The
Communities Committee is a nonprofit
organization made up of a diverse group of people from across the
United States who believe local participation in stewardship of natural
resources is critical to both forest ecosystem health and community
well-being. The Committee is comprised of urban foresters,
environmental activists, private forest landowners, civil servants,
forest stewardship practitioners, professional foresters, forest
industry representatives, academics, and researchers.
Our Mission:
The
purpose of the Communities Committee is
to focus attention on the interdependence of America's forests and the
vitality of rural and urban communities and to promote:
- improvements in political and economic structures to ensure local community well-being and the long-term sustainability of forested ecosystems;
- an increasing stewardship role of local communities in the maintenance and restoration of ecosystem integrity and biodiversity;
- participation by ethnically and socially diverse members of urban and rural communities in decision-making and sharing benefits of forests;
- the innovation and use of collaborative processes, tools, and technologies; and,
- the recognition of the rights and responsibilities of diverse forest land owners.
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Acquiring and Managing a Community-Owned Forest: A Manual for Communities This manual provides a guide for communities interested in establishing a community‐owned forest, whether just beginning to think about a project or re‐engaging community residents around land already in community ownership. Creating and managing a community‐owned forest requires the collaborative development of a community vision and mission for the forest, a commitment to sharing in the costs and benefits of that forest, and the crafting of a governance and operational structure that ensures consistent, long‐term management for forest resiliency and sustainability. Our manual includes step-by-step advice on getting started, engaging the broader community, financing acquisition, and long-term management and stewardship, as well as an extensive, annotated list of additional resources. To download a copy of
the manual, click here.
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