A bill in Congress would allow tribes and counties to work with the federal government on managing forestlands.

Tribes and counties would have more opportunity to work on federal forest restoration and management projects — including landscape-scale work that crosses jurisdictional and ownership boundaries — under a new bill in Congress.

The Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act would fully extend Good Neighbor Authority program eligibility to tribes and counties. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho, and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., introduced the bill March 8.

It will “empower tribes and counties to take a leading role in conservation and enable all GNA partners to better manage our forests and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires,” Risch said in a release.

Good Neighbor Authority allows the U.S. Forest Service to work with state forestry agencies on forest management projects. Idaho has been a leader in this work, and the authority “has been an important tool to help get projects on the ground faster,” he said.

Congress extended the authority to tribes and counties in 2018, “but unfortunately, they still have not been granted the ability to effectively execute projects.”

Congress in passing the 2018 legislation “missed something in the process that would allow tribes or counties to retain receipts for other projects” for restoration work, Sharla Arledge, Idaho Department of Lands public information officer, said in an interview. “That wasn’t the intent, and this legislation would make that change.”

For example, the Payette National Forest and Adams County, Idaho, under the current law recently entered a Good Neighbor Authority agreement focused on fire hazard reduction. The county could have more funding and other flexibility if the bill passes.

“With the magnitude of work that needs to be done on federal land, the more partners, the better,” Arledge said. “If we can engage tribes and counties to get involved, that is a good thing.”

“Keeping the woods working for future generations is central to who we are as rural Americans,” Perez said. The bill builds on the success of Good Neighbor Authority to allow tribes and counties “to receive the full benefits of these agreements so we can continue to enjoy these resources for years to come.”

Counties and tribes deserve a chance to share in the success of the program, Fulcher said.

“The time is now to provide the communities on the front lines of our nation’s forests with all the relevant resources essential to success as well as (to) restore sound management practices,” he said.