Description

For information on how to apply, please see the attached 'Outreach of Interest Template Instructions' document.

This Outreach of Interest (OOI) functions as an outreach mechanism to cultivate relationships and connect with potential partners. This OOI is intended to solicit responses to explore future projects meeting the needs and interests of potential partners through partnership agreements within legislative authority with USDA Forest Service. This OOI seeks to foster a shared commitment to quality recreation experiences on National Forest System lands. New partnerships will help add capacity in support of a growing interest in outdoor recreation.

Your submission signals an opportunity for USDA Forest Service to explore with your ideas for projects or programs and federal funding opportunities. USDA Forest Service is committed to fostering a strong, collaborative partnership that benefits those who recreate on National Forest System lands. These collaborations are vital for creating quality recreation opportunities and well-maintained recreation infrastructure. By working together, we can serve the public and add capacity for maintaining developed and dispersed recreation sites on national forests and grasslands.

Recreation is one of the primary ways the public uses and experiences our national forests and grasslands. From family picnics at day-use sites to remote backcountry hunting trips, there are a myriad of ways people recreate on National Forest System lands. USDA Forest Service provides 160,000 miles of trails, 10,000 developed recreation sites, and nearly 196 million acres of forests and grasslands to explore. USDA Forest Service works to develop, maintain, and update recreation infrastructure to improve user experiences and to provide diverse recreation opportunities for a variety of users. We build new infrastructure, maintain what we have, interact with the visiting public, and provide daily services to certain recreation sites. The public visited national forest and grassland sites over 200 million times between 2017 and 2021. Recreation use of our national forests and grasslands has increased over time, creating challenges to the agency and our existing partners to keep up with infrastructure needs and provide outstanding visitor experiences.

Partnerships help USDA Forest Service meet its stewardship responsibilities for recreation infrastructure and to the recreating public. Such projects serve to engage local community members and cultivate a vested interest in long term success and “ownership” in final outcomes; provide opportunities for job training, personal development, conservation service, and natural resource appreciation; and cultivate the next generation of natural resource stewards and recreation specialists. Potential projects generated through this partnership could improve infrastructure resiliency to weather events; or improve access to public lands for activities such as hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing and increase recreation capacity; and/or improve visitor safety and the quality of visitor experiences.