U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore has changed agency policies to make it easier to cooperate with potential partners, according to a news release.

"I am issuing interim policy direction that makes it easier for existing and potential partners to work together with the Forest Service to achieve mutually beneficial goals," Moore said in a statement. "...For decades, the Forest Service has known we can’t succeed alone. Today, climate-driven stressors and disturbances such as drought, wildland fire, and insect epidemics know no boundaries."

The Forest Service often works with Native American tribes, states and other partners on solving complex problems, Moore said.

"Working with and through partners is a powerful method for achieving shared goals on National Forest System lands and across management jurisdictions," he said. "Partners bring resources, knowledge, networks, skills and capacity that leverage agency resources and better enable us to accomplish impactful work."

Updating the agencies policies on partnerships, "will allow us to accomplish more mission-critical work and better serve all Americans," Moore said.

The agency has received more funding and resources through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, he said.

With challenges such as the wildfire crisis, increasing equitable access and use to all national forest and grassland visitors, "it is more important than ever that we welcome more partners with valuable services and contributions into partnership agreements," Moore said.

One of the policy changes involves requiring partners to contribute cash, the news release said.

"Specifically, I am directing broad inclusion of values partners bring to the relationship when determining how and when  match requirements in partner agreements are met, removing the policy requirement for 'substantial cash contributions' and identifying a process to reduce, and in some cases waive, match requirements that are  not statutorily required," Moore said.