Communities Committee

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.

   

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.

News & Announcements The Communities Committee's Quick Guide on Community-Owned Forests is now available!   The Quick Guide provides an introduction and overview of community-owned forests: What community forests are and the benefits they provide  Circumstances leading to efforts to increase community ownership of forestlands Examples of community forests from across the country An overview of  how communities can acquire and manage forests To download a copy of the Quick Guide, click here. Working on your own community-owned forest project? Take our Community-Owned Forests survey here!