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Texas A&M Forest Service outlines $106,000 Good Neighbor Authority funds available to Walker County for road use
Summary
Texas A&M Forest Service and the U.S. Forest Service told county officials about $106,000 in funds from a Good Neighbor Authority timber sale that the county can use for road materials and expenditure reimbursement.
Representatives of Texas A&M Forest Service and the Sam Houston National Forest briefed the Walker County Commissioners Court on May 5 about money available to the county from timber sales conducted under the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA).
Joel Hambride, regional operations chief for Region 4 of the Texas A&M Forest Service, said the Good Neighbor Authority — authorized by Congress in the 2014 Farm Bill — allows the U.S. Forest Service to contract with state forestry agencies to perform stewardship work on national forest lands. Hambride said the program has generated proceeds that can be used for road-use agreements with partner counties.
Hambride told the court that about $213,000 was generated from the referenced timber sale and that Walker County’s share would be roughly $106,000. He said the county can be reimbursed for eligible road materials and work as long as the county submits an invoice that documents the material, the road it was used on, and the date of use; the agreement covers eligible work from July 25, 2023, forward and remains in effect through June 27, 2028.
Commissioners asked about use of the funds and confirmed that the money can be used on eligible road projects under the road-use agreement; staff noted the county must supply receipts or invoices to the Texas A&M Forest Service to receive reimbursement. The court subsequently voted to authorize county staff to apply for the reimbursement program and accept funds as presented.
Hambride and the district ranger said additional funding may be available from future timber sales under the GNA that could provide further road-use funding in coming years.
