Forest Service ARRA Investments:
A Socioeconomic Assessment
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 aims to create
jobs and jumpstart the economy while addressing the Nation’s social and environmental needs. About half of the ARRA funding provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) targets conservation, forestry, and rural community development projects. It is important to
evaluate the social and economic effects of these projects to demonstrate how such investments can
make a difference in rural areas, and to investigate how forest restoration, conservation, and rural
community development goals can be linked to promote healthy forests and healthy rural communities.
A socioeconomic assessment can also identify how Forest Service ARRA investments contribute to
achieving Secretary Vilsack’s vision for protecting
and maintaining America’s forest and water resources on all ownerships while contributing to
the creation of rural wealth.
healthy communities
healthy forests
The Forest Service ARRA Assessment will
evaluate the social and economic effects of the
agency’s ARRA investments at eight rural casestudy sites across the United States. Where relevant, we will evaluate Forest Service investments
within the broader context of the suite of ARRA natural resource conservation and related rural community development investments made by the USDA (e.g., Natural Resource Conservation Service,
Rural Development) and United States Department of Interior (e.g., Bureau of Land Management, Fish
April 2010
and Wildlife Service) to assess their cumulative social and economic impacts. We will analyze quantitative and qualitative information pertaining to a set of social and economic indicators that reflect how
these investments are affecting socioeconomic well-being in the study areas. Given the timing, we will
only be able to assess short-term impacts; but the study will establish a baseline that can be used in the
future to monitor the longer term effects of ARRA investments at the study sites.
Products and Timeline
Eight individual case study reports that describe how Forest Service ARRA investment projects are
contributing to rural community well-being (due 9/15/10).
A synthesis report that contains key messages and lessons learned by comparing findings from the
eight case studies due (10/31/10).
A series of briefing papers that summarizes key findings for managers (due summer and fall 2010).
Case Studies
We will select eight case study areas, five in Western States and three in Eastern States, chosen using
the following criteria:
High level of Forest Service ARRA investment
High unemployment and poverty rates
A mix of ARRA project types across different ownerships
Rural location
The case studies come from California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Arizona in the West and Michigan, North Carolina, and Alabama in the East.
Contacts
Dr. Susan Charnley, Research Social Scientist, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, OR; scharnley@fs.fed.us; 503-808-2051
Dr. Pamela Jakes, Research Social Scientist, USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, St. Paul, MN;
pjakes@fs.fed.us; 651-649-5163
Dr. John Schelhas, Research Social Scientist, USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Tuskegee, AL;
jschelhas@fs.fed.us