Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program - Selecting CLFR Projects

To select project proposals for use of the CFLR Fund, the Secretary will consider the recommendations of an Advisory Panel convened for that purpose prior to making selection decisions. This section describes the selection process and subsequent notification actions.

2012 Project Selections

The CFLRP Advisory Committee met October 18-20, 2011, to evaluate 2011 proposals submitted in response to the Fiscal Year 2011 CFLRP Request for Proposals and to make recommendations for project selection to the Secretary of Agriculture. On February 2, 2012, the Secretary of Agriculture announced the selection of 10 CFLRP projects.

2010 Project Selections

The CFLRP Advisory Committee met in Washington, DC, July 20-22, 2010, to review proposed CFLRP projects and make recommendations for project selection to the Secretary of Agriculture. The CFLRP Advisory Committee recommended ten projects proposals to the Secretary of Agriculture for project selection. On August 13, 2010, the Secretary announced the selection of Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration projects in nine states that promote healthier, safer and more productive public lands.

CFLR Selection Process

An advisory panel will review Project proposals nominated by the Regional Forester in response to the Secretary’s call letter. This panel will be appointed by the Secretary and will include experts in ecological restoration, fire ecology, fire management, rural economic development, strategies for ecological adaptation to climate change, fish and wildlife ecology, and woody biomass and small-diameter tree utilization. The panel will evaluate each proposal and make recommendations to the Secretary. The Secretary will consult with the Secretary of Interior prior to making selections.

The following criteria will be used to evaluate project proposals:

1. the strength of the proposal and strategy;
2. the strength of the ecological case of the proposal and the proposed ecological restoration strategies;
3. the strength of the collaborative process and the likelihood of successful collaboration throughout implementation;
4. whether the proposal is likely to achieve reductions in long-term wildfire management costs;
5. whether the proposal would reduce the relative costs of carrying out ecological restoration treatments as a result of the use of woody biomass and small-diameter trees; and
6. whether an appropriate level of non-Federal investment would be leveraged in carrying out the proposal.

The Secretary may select up to 10 proposals in any one fiscal year including up to 2 proposals in any one Forest Service Region. The Secretary may limit the number of proposals selected to the number that the Secretary determines are likely to receive adequate funding.

The Secretary will notify each Regional Forester of the disposition of each proposal after final selections have been made.