Report probes outsourcing of timber-cutting contracts Is giving timber to private contractors in exchange for their work to improve the health of our nation's forests a good deal for the government? U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management data on "stewardship contracting" are not accurate or complete enough to tell, states a General Accounting Office report issued Thursday. The GAO examination follows extensive wildland fires fueled by tightly spaced trees, thick brush and adverse conditions like drought. The Forest Service and BLM say stewardship contracting helps prevent problems and saves money by having companies thin and improve forests in exchange for timber. Between fiscal years 2003 and '07, the agencies awarded 535 stewardship contracts. But neither agency's database is complete, accurate or collaborative enough to accurately assess their costs versus value, the GAO said. For example, the report states $14.1 million worth of timber was sold in the 2006 and 2007 fiscal years. While the BLM showed it received services valued around $10.5 million, the Forest Service didn't track the value of services it received in exchange....