In May 2019 Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), USDA Forest Service signed a “Shared Stewardship” Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), calling it a model for other states to follow.  The MOU was re-signed to continue the collaboration in 2024.

The MOU establishes a framework for Washington state and the USDA Forest Service to work collaboratively toward mutual goals and effectively respond to the increasing suite of challenges facing communities, landscapes, and natural resources across the state. The partnership will work together to improve forest health – a cornerstone of clean water and abundant wildlife habitat – and create exceptional recreational and outdoor opportunities across the state.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING SUMMARY

• The MOU establishes a framework to allow the State of Washington and the USDA Forest Service to collaboratively advance shared priorities, coordinate investments, and implement projects on a landscape scale across Washington.
• Under this Shared Stewardship strategy, agencies will focus on forest and watershed restoration projects that improve ecosystem health, reduce wildfire risks, and benefit fish and wildlife habitat, among other priorities.
• The MOU builds on strong, existing partnerships, such as the Good Neighbor Authority agreement between DNR and USFS. Signed in 2017, the Good Neighbor Authority allows DNR to conduct forest health work on federal lands. A Good Neighbor Authority agreement with WDFW signed in January this year provides additional opportunities.
• The agreement supports Washington state goals and existing plans, such as DNR's 20-Year Forest Health Strategic Plan: Eastern Washington, Forest Action Plan, and Western Washington Forest Health Strategic Plan.
• By working together, the agencies will maximize resources and create the efficiencies needed to return Washington's forest health, which is a cornerstone to healthy wildlife habitat and clean water.
• This partnership creates a unified voice on issues before Congress and the state Legislature.
• A signed copy of the MOU is available here. 

In complement to this Shared Stewardship agreement, in 2024 an multi-party MOU was also signed focused on delivery of programs and services to non-industrial private forest landowners in Washington State.  This MOU was made and entered into by the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Forest Service (USFS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Washington State Conservation Commission (WSCC), the Washington Association of Conservation Districts (WACD), Washington State University Extension (WSU), and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR).  This MOU is available here.

Forest Health Tracker allows us to share project information across all-lands, including spatial data, to foster better planning and monitoring towards shared stewardship and collaboration to meet our shared goals.