Monitoring Innovative Contracting on the Malheur National Forest: Did Local Communities Benefit?

7 p.In 2003, the Malheur National Forest experimented with innovative contracting mechanisms to carry out fuels reduction work in the Blue Mountains Demonstration Area (BMDA). The BMDA was initiated in June 1999 to test new strategies for accelerating ecosystem restoration in the Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon to address the dire need for ecological restoration and economic and social risk in nearby communities (BMDA Business Plan, 2000). Because these contracts targeted fuels in the BMDA, the Forest Service piloted innovative contracting mechanisms to stimulate local community benefit while simultaneously restoring fire-adapted ecosystems. This paper presents the results of interviews with eight contractors that were awarded thinning contracts. We intended to examine how the contracting mechanisms used in these thinning solicitations affected local communities and contractors