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FOREST SERVICE MANUAL
JUNEAU, ALASKA
FSM 3600 - RURAL COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE
R-10 Supplement No. 3600-98-1
Effective August 14, 1998
POSTING NOTICE. Supplements are numbered consecutively by Title number and
calendar year. Post by document name. Remove entire document and replace with
this supplement. Retain this transmittal as the first page of this document. The last
supplement to this Title was R-10 Supplement 3600-94-2 to FSM 3610.
This supplement supersedes R-10 Supplement 3600-94-2 to FSM 3610.
Document Name
Superseded New
(Number of Pages)
3610
4
4
Digest:
This supplement updates the following titles: Director of State and Private Forestry to
Deputy Regional Forester for State and Private Forestry; Staff Director, Fiscal and
Public Safety to Deputy Regional Forester for Operations; and Staff Director of
Planning, Programming, and Budgeting to Staff Director of Ecosystem Planning and
Budget. Also updates the following staff names: Timber Management to Forest
Management; Recreation, Cultural and Wilderness Resources to Public Services; and
Wildlife & Fisheries Management to Wildlife, Fisheries, Ecology, & Watershed.
/s/ Ronald D. Larsen for
JAMES A. CAPLAN
Acting Regional Forester
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FSM 3600 - RURAL COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE
R-10 SUPPLEMENT NO. 3600-98-1
EFFECTIVE AUGUST 14, 1998
CHAPTER 3610 - RURAL DEVELOPMENT
3610.2 - Objectives. Region 10 objectives in Rural Community Assistance (RCA) are to:
1. Establish that Rural Development is an important part of the decisionmaking
processes of Region 10 employees in performing their daily duties.
2. Use the authorities of the Forest Service including those of Public Law 95313, as amended; Title XII, Subtitle G of the 1990 Farm Bill; and Section 316 of the FY
1993 Appropriation Act, to make Region 10 funds available to interact with and extend
technical assistance to rural communities that qualify under the standards and guides
provided by various programs under RCA.
3. Assist Alaska rural communities to revitalize their socioeconomic
environment.
4. Create new resource related local value-added industries for Alaska rural
communities.
5. Create jobs in Alaska rural communities.
6. Implement the Region's Rural Development Strategic Plan, guided by the
Chief's Strategic Plan.
7. Report Rural Development accomplishments.
8. Provide for Rural Development through the planning and budgeting process
as an activity of Region 10 programs and projects at the SO and District levels.
9. Establish partnerships with other Federal and State agencies in carrying out
the goals of RCA.
3610.3 - Policy. To the extent possible, interact and provide technical assistance to
qualified rural communities on an equitable basis using the resources of the Region to
solve socioeconomic problems. Plans, programs, and budgets should incorporate
interaction and technical assistance to communities for rural development as an
activity at the Forest and District level. Grants available through the S&PF Rural
Community Forestry Assistance program will be used for implementation of
Community Action Plans.
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3610.4 - Responsibilities.
3610.43 - Regional Foresters and Area Director.
1. Regional Forester. The Regional Forester is responsible for:
a. Implementing the Chief's Rural Community Assistance (RCA) programs
in Alaska.
b. Developing and implementing an Alaska Region RCA strategy.
c. Approving community action teams and community action plans. (May
be delegated to a lower level)
d. Approving grants for plan implementation. (May be delegated to a
lower level.)
2. Deputy Regional Forester for State & Private Forestry (S&PF). The DRF for
S&PF is responsible for:
a. Coordinating Region 10 RCA program.
b. Providing Forests with current information on National program policy
and direction.
c. Providing Forests with technical support.
d. Interacting with and providing technical assistance to those rural
communities in Alaska not qualified under the Economic Recovery
program.
e. Managing the various grants of the RCA program. (May be delegated to
the Forest Supervisor.)
f. Coordinating the Alaska Region's RCA program with other Federal,
State, and private agencies with rural development concerns and interests.
g. Preparing the RCA grant portion of the Alaska Region's grant packages.
(May be delegated to Forest Supervisors.)
h. Providing budget guidance for Forest budget preparation.
i. Approving community action teams and community action plans, if
delegated. (May be delegated to Forest Supervisors.)
j. Compiling and reporting Regional accomplishments in rural community
assistance.
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3. Deputy Regional Forester for Operations. The DRF for Operations is
responsible for providing information on authorities and policy on use of Forest Service
resources to assist communities to diversify their socioeconomic situation.
4. Staff Directors.
a. The Staff Directors for Forest Management; Public Services; Wildlife,
Fisheries, Ecology, and Watershed; and Engineering & Aviation
Management are responsible for:
(1) Providing program and budget direction for rural community assistance
in resource management planning and budgeting.
(2) Including RCA in resource program standards and guides.
(3) Reviewing annual forest budgets for RCA in resource programs.
b. Staff Director, Ecosystem Planning and Budget is responsible for:
(1) Providing Forest Supervisors with budget advice, developed by other
staff directors, on rural community assistance.
(2) Providing the DRF for S&PF with a copy of forest budget submissions
to review for compliance with National direction.
(3) Reviewing RCA sections of Region and Forest Plan revisions.
5. Forest Supervisors. Forest Supervisors are responsible for:
a. Considering rural community assistance in forest plan revisions, RPA,
and other Forest Service planning and budgeting processes.
b. Preparing annual budgets that provide for RCA activities.
c. Making funds available to interact with and provide technical
assistance to qualified communities.
d. Representing the Region on community action teams.
e. Assisting qualified communities to prepare action plans.
f. Preparing and managing grants, when delegated, to communities to
implement action plans developed through the Economic Recovery
Program.
g. Monitoring and reporting accomplishments.