Initially, an informal group of community citizens involved in a diverse number of interests, (environmental, forestry, business, construction, education, civic groups and private landownership), came to the table to discuss the depressed condition of the local communities. Due to a downsizing in the forest resource industry of the area, many mills had closed and jobs were lost.

This situation lent to a demoralization of the entire community and folks decided something had to be done. To bring together a group of folks who traditionally wouldn't even speak to one another was a challenging, innovative, daring goal. It took a number of meetings for the group to find that they shared a common vision for their communities as well as their forests and that they could achieve their goal by developing a partnership amongst themselves.

In 1999 Congress mandated that the Forest Service start using a new "tool": stewardship contracting. Stewardship contracting is a way of integrating both timber sale work and service work in one contract and it uses best value contracting.

This type of contracting also allows the Forest Service Districts to retain the receipts from the sale of timber and to be able to use that money on the local forests to directly make improvements through restoration projects. Normally, timber sale receipts are sent to Washington, D.C. and the appropriated to Forests for specific activities.

While working with the F.S. to put together a stewardship project, the citizen group formally became the Priest-Pend Oreille Forest Stewardship Committee (P-POFSC). About this time, they decided that they would eventually bid on the Lakeface-Lamb contract. When they informed the Forest Service of their plans, they were shut out of the contract design process. This was a frustrating time for the group of citizens.

They continued to hold their monthly meetings, spending their time planning how they would operate the contract if they were awarded the Lakeface-Lamb project. This involved administrative planning, how and when to hire private consultants, and especially how to be accountable and credible to the community at all times.

BEHOLD THE CONTRACT!

In the Fall of 2001, the Forest Service came out with the RFP for the Lakeface-Lamb project ~ the document was over two feet thick! The RFP was due the day before Thanksgiving. Negotiations took place in January of 2002. In the meantime, the P-POFSC had to find a fiscal sponsor to put forth the extravagant bonding of $350,000.

Over the years of planning, two members of the Priest River Development Corporation (PRDC) had been sitting at the table throughout the collaborative efforts. This proved to be invaluable. PRDC courageously and graciously decided to put most of their assets on the line so P-POFSC could take on this stewardship project if the contract was awarded to them.

In February of 2002, the Lakeface-Lamb Forest Stewardship Project was awarded to Priest River Development Corporation, the first all-volunteer, non-profit group to become the prime contractor on a Forest Service contract in the nation. The project has been run by the P-POFSC as PRDC's Advisory Committee since day one.

The P-POFSC, because of their immense success on the Lakeface-Lamb project, has assimilated into the Priest Community Forest Connection. PCFC is carrying on their accomplishments as a 501 © 3 non-profit. They have designed and implemented several new programs and are developing many exciting partnerships, always with the community's well-being as its motivation. (Please refer to the Community Programs link.)

Interested in the collaborative process, in successfully implementing a stewardship contract?
Click Here to Contact the Priest Community Forest Connection or Call 208-448-0210.