Innovators in Rural Community Economic Development
Vermont’s Working Lands Enterprise Board has released the final report of the Forest Sector Systems Analysis conducted by Yellow Wood Associates. The year-long project brought together hundreds of members of the forest and wood products industry. We researched demand across multiple subsectors, focused on six possible product value chains within the 3 sub-sectors of wood energy, furniture, and construction, and also looked at issues related to public awareness, branding, and carbon credits.
We learned that:
• Consumer demand exists in a variety of forest subsectors and there is a need to increase public awareness about the breadth of products made by its members.
• There is evidence of innovative thinking in the private sector with respect to demand.
• There is an opportunity to reframe perceptions of the forest sector through new messaging.
• There is an overall willingness by state government and industry members to engage and work towards a common purpose.
• Stakeholders expressed appreciation for renewed state government recognition of the economic significance of the sector.
A summary report is available at
http://workinglands.vermont.gov/sites/ag_wlei/files/VT%20Forest%20Sector%20Analysis_2016.pdf
Background research and summaries of workshops are available from Yellow Wood Associates by request.
As a result of our work, The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) is seeking to hire a Program Director to manage its new Vermont Forest Products Value Chain Investment Program.
The link to learn more is here: http://vsjf.org/project-details/23/vermont-forest-products-value-chain-investment-program
The link to the job description is here: http://www.vsjf.org/assets/files/Forest%20Products/VSJF%20Forest%20Products%20Director_Job%20Description_FINAL%20MAY.pdf
