Forest Restoration LINKS

Ponderosa Pine Forest Partnership - The Ponderosa Pine Forest Partnership is a ground-breaking effort to restore pre-1870 characteristics and functions of ponderosa pine on 493 acres of national forest and private land in southwest Colorado so that fire could be allowed to regain its natural role in creating a healthy forest. Since initial efforts, nearly 8,000 acres have been treated or been prepared for treatment. The US Forest Service, Colorado State Forest Service, local loggers and millers, and college researchers and coordinators conceived and conducted the demonstration to apply a new silvicultural prescription and to use local logging businesses to thin thick, overgrown stands of small-diameter pine, then to conduct research to make harvesting more cost efficient and to find new products and markets for small-diameter pine, all with the goal of learning how to make this new restoration harvest approach pay for itself.

Four Corners Sustainable Forests Partnership - The Four Corners Sustainable Forests Partnership is a collaborative effort between businesses, federal agencies, local governments, tribal organizations, and non-profit groups. The partnership has established a grants program that funnels funds from Congress to communities and projects that demonstrate and implement creative solutions to the forest restoration and economic needs of the region. A Regional Integrated Resource Assessment, completed in 1999, includes regional forest conditions, available resource supply, and existing and potential markets and business opportunities. The partners have also begun a regional network of people to identify strategic actions, share information, and technical assistance.

The National Network of Forest Practitioners is a grassroots alliance of rural people, organizations, and businesses finding practical ways to integrate economic development, environmental protection, and social justice. NNFP is about connecting rural people with the goal of sharing knowledge and ideas, building a national voice, and contributing to the well-being of rural communities and the forests on which they depend.

Grand Canyon Forests Partnership - The Grand Canyon Forests Partnership is an alliance of 15 environmental and governmental organizations dedicated to researching and demonstrating approaches to forest ecosystem restoration in the ponderosa pine forests surrounding Flagstaff, Arizona.

Thousand Lake Mountain Community Forestry Initiative - A good description of this multi-party collaborative stewardship initiative in south-central Utah is available from the Wild Utah Forests Coalition. For more sites, just go to Google search engine and type in the name.

USDA Forest Service Rural Community Assistance Program - Rural Community Assistance programs help rural communities build skills, networks, and strategies to address social, environmental, and economic changes. The website provides information and links to various programs (Forest Products Conservation and Recycling program and the Market Development and Expansion program), grant forms, directory of coordinators and offices, and links to web sites related to Economic Action Programs.

Collaborative Learning Circle is made up of 17 organizations from throughout the Northern California/Southern Oregon bioregion. They represent a wealth of experience in community development and sustainable resource management practice. The CLC is an experiment among the groups in working collaboratively to develop and implement ecologically sound, community-based redevelopment strategies based on the idea of sustainability.

South Western Ontario Land Stewardship Demonstration Areas Catalogue — The Land Stewardship Demonstration Areas Catalogue is an innovative project of the Ontario Stewardship program to document practices which improve resource and land management.

Tools for Achieving Forest Vegetation Health is a clearinghouse for both familiar and innovative vegetation management tools that provides a grassroots approach to sharing information and projects used in the field to restore and maintain forest health. The site includes pages on strategic planning and community collaboration.

The FIREWISE Home Page helps communities increase protection from wildfire by making sensible choices and implementing practical ideas.