Governance strategies for large landscape partnerships in the west

The increasing complexity of environmental issues, as well as a growing emphasis on landscape-scale policy tools, has spurred the emergence of “all-lands” partnerships. These partnerships work at large, regional scales to address issues that span land ownerships and encompass multiple watersheds, firesheds, communities, projects, and/or existing collaborative groups. This document profiles three all-lands partnerships in the West, with a focus on their organizational structures, processes for working with multiple local-scale partners and groups, strategies for large landscape coordination, and key governance documents.

PATHWAYS TO PRESCRIBED FIRE: THREE CASE STUDIES HIGHLIGHTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY-BASED NONPROFITS TO BUILD COOPERATIVE BURNING CAPACITY

Prescribed fire is a critical land management tool in the fire-adapted ecosystems of the Western U.S. Its appropriate application can improve ecosystem function and decrease the risk wildfire poses to communities. Importantly, prescribed fire is also a necessary ingredient in creating resilient forests that help address climate change by creating more durable carbon stocks in fire-adapted landscapes. Yet the pace and scale of federal investments in this work have historically fallen short of what is required by our current wildfire crisis. Community-based partners, including rural nonprofit organizations, help meet this urgent need by engaging in cooperative burn partnerships with federal, tribal, state and local partners. By investing in their own fire crews and equipment, bringing financial and technical resources to bear, and cultivating networks of partners to work across large landscapes, these partners fill critical capacity and workforce gaps in their communities. Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition (RVCC) hopes to encourage wider adoption of such partnerships by showcasing the efforts of three nonprofit organizations and the strategies and tools they used to grow their cooperative burn programs. Produced March 2022.

Authors: Jay McLaughlin, Mt. Adams Resource Stewards; Nick Goulette, Watershed Research & Training Center; Eytan Krasilovsky, Forest Stewards Guild

Editors: Becca Shively & Tyson Bertone-Riggs, Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition

putting shared stewardship into practice: three models for local engagement from california, oregon and minnesota

The Shared Stewardship Initiative was launched by the U.S. Forest Service in 2018, and is a vision to address large-scale, cross-jurisdictional land management concerns through a renewed emphasis on partnerships. However, an early emphasis on federal-state MOUs left community-based organizations unclear on their role in this important work. This collection of short case studies features three distict models of inclusive engagement in the Shared Stewardship initiative seen to date - from California, a pilot that created regional Shared Stewardship advisor positions to build cooperative capacity; in Oregon, an all-lands group of partners formalized their work under a Shared Stewardship MOU; and from Minnesota, a co-management strategy established through the framework of Shared Stewardship between a sovereign tribal government and a national forest. Produced November 2021.

Author: Becca Shively, Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition

JOINING CONSERVATION AND RECREATION IN IDAHO: A CASE STUDY OF THE TETON CREEK CORRIDOR PROJECT

The Teton Creek Corridor Project integrated river restoration, land conservation, and recreation access goals in Idaho's Teton Valley. Spearheaded by four local nonprofits, the project captured and leveraged federal and private funding sources to support land acquisitions and conservation easements, steam channel and floodplain restoration, and the construction of a 2.5-mile community pathway across private and county lands. This case study includes partners’ takeaways about creating broadly supported conservation projects in conservative-leaning rural communities and lessons for non-profits interested in working with tribes on stewardship projects. Produced August 2021.

Author: Emery Cowan, Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition

CAPITAL 360: AN INITIATIVE TO INCREASE FOREST AND FIRE RESILIENCY AROUND HELENA, MONTANA

Montana’s Capital 360 initiative is based in the state capital of Helena, a place ringed by mountains that face declining forest health and increasing risk of catastrophic fire. In response, local governments, state and federal agencies, and nonprofits began to pursue a growing number of cooperative fuels treatment and wildfire risk mitigation projects in key areas around the city and its watersheds. The effort to create a strategic approach to these projects, and the ongoing partnership behind that work, became known as Capital 360. This case study was developed through interviews with key personnel involved in the Capital 360 initiative to help identify the tools, processes, and partners important to implementing forest and fire resiliency work across land ownerships. Produced June 2021.

Author: Emery Cowan, Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition with assistance from Crystal Beckman, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation

Working Together to Increase the Pace and Scale of Prescribed Fire: A New Mexico All-Lands Case Study

All hands approaches that leverage the capacity of federal, state, tribal, and non-governmental partners are essential to increasing the implementation of prescribed fire. Working together, partners used a variety of mechanisms to align organizational goals, build trust across agencies and organizations, and combine resources and skills, which ultimately resulted in the trained personnel needed to work across all lands in New Mexico. Produced January 2020.

Authors: Zander Evans, The Forest Stewards Guild; Matt Piccarello, The Forest Stewards Guild; Emily Jane Davis, EWP, OSU; Karen Hardigg, RVCC

East Face of the Elkhorn Mountains Project: An Oregon All-Lands Case Study

RVCC’s case studies illuminate examples of all-lands projects, including how effective partnerships are built and necessary programs, tools, and authorities are acquired and combined. Learn more about this multi-partner project that plans and implements forest restoration treatments that reduce the risk of wildfire and improve forest resilience across 128,000 acres of federal, state, and family forest lands in northeastern Oregon. Produced May 2019.

Authors: Alyssa Cudmore, My Blue Mountains Woodland Partnership, Wallowa Resources; Emily Jane Davis, EWP/OSU; Karen Hardigg, RVCC; & John Punches, Extension Forester, OSU Extension

Trinity Integrated Fire Management Partnership: A Northern California All-Lands Case Study

Working across public and private boundaries, or on “all lands”, is essential to address the ecological and economic challenges that communities in the rural West face. The Trinity Integrated Fire Management Partnership is a cross-boundary, multi-partner effort to reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health and wildlife habitat by building the local capacity to plan and implement cooperative prescribed burning in northern California. This case study illuminates and details how effective partnerships were built and necessary programs, tools, and authorities were acquired and combined. This study was developed with assistance from the Watershed Research and Training Center (WRTC), interviews with Cal Fire and US Forest Service personnel, and funding provided by the U.S. Forest Service. Produced February 2019.

Authors: Emily Jane Davis, EWP/OSU; Nick Goulette, WRTC; & Karen Hardigg, RVCC

Rural Development through Land Stewardship: Stories from the RVCC Network

USDA Rural Development funds offer up a unique opportunity to catalyze a much needed rural stewardship economy throughout the west. Learn more through case studies featuring RVCC network projects including the Western Juniper Alliance and restoration in Central Idaho.