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 federal lands.
Since permanently enacted in the 2014 Farm Bill, at least 38 states have entered into GNA agreements with federal agencies, including Wyoming.
In Wyoming, three state agencies carry out GNA work on federal lands:
- Wyoming Department of Agriculture
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department
- Wyoming State Forestry Division
Our Division implements service contracts that include hazardous fuels reduction, pre-commercial thinning, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) assessments, field layout, trail maintenance, and more.
An example of the GNA in action is the Rob Roy Good Neighbor Authority Hazardous Fuels Reduction, shown below:
After two major wildfires (Keystone 2017 and Mullen 2020) threatened Rob Roy Reservoir—a crucial water supply to the City of Cheyenne—it was determined that forest management needed to occur within this watershed.
During the Rob Roy Good Neighbor Authority Hazardous Fuels Reduction, crews completed 231 acres of hazardous fuels reduction.
The City of Cheyenne played a key role in the implementation of this project, and timber harvested from that service contract was utilized by local purchasers.