National Assn. of State Foresters applauds recently enacted EXPLORE Act's expansion of Good Neighbor Authority; law enables states, tribes, counties to manage forest restoration across federal boundaries

WASHINGTON, D.C.–State Foresters applaud the recent enactment of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, which contains sweeping measures to improve public land management and outdoor recreation nationwide. The Act’s explicit expansion of the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) will accelerate critical forest management work across boundaries on national, state, tribal and county lands.

GNA, first authorized by Congress through the 2014 Farm Bill, enables the USDA Forest Service to collaborate directly (through “Good Neighbor Agreements”) with states on federal forestland restoration and management projects. With the 2018 Farm Bill, Congress expanded GNA to include Tribes and counties as eligible entities for Good Neighbor Agreements. However, the revised Farm Bill effectively removed the ability for restoration services to take place off of federal lands – meaning state, tribal, county or any other land adjoining National Forest land could no longer be restored as comprehensive landscapes. Further, Tribes and counties were not afforded the same authority as states to retain and reinvest their GNA project revenues, diminishing incentives to partner on crucial efforts like wildfire mitigation and invasive species management.

The EXPLORE Act, reflecting key language from the Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act introduced in the prior Congress, enables all GNA partners to perform restoration on all lands approved under the project’s Good Neighbor Agreement, regardless of federal boundaries, and further establishes Tribes’ and counties’ ability to reinvest revenue in authorized restoration efforts.

The National Association of State Foresters applauds this effort from Congress that will enhance national capacity to get needed work done. By allowing states, Tribes and counties to work across federal lands and reinvest the revenues they generate, critical work can be greatly accelerated. “Forest management, wildfire risk mitigation and even recreational projects can now be better integrated across partners, and the revenue generated by Tribes and counties can be re-invested beyond National Forest lands back into their own communities,” said Jay Farrell, Executive Director of the National Association of State Foresters. “This is a huge win for America’s forests.”

The EXPLORE Act’s full text can be viewed here. The Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act was led by Senator James Risch (R-ID) and Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Derek Kilmer (D-WA).