Road Managers “Pave the Way” with Nontraditional Partnerships

Innovative partnerships are helping Forest Service Road Managers across the country address a backlog of road maintenance projects, including:

• Building, maintaining and decommissioning roads.
• Repairing and replacing culverts, bridges and other drainage treatments.
• Removing brush and other vegetation from roadsides.
• Applying magnesium chloride for dust control.

Partnerships have been developed with the National Guard, correctional camps, paving companies and many other entities. The partnerships range from major watershed collaborations to simple agreements with single partners.

Whether simple or complex, partnerships help Forests:

• Accomplish road work that would otherwise not be done.
• Leverage scarce road maintenance funds.
• Decrease future maintenance costs.Improve watershed health.
• Provide opportunities to reach out to local communities and other stakeholders.

Why partners want to help maintain Forest roads

Some partners contribute to road maintenance because they have an interest in watershed health, and they understand how road maintenance projects can correct sedimentation and water quality problems. Some partners use Forest roads for access to their own activities on public lands. And some participate because the projects help them train others in road maintenance activities. Successful Forest road maintenance projects help partners achieve their own goals.

Learn more about non-traditional road maintenance partnerships

The Partnership Resource Center web page features short case studies of a wide variety of partnerships . Each case study includes keys to success, types of agreements, contact information, and other details.

The case studies are designed to help Road Managers, Forest Engineers and Partnership Coordinators “think outside the box” to reach new partners. Partners covered in the case studies include:

• National Guard; U.S. Border Patrol.
• Tribes; state fish and wildlife departments.
• Watershed councils; nonprofit conservation organizations.
• Conservation districts; electric utilities.
• Recreation associations; OHV clubs; youth organizations.
• Correctional camps.
• Stewardship contracts.
• A private paving company.

The case studies were initiated by Carlos Garcia, Project Engineer at the San Dimas Technology and Development Center. “Our goal in seeking out and sharing these success stories is to inspire Forest staff to bring new partners to the table,” said Garcia. “We’re all familiar with traditional—and very successful—road maintenance partnerships with states and counties, but these stories show that more is possible.”