GNA Information and Resources

Photo Credit: Laura Wagner

GNA Information and Resources

Introduction

The Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) is an important partnership tool available to the USDA Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) with the intent to increase the pace and scale of forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration across jurisdictional boundaries.

Permanently enacted in the 2014 Farm Bill and amended in the 2018 Omnibus Appropriations and the 2018 Farm Bill, GNA enables States, Counties, and Indian Tribes to act as an agent of the federal agencies to complete authorized restoration services on federal and non-federal lands.

This webpage provides a repository of informational and educational resources about GNA for western state forestry agencies, federal agencies, and partners.

GNA Spotlight - Arizona, July 2022

Authored by Christine Mares, GNA Coordinator, Arizona Department of Forestry & Fire Management

In July 2022, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) entered into a Good Neighbor Authority agreement with the Coconino National Forest to treat 31,000 acres of federal land and safeguard the municipal water source for communities in Central Arizona.

Presently, areas above the Mogollon Rim are thick with hazardous fuels. Fuels reduction in watersheds that feed the C.C Cragin Reservoir will reduce the risk of undesirable wildfire, improve forest health, water quality and availability, and wildlife habitat. Work involves the removal of merchantable timber, mastication of non-merchantable biomass, and repair and maintenance of forest roads. This multi-year initiative is a partnership with DFFM, the Coconino National Forest, the Town of Payson, and Salt River Project, a community-based not-for-profit water utility corporation.

For more information about this project, contact Christine Mares.

Photo Credit: Salt River Project