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Del Norte supervisors direct staff to pursue Good Neighbor Authority with Six Rivers National Forest
Summary
The board moved to pursue development of a Good Neighbor Authority agreement with Six Rivers National Forest to access federal funding for wildfire mitigation, recreation and other projects; the motion was unanimous and staff will negotiate terms with federal partners and local stakeholders.
The Del Norte County Board of Supervisors unanimously directed staff to pursue a Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) agreement with the Six Rivers National Forest, a vehicle supervisors said could accelerate federal funding and on‑the‑ground work for wildfire mitigation and recreation projects.
Supervisor Howard and staff described the GNA concept as a federal statutory vehicle (originating in the 2014 and 2018 federal farm bills) that lets local jurisdictions and partners implement projects on national forest lands with federal funding and oversight. Randy Hooper (staff) and Aaron Babcock of the Del Norte Fire Safe Council outlined past work and said the approach has been used elsewhere in California to deliver fuels reduction, trail building and other watershed and recreation projects.
Supporters—including the Del Norte Resource Conservation District and Fire Safe Council—told the board the GNA would not obligate the county to act but would provide a mechanism to access federal dollars more quickly and to shape project priorities locally. One commenter urged caution about adding layers to existing processes and asked how this would differ from current collaborative efforts.
Board members said the tool could convert decades of discussion into funded projects and highlighted local examples, including tribal and county partnerships that have successfully used GNA mechanisms elsewhere. The board moved, seconded and voted unanimously to direct staff to continue negotiating a draft agreement with the Forest Service and return to the board with proposed terms for consideration.
Staff will present negotiated draft terms and any proposed projects back to the board for approval before signing any agreement.
