests through community-based collaboration. Stewardship contracting provides a unique funding mechanism that allows agencies to keep revenue on site to complete other stewardship projects, thus providing more work and subsequent job opportunities.