Good Neighbor Authority

Increasing pace and scale of active management within Wyoming forest's.

Cow Camp Salvage Sale was the first GNA project to occur on the Bridger-Teton National Forest in western Wyoming.

History of Good Neighbor Authority

The Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) allows the USDA Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to enter into agreements with states to increase pace and scale of active forest management and restoration activities across those federal lands. The GNA program was permanently enacted in the 2014 Farm Bill and expanded in the 2018 Farm Bill. States, Counties and Indian Tribes can act as an agent and participate in the GNA program.

Since authorized 38 states have entered into GNA agreements with federal agencies including Wyoming. The first master agreement between the USDA Rocky Mountain Region, Intermountain Region and Wyoming State Forestry Division was signed in 2016 with current restoration activities occurring under the 2019 Master Agreement. In 2017 the first GNA agreement with the Bureau of Land Management was signed.

In Wyoming there are three state agencies that carry out GNA work on federal lands:

- Wyoming State Forestry Division

- Wyoming Game and Fish Department

- Wyoming Department of Agricultural

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The Rob Roy GNA Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project

The Rob Roy Good Neighbor Authority Hazardous Fuels Reduction completed 231 acres of hazardous fuels reduction around the Rob Roy Reservoir. This reservoir is a crucial water supply to the City of Cheyenne. Two major wildfires (Keystone 2017 & Mullen 2020) have threated the reservoir, showing the need for forest management needing to occur within this watershed. Timber harvested from this service contract is being utilized by local purchasers. The City of Cheyenne played a key role in the implementation of this project.

Wyoming Good Neighbor Authority Contacts:

Jeremy Dedic, Wyoming Forestry Partnership Coordinator, WSFD:jeremy.dedic@wyo.gov
Ian Tator, Statewide Terrestrial Habitat Manager, WGFD: ian.tator@wyo.gov
Chris Wichman, Division Manager, Wyoming Dept of Ag: Chris.wichman@wyo.gov
Heidi Rogers , Forestry Program Lead, BLM: hrogers@blm.gov
Matt Etzenhouser, USFS Region 2 GNA Forestry Lead: Matthew.Etzenhouser@usda.gov
Trinity Bugger, USFS Region 4 Grants and Agreements Supervisor: trinity.bugger@usda.gov

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