This agreement will support forest management activities and will provide for a healthier forest community and improved conditions to resist damage from future natural disaster impacts

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Region 8 (Southern Region), awarded the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians a cooperative agreement valued at $705,900 under the Good Neighbor Authority program (CFDA 10.691) effective July 31, 2025, with a completion date of August 23, 2028. The agreement supports forest management and restoration activities on federal lands in Texas to promote forest health, enhance community resilience against natural disasters, and increase domestic timber production in support of national and economic security objectives.

Under this negotiated cooperative agreement, the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians will conduct land management and restoration activities that may encompass hazardous fuels reduction, prescribed burning, timber harvesting and preparation, forest health treatments, invasive species management, and wildlife habitat enhancement. The cooperative agreement framework allows the tribal entity to work across jurisdictional boundaries with the Forest Service while generating revenue that is reinvested into broader land management goals. As with all Good Neighbor Authority awards, the agreement requires retention of financial and programmatic records for three years beyond final financial report submission and remains subject to applicable National Environmental Policy Act compliance requirements.

IT has been deemed vital that we increase domestic timber production to protect our national and economic security.