To help restore the local watershed, the Clearwater Stewardship Contract implemented the installation of 7 small to moderate sized bridges or arch culverts, and one large bridge replacement. Photo by Tim Love of the Lolo National Forest.

Stewardship contracts are a creative approach to restoring public-forest land by fostering greater participation between local communities and federal agencies. They were designed by Congress to meet local and rural community needs and to encourage agency transparency and meaningful collaborative partnerships.

As has been illustrated in the past, the main ingredient for an ecologically successful restoration project is the engagement of the local community and the stimulation of the rural economy. Stewardship contracts are a departure from traditional forest contracts because they link forest health to local community needs, they can be awarded for a longer duration of time (up to 10 years), the bidding is done on a “best value” scale as opposed to cheapest bid price, and any proceeds from the sale of forest resources return to fund additional restoration efforts within the area where the project occurred.

Stewardship contract restoration projects have already been utilized with great success throughout the Seeley-Swan Valley. The two-year Clearwater Stewardship contract within the Seeley Lake Ranger District has been touted as a national example of linking ecological forest needs with rural mobilization. Further north, in the Swan, citizens are currently engaged in the Holland Pierce Fuels Reduction Project, which has mobilized local stakeholders to work with agency representatives.