Community-Based Natural Resource Management in the Western United States: A Pilot Study of Capacity

32 pagesThis paper was made possible by grants from the Ford Foundation, U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, and U.S.D.A. Rural Development

Economic Development Capacity in Public Lands Communities

20 p.The Dry Forest Investment Zone (DFIZ) is an area of fifteen counties that share common economic development and forest management challenges. The ability of communities and service providers to capture, leverage, and develop these resources is an indicator of the organizational capacity that exists within the Dry Forest Investment Zone to stabilize and increase long-term economic and ecological resilience in economically distressed regions. This assessment of service providers and their role in building and retaining community capacity will assist our understanding of how and if an integrated approach to achieving healthy forests and rural economies in the Dry Forest Investment Zone could be accomplished.This research was made possible with support from the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities and USDA Rural Development through the Dry Forest Investment Zone project

Economic development service provision for natural resource-based economic development

2 pagesOver the last fifteen years, rural communities in the Pacific Northwest have been trying to redevelop their economies to meet new federal land management priorities. Numerous state and federal agencies and nonprofit organizations work to promote rural economic development. These entities offer grants and low-interest loans; they seek to recruit new businesses and retain existing ones; and they provide business development tools, worker training, and employment opportunities. However, the extent to which economic development and land management agencies work together to foster economic development associated with stewardship of natural resources and public lands is unclear. The purpose of this study was to understand how economic development service providers engage in natural resource–based economic development, and their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities that it presents.This briefing paper was made possible with funding by the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities and USDA Rural Development

Capacity of community-based organizations for natural resource management

2 pagesReliance on community-based natural resource management in the western US has been growing since the 1990s. Collaboration is increasingly essential, and community-based organizations are often relied upon to facilitate this collaboration. This is particularly true in the face of decreasing resources within federal land management agencies and the growing complexity of natural resource issues. The proposed Forest Service Planning Rule, the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program, and other programs rely heavily on collaboration to achieve their goals. Community-based organizations, including nonprofits and informal collaborative groups, work to build public agreement around the management of federal lands; develop local business and workforce capacity for forest and watershed restoration; and ensure that the benefits of restoration activity flow to rural communities. The resources, structure, relationships, and other characteristics of these organizations are less well understood than their strategies, approaches, and activities. This paper seeks to provide insight into the organizational capacity of community-based organizations in the American West and to give recommendations to enhance and grow their impact.This briefing paper was made possible with funding from the Ford Foundation, the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities, and USDA Rural Development

Organizational capacity for natural resource management in Oregon

2 pagesCommunity-based organizations (CBOs) in Oregon are fostering natural resource management and economic development, particularly in public lands communities where the capacity of federal agencies, businesses, and others has dwindled as a result of policy and economic changes. Little is known about how CBOs accomplish a range of goals with limited resources. This study examined the organizational capacity of Oregon’s CBOs to build understanding of their financial and human resources, and their external relationships.This briefing paper was made possible with funding by the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities and USDA Rural Development

Community-based natural resource management in Oregon : a profile of organizational capacity

20 pagesCommunity-based organizations (CBOs) in Oregon are fostering natural resource management and economic development, particularly in public lands communities where the capacity of federal agencies, businesses, and others has dwindled. They have also become integral in reducing social conflict over land management and seeking community economic well-being. CBOs include non-governmental organizations and collaborative groups. These groups have broad missions that are grounded in local needs and integrate a number of priorities, but tend to have smaller staff and budgets than other groups such as environmental advocacy organizations. Little is known about how CBOs accomplish a range of goals with limited resources. This study examined the organizational capacity of Oregon’s CBOs to build understanding of their financial and human resources, and their external relationships. It is part of a larger study of CBOs across the US West.This study was made possible with funding from the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities and USDA Rural Development

Local benefits from land management : a strategy for measuring performance

3 pagesThe Forest Service faces a long-standing challenge of reporting accomplishments in ways that Congress and the public find compelling. Over the past several years, the Forest Service has made significant improvements to its accountability system. The Forest Service plays an important role in rural economies, especially in the rural West. However, the Forest Service does not track the economic effects that Forest Service work has on local communities. Describing the Forest Service’s impact on rural communities could increase understanding and support for the agency’s work. The Forest Service can use data that it already collects to track initial measures of the economic effects of its management on local communities.This briefing paper was made possible with funding from the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, and the Compton Foundation

The State of the Dry Forest Zone and its Communities

94 p.The Dry Forest Zone is a region of eastern Oregon and northern California with challenging market conditions and high levels of poverty and unemployment. However, local entrepreneurship, collaboration, and commitment to integrated economic development and natural resource management in the zone are strong. In the past decade, the scope of community-based nonprofits, integrated biomass utilization businesses, and new networks has increased, fostering sustainable forest stewardship at an increasingly regional scale. The geography and climate of the zone support dry forests of pine and mixed conifer with fire regimes that are departed from their historical range of variability. These forests are prone to wildfire hazards and in need of active management to restore more diverse and variable-aged structures. As 68 percent of the land in the zone is public, the communities of this region rely on the economic and ecological productivity of these federal forests. The number of sawmills that once provided high levels of primary processing capacity and employment has shrunk to nine mills in the zone. More forest-related employment is now forestry support work, including activities such as firefighting, pest control, and thinning. Poverty and unemployment have increased, with estimated poverty levels in 2007 of over 15 percent in ten of the fifteen counties. Through the Dry Forest Zone project, we have an opportunity to build on the local strengths of this region and overcome these ecological and socioeconomic challenges.Financial support was provided the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, USDA Rural Development, and the Ford Foundation