ABOUT US
The Community Forestry Team (CFT) is a diverse, non-partisan, local group including timber industry insiders, economic development advocates and conservation interests dedicated to the long-term conservation of timberlands and implementation of community forestry practices in Humboldt County, California.
Our partners include private investment firms and national conservation organizations. We seek input from a broad cross-section of the community to help us achieve our goals.
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OUR GOALS Maintain working timberlands in permanent timber production, ensuring timber jobs and their associated economic benefit are a long-term stable force in our local economy. Support permanent protection of remaining old-growth forests and environmentally significant habitat area. Transition from the Maxxam/Pacific Lumber model of timber management to true sustainable timber management and a community ownership interest.BACK TO TOP |
WHAT IS COMMUNITY FORESTRY
Community Forestry protects important environmental resources and ensures long-term sustainable forestry practices are used to benefit and stabilize our local economy. The community participates in forest management to integrate economic, ecological, and social considerations and gives local residents both the opportunity and the responsibility to manage their natural resources effectively and enjoy the benefits of that responsibility. Community Forestry includes an ownership stake for the community.
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HOW COMMUNITY FORESTRY WORKS
Under our Community Forestry model, conservation funding and private equity
is combined to purchase and conserve forest land.
Conservation easements are donated or sold to non-profit land trusts to
relieve development pressures and ensure timber lands remain protected for sustainable forestry practices.
Once acquisition debt has been repaid for forests will continue to be
harvested on a sustainable basis with net profits being reinvested back into
the community. This provides a social infrastructure and economic
independence that has never existed in Humboldt County.
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WHY COMMUNITY FORESTRY
It's simple. Community Forestry means the local community has a say and a
stake in how a forest is managed.
Community Forestry practices provides the best economic, environmental, and
social benefit for our Community.
It ensures sustainable forestry is a long-term stable industry in our local
economy.
The profits from timber harvesting stay in our local community. Under the
current corporate models of ownership, profits are sent outside of Humboldt
County.
Local control is retained through local management and oversight through the
ownership structure. We can ensure decisions benefit the local community,
not outside stockholder interests.
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