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3620.4 - Responsibilities.
c. Regional Foresters and Area Directors. The Regional Forester has the leadership
responsibilities for Rural Conservation and Development (RC&D). The State
Representative has Regional staff responsibility for the program.
The State Representative for each State:
(1) Provides the program direction and guidance necessary to meet the Forest
Service responsibilities and policies.
(2) Provides liaison with the State Conservationists and State Foresters on matters of
program direction and policy.
(3) Recommends to the Regional Forester funding priorities and levels for each
RC&D area.
(4) Provides technical assistance for the administration of the Regional RC&D
program. This includes involving the pertinent staff or staff person for a given
project proposal, that is, a hydrologist when a watershed structure is proposed for
construction.
(5) Maintains commmunication among Regional RC&D program personnel.
(6) Reviews requests for grants, annual plans of work, progress reports, and field
reviews.
d. Forest Supervisors. When National Forest lands are included within an RC&D
area, the Forest Supervisor of the affected Forest is designated as the NFS contact.
Where two or more Forests are within one RC&D area, the Regional Forester will
determine who will represent NFS in that area. The NFS contact job is to work with
and assist local sponsors, local Soil Conservation Service personnel, and others
during the feasibility investigations of the RC&D areas. When the RC&D area is
approved for planning assistance by the Secretary of Agriculture, the Forest
Supervisor will also work with the designated RC&D coordinator who is normally
with the SCS, and will assist in the planning and operation phase of the RC&D area
insofar as it concerns National Forest System land. For State and Private Lands, the
State Representative will encourage the RC&D coordinator to contact the State
District Forester to provide assistance. For RC&D areas that include or are adjacent
to National Forest System lands, the Forest Supervisor will coordinate National
Forest plans and activities with the RC&D council, the State Forester and the State
Representative.
In the event that specific project proposals of other agencies would adversely affect
National Forest development plans and operations, the Forest Supervisor should
notify the RC&D council of any objections to such proposals. If additional
R3 SUPPLEMENT 3600-91-1
EFFECTIVE DATE: 01/11/91
DURATION: This supplement is effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 3600 – RURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 3620 – RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
assistance is needed in persuading the council to revise or drop objectional proposals,
the Forest Supervisor will notify the Regional Forester.
The Forest Supervisor shall keep the Regional Forester informed of National Forest
participation in RC&D areas. Copies of RC&D areas work plans and plan of
operation, as appropriate, for each calendar year shall be provided to the Regional
Forester, and each Forest Supervisor by the State Representative.
Specially, the State Representative may assist the local sponsors of RC&D areas in
the following ways:
(1) Pre-Application/Application Phase.
(a) Encourage participation by other Federal, State, and local agencies: define
relationship between agencies and agency programs.
(b) Support local acceptance of the RC&D area.
(c) Encourage formation of citizen committee on forestry recreation, and so forth, as
appropriate, if needed.
(d) Provide technical advice along with the State District Forester to citizens'
committees. Advise council, when they are establishing project or program
priorities, of activities that will be the most beneficial to the area.
(e) Provide background and descriptive material of the Forest and statements of
program needs and opportunities for inclusion in the RC&D area application. Show
the total program acceleration (above normal program levels) needed to meet
National Forest or RC&D area goals. Forestry opportunities on State and private
lands normally will be identified by the State District Forester.
(f) Assist in writing and reviewing the RC&D area application.
(2) Project plan phase.
(a) Provide technical assistance to citizen committees and RC&D area sponsors.
Technical assistance on State and private lands normally will be provided by the
State District Forester.
(b) Encourage citizen planning on an area or Regional basis.
(c) Contact Forest Supervisors to identify National Forest program needs for
inclusion in the RC&D area plan. As in the application, show the program
acceleration needs to meet Forest or RC&D area goals. Include those program
and/or project needs for which support of the RC&D area sponsors is desired. Assist
R3 SUPPLEMENT 3600-91-1
EFFECTIVE DATE: 01/11/91
DURATION: This supplement is effective until superseded or removed.
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CHAPTER 3620 – RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
the State District Forester in developing a forestry program for State and private
lands.
(d) Project plans should include descriptive information of the Forest and its
program. Contributions toward the RC&D area objectives made through normal
Forest program should be included. Work to be accomplished under normal program
(work that would be accomplished whether or not the RC&D area exists) should be
clearly identified as such.
(e) Assist State District Forester in writing and reviewing the RC&D area, forestry
work plan. The potential of forest lands in all ownerships and Forest Service
contributions including State and Private and Research, should be given prominence.
(3) Operation plan phase.
(a) Provide technical assistance.
(b) Identify specific projects or program segments for which RC&D area sponsor
will be asked for help in obtaining funds and/or manpower. Such projects should be
limited to the most important, as RC&D area council energies and funds are limited.
(c) Identify portions of annual program of work that will be accomplished under
normal Forest program and that will contribute to RC&D area goals for the year.
These should be so identified in the annual plan of operation.
(d) Contact Forest Supervisors for the inclusion of a brief summary of the National Forest role
in contributing to RC&D area goals.