Understanding stakeholder experiences with long-term, landscape-scale stewardship contracting in the Pacific Northwest

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Date

2021

Authors

Davis, Emily Jane

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Publisher

Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon

Abstract

Stewardship end results contracting is a set of authorities that allows the USDA Forest Service to implement forest restoration activities in new and flexible ways through contracts and agreements. These authorities provide several means to pursue restoration and community goals that depart from prior guidance and requirements for timber sales and service contracts. Some projects have been purposefully designed as long-term and landscape-scale through ten-year arrangements that encompass relatively large spatial areas and seek durable, significant restoration and community economic objectives. The implementation of large stewardship projects is an evolving area of practice for the Forest Service and its partners. As such, it particularly presents opportunities and challenges for learning. In 2016, the Regional Forester of Region 6 (Pacific Northwest states of Washington and Oregon) recognized this, and requested an internal Functional Assistance Team review of the five large projects in this region to help inform their effective administration. However, that review primarily focused on the experiences and insights of agency personnel. In response to the need for additional perspectives, this study obtained and synthesized partner viewpoints from 21 key informants closely involved in the implementation of the five large projects through qualitative interviews and document review. Findings pertain to common trends, challenges, and lessons learned from the practice of long-term, large-scale stewardship contracting from non-agency stakeholder viewpoints. The confidentiality of participants is protected by a focus on common themes and an in-depth case study approach is not used.

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46 pages

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