Wildlife Habitat Enhancement

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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. USDA Forest Service would like to increase capacity to improve wildlife habitat, including certain artificial structures, by engaging partnerships from local communities who have a vested interest in management outcomes. This OOI seeks to increase representation, including from diverse and underserved backgrounds. New partnerships will foster co-stewardship between the USDA Forest Service through better representation of the publics the agency serves, and with a shared commitment to wildlife conservation on USDA Forest Service and adjacent lands. Your submission signals an opportunity for USDA Forest Service to explore with you your ideas/projects/programs and potential partnership opportunities. USDA Forest Service is committed to fostering a strong, collaborative partnership that benefits our fisheries, plants, and wildlife resources, and their habitats. This collaboration is vital to wildlife conservation. Increases in the frequency, intensity, and scale of natural disturbance such as wildfire, drought, and disease, along with habitat degradation from development and other human based activities continue to stress numerous wildlife species. Wildlife habitat enhancement projects that create artificial habitat structures (e.g., nest boxes, brush piles, supplemental water), mitigate erosion or revegetate important plants are one way the USDA Forest Service can supplement lost habitat for terrestrial and aquatic species. While not a replacement for natural wildlife habitat, these management actions have the potential to mitigate habitat loss and increase wildlife abundance or productivity. This partnership would help the USDA Forest Service meets its stewardship responsibilities for at-risk species while also helping to keep common species common. Focal taxa could include both terrestrial and aquatic species; nongame and game species, and species that are socially and culturally important to the USDA Forest Service, its partners, tribes, and local communities. It would also support the agencies Wildfire Crisis, Reforestation and Climate Adaptation Strategies. The project would engage community members and cultivate a vested interest in long term success and shared ownership in final outcomes; provide opportunities for job training, personal development, conservation service, and natural resource appreciation while cultivating the next generation of natural resource stewards. Wildlife habitat enhancement projects generated through this partnership could also increase recreational opportunities such as birding, hunting, and nature viewing.