U.S.

FOREST SERVICE
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

U.S. Forest Service programs in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) focus on delivering high
quality natural resource management programs to improve lives, landscapes, and water security in
the region. Through strong partnerships with excellent organizations, the Forest Service has
provided direct, on the ground technical support and exchange opportunities in countries across the
region for over 30 years with support from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for
International Development.

TUNISIA

MOROCCO TURKEY
LEBANON
ISRAEL
JORDAN
WEST BANK

EGYPT

OMAN

Experience in the Middle Native seedlings propagated

30 yrs East and North Africa 1M across the region for land
restoration

Professionals from MENA Native trees planted in

75 attended U.S. and 750K Lebanon to benefit
regionally-based seminars, communities.
study tours and training

Kids engaged in Hectares of land under better

43,2K hands-on environmental 10K management practices
science programs
 THEMATIC
HIGHLIGHTS DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL
CLASSROOMS FOR YOUTH

Investing in young people through

local NGOs to deliver innovative
science education programs to
underserved youth

Using non-traditional forums like a bus

in Jordan, a boat on the Red Sea in
Egypt, after school clubs in the West
Bank, and national forest protection
campaigns in Lebanon
CONSERVING RANGELANDS AND 43.2
K Engaging over 43,200 young
WATERSHEDS FOR OVER 20 YEARS people since 2014

Supporting communities, host

governments and local NGOs to manage
land sustainably

Highlighting the inextricable link

between healthy communities, soil,
vegetation, and water at a landscape
scale in Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon,
and the West Bank
PROMOTING GREEN JOBS THROUGH
100 Drawing on over 100 years of domestic
YRS U.S. Forest Service expertise in range and
LANDSCAPE RESTORATION
watershed science
Engaging 1,600 seasonal workers in paid
1.6K reforestation jobs in Lebanon since 2011

Hiring 50 seasonal planting workers and 6

women full-time to operate native
seedling nurseries in Jordan

FIRE AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Enhancing wildfire fighting capabilities

35 by training and mentoring over 35
Moroccan counterparts U.S. EXCHANGES
Establishing the first Omani Incident
Management Team and training over Hosting 14 Master’s level students and 8
200 200 Omanis in all-hazard emergency Master’s certificate students in the U.S.
management systems to mitigate since 2007
impacts of cyclones and oil spills
Sponsoring over 75 professionals to
Conducting fire management promote global learning around natural
workshops in Turkey, Israel, and the 75 resource management and
West Bank with government partners development themes

Including participants from Oman,

Turkey, and Tunisia on seminars such as
disaster management, watershed,
livestock and grazing, and urban forestry

Kathleen Sheridan Natasha Marwah

Africa & Middle East Program Coordinator Africa & Middle East Deputy Coordinator
U.S. Forest Service International Programs U.S. Forest Service International Programs
kathleenasheridan@fs.fed.us natashamarwah@fs.fed.us
www.fs.fed.us/about-agency/international-programs