FEMA/Forest Service Memorandum of Understanding

The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is to expand and enhance working relationships between the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USDA-FS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Mitigation Directorate and FEMA’s Project Impact – Building a Disaster Resistant Community.

This MOU reflects the mutual desire of both parties to utilize the USDA-FS network of community based ecosystem management, technologies, strategies and programs in a partnership effort to help communities reduce their vulnerability to natural hazard events.

FEMA and the USDA-FS agree to take appropriate steps to expand, coordinate and enhance ongoing relationships between the National Headquarters and Regional Offices of both entities.  FEMA and the USDA-FS believe that such relationship building is critical to both agencies and will achieve progress through periodic partnership meetings both at the national and regional levels.  Efforts in this area should focus on (but should not limited to) identifying, developing, and integrating mutual mitigation interests and activities, particularly as they relate to FEMA’s Project Impact and various USDA-FS regional and community based activities, such as: tribal and local government programs; urban and rural community activities in State and Private Forestry; National Forest System ecosystem management; forest and rangeland research; and the Economic Action Programs.

FEMA and the USDA-FS will take the following steps to enhance coordination of community-based activities and initiatives, with special emphasis on FEMA’s Project Impact and USDA-FS regional and community-based activities:

(1)   FEMA and the USDA-FS agree to periodically hold briefings and meetings for the other, to identify ways and means of coordinating activities that could prove to be mutually beneficial and to establish priorities and timetables for implementation of agreed upon activities.

(2)   FEMA and the USDA-FS agree to inform each other as soon as practicable on the focus of activities of mutual interest and the target locations for each other’s initiatives and efforts (to include the designation of communities and/or regions to participate in each agency’s priority initiatives).

(3)   Both agencies agree to increase coordination of their respective initiatives to build community capacity through shared design, implementation and enhancement activities in order to enhance the compatibility of mutual goals and interests.

(4)   Both agencies agree to develop a joint directory of primary contacts for their respective programs at the National Headquarters and Regional levels.

(5)   FEMA and the USDA-FS agree to work together to ensure that community leaders, State and local government officials, and other rural partners are aware of Project Impact’s goals and objectives.  Additionally, the two entities will seek out areas of mutual compatibility to support community-based programs initiated by the USDA-FS. Also, FEMA and USDA-FS will work together to help communities and local governments

develop and employ natural hazard mitigation strategies and sound planning into their daily decision-making activities.

(6)   FEMA and the USDA-FS agree to closely coordinate their activities during all disaster operations to capitalize on mitigation opportunities and to maximize the effectiveness and return on funding expenditures in communities affected by disasters.

(7)   To the extent practicable, FEMA and the USDA-FS may leverage/utilize (or encourage the same) existing Federal funding sources available from each agency to achieve mutual goals at the community level.  FEMA funding sources that may be leveraged and utilized in this way include resources associated with Project Impact, as well as FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), and Flood Mitigation Assistance program (FMAP).  USDA-FS resources that may be leveraged or utilized in this way include resources associated with the Economic Action Program (Rural Community Assistance and work with Resource Conservation and Development Councils), Rural Community Fire Protection, Urban and Community Forestry, and Forest Health Protection.

(8)   FEMA and the USDA-FS will develop and enhance education, training and outreach opportunities such as common web site links and the development of joint catalysts for tribal, federal and state activities.