Grants and agreements specialists will advise you on the most appropriate authority and legal instrument for the implementation of such projects or the transfer of funds and help you ensure that all applicable requirements are met. In addition, resource managers must work closely with their nepA, NEA and National Historic Preservation Act coordinators to ensure that appropriate procedures and consultation requirements of these Acts are followed, particularly those regarding the use of federal funds on non-federal lands. MISSOURI – Throughout the eastern region of the USDA Forest Service, many of our national forests are fragmented – intertwined in non-federal lands. Much of our work is done through shared responsibility, partnership and agreements. Recently, the Mark Twain National Forest used a Wyden agreement to integrate private land into a prescribed burning project. «The Wyden Agreement allows the Forest Service to enter into collaborative agreements with willing partners and landowners to protect, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and other resource habitats on non-Forest Service lands,» said Tony Crump, Mark Twain Deputy Forest Supervisor for the National Forest. «The Knotwell Project and its associated Wyden Agreement are a great example of partnerships that increase restoration and reduce the risk of wildfires in and around the Mark Twain National Forest. «Mandatory burning on our land wouldn`t happen as often if we couldn`t coordinate with the Forest Service,» said Dean, who also shared the many benefits landowners have in participating in wyden agreements with the forest. «It reduces the risk of wildfires, which is real when it`s dry here, and it really cleans up the forest.» An excellent publication on protocols and guidelines for multi-company monitoring of community-based forest restoration projects is available on the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program website: www.fs.fed.us/r3/spf/cfrp/monitoring/. Private land borders Mark Twain`s boundaries in the knotwell-prescribed incineration unit and is located between the forest and a road, which mixes an excellent fire containment line. .
