To illustrate the tremendous size and scope of forest management work made possible by Good Neighbor Authority (GNA), the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service have launched an interactive, web-based map highlighting GNA project successes nationwide.
WASHINGTON—Empowered with Good Neighbor Authority, state forestry agencies are contributing to the restoration of federal forests on a scale never before realized. Now, these restoration success stories are being told through one central interactive, GIS-powered map.
“The Good Neighbor Authority provides us a great tool to be a partner with states to improve the conditions of our nation’s forests,” said Allen Rowley, acting associate deputy chief for the USDA Forest Service’s National Forest System mission area. “We have situations in some states where through Good Neighbor Authority projects, we’ve been able to increase our timber output by as much as 20 percent.”
Since GNA was first authorized by Congress with the 2014 Farm Bill, over a third of states have broken ground on more than 130 GNA projects. Congress expanded authorities for forest management projects undertaken with GNA to allow for necessary road reconstruction and repairs with the Fiscal Year 2018 appropriations omnibus; and with the 2018 Farm Bill, allowed counties and tribes to also participate in GNA projects.
“It is simply good government for forest management to be undertaken in the most timely and cost-efficient manner. GNA helps us do that,” said Lisa Allen, NASF president and Missouri state forester. “We are thrilled with the launch of this new tool highlighting GNA successes and look forward to adding many more project case studies to the map in the future.”
Interested in learning more about GNA? Additional information and resources are available on NASF’s website and USDA Forest Service’s website.
Media Contact: Whitney Forman-Cook at wforman-cook@stateforesters.org or 202-624-5417