Local benefits from land management : a strategy for measuring performance

3 pagesThe Forest Service faces a long-standing challenge of reporting accomplishments in ways that Congress and the public find compelling. Over the past several years, the Forest Service has made significant improvements to its accountability system. The Forest Service plays an important role in rural economies, especially in the rural West. However, the Forest Service does not track the economic effects that Forest Service work has on local communities. Describing the Forest Service’s impact on rural communities could increase understanding and support for the agency’s work. The Forest Service can use data that it already collects to track initial measures of the economic effects of its management on local communities.This briefing paper was made possible with funding from the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, and the Compton Foundation