Innovators in Rural Community Economic Development

Analysis of Community-Based Forestry Initiative, Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group

Tags: Evaluation, Forestry, Natural Resource Based Economic Development

Client Name: Aspen Institute, Cornerstone Consultants

Client Type: Education/Research Institution, For-profit

Year: 2002

Location: California, Vermont, Washington, Ohio, Colorado, South Carolina, Massachusetts

The Aspen Institute’s Community Strategies Group, which is administering the Ford Foundation’s Community-Based Forestry Initiative in the United States, invited Shanna Ratner of Yellow Wood Associates to review and analyze the monitoring plans of nine program participants. Participants include: The Watershed Center (CA), National Wildlife Federation (VT), Healthy Communities, Healthy Forests (WA), Rural Action (OH), Uncompaghgre (CO), Penn Center (SC), New England Forest Foundation (MA), Alliance of Workers and Harvesters (Pacific Northwest), and Jobs and Biodiversity (NM). The analysis highlighted themes that were important to participants in the areas of economy, forests, community, and organizational development, and formed the basis of discussion at a national retreat for program participants.