Local News

The US Forest Service has announced an investment of over $2.88 million to fund five Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) projects in the Pacific Northwest for the current fiscal year. One of those funded projects is in Southern Oregon.

Forest Service officials said this funding is part of a larger $12 million national investment in GNA projects for the same period. They said the projects aim to enhance watersheds, restore forest health and reduce wildfire risks in Oregon and Washington.

The funding made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allows the Forest Service to partner directly with state agencies for these projects.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife received $200,000 for priority fish passage projects including the removal of the Pomeroy and Parrot Creek dams on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.

In other projects, the Oregon Department of Forestry received $1 million to support forest restoration on federal lands and the Oregon Department of Transportation received $485,000 to mitigate hazard trees along forest roads and state highways crossing Forest Service lands.

Established by Congress in 2014 and amended in 2018, the Good Neighbor Authority provides federal land managers with a tool for creating management agreements with local governments. Forest health projects are identified and implemented at the local level and managed by states, Tribes and county agencies.