Enterprise Program

About Us

The Enterprise Program was initiated in 1997 by the Region 5 Reinvention Lab as part of the National Performance Review. In 2006 the program became a permanent, national program.

Some of the key aspects outlined within the program area are:

Choice — Enterprise Units provide an alternate choice for Forest Service units to obtain support and services.

Financial Accountability — Enterprise Units receive no direct appropriated funds and must strive for full cost recovery. As such, unit members develop heightened awareness of costs, delivery of quality, and gains in efficiencies.

Work with a Purpose — Enterprise Units do not work for profit like commercial businesses. They work for the purpose of contributing to the Forest Service Mission, and through their training and experience exercise a discriminating awareness of effectiveness and efficiencies.

Spreading Cost Awareness — Forest Service units that utilize enterprise services frequently are exposed to how enterprise recognizes expenses and calculates rates of cost recovery used to estimate project costs. This begins the expansion of true cost recognition beyond the nucleus of enterprise.

Additional Information Relating to Enterprise

• The US Forest Service Enterprise Program: Reinvigorating Government
  

  For the last decade, a group of U.S. Forest Service employees have provided a variety of services at competitive prices within the agency. They are part of a program that is rather unique within the federal government, the Forest Service Enterprise Program. Many employees gave up secure careers to become entrepreneurs and created business and marketing plans for the first time. The program began as an experiment. As it marks its tenth anniversary in 2007, the Enterprise Program has now become a permanent, nationwide program within the Forest Service. Download this document » [PDF, 12 pages, 574 KB]

• Enterprise Program Strategic Plan 2008-2012
  On October 16, 2007 the Chief signed the Enterprise Program Strategic Plan 2008-2012. This document outlines the Program’s goals and objectives, strategies for achieving these benchmarks, and metrics by which to measure accomplishments.
  Download the plan » [PDF, 12 pages, 825 KB]

• Forest Service’s Enterprise Program Gains Recognition. The Enterprise Initiative was selected as a semifinalist in the 2000 Innovations in American Government Awards Program. In addition to the abovementioned honored award recognition the Forest Service’s Enterprise Program was highlighted this year at the July, Excellence in Government 2000 Conference – CONNECTING CITIZENS SERVICES RESULTS.