We raise the visibility of collaborative, community-based natural resource management across the West. By sharing these stories, we promote commitment to, and investment in, collaborative approaches.
The following summary was developed from a virtual peer-learning exchange hosted by and for the Northern Blues All Lands Partnership, and organized by Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition (RVCC), Wallowa Resources, the Umatilla and the Wallowa-Whitman National Forests.
The Rural Prosperity Development Grant Program – the majority of the funding – would offer multi-year, flexible funding designed to offer long-term investments for community-driven rural development.
This spring, Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition hosted a peer assist for the Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative to visit Wallowa Resources in Enterprise, OR. Four steering committee members and two staff spent the day learning about the WR organizational model and visit Integrated Biomass Resources to see how IBR has filled a niche utilizing non-commercial saw logs.
On Wednesday, June 12th the Forest Service released a draft rule to revise procedures for how the agency complies with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The most significant change is the proposed creation of new Categorical Exclusions (CEs).
By attending Western Week in DC this year, Idaho Rancher Tom Page was able to connect many dots across his work in Idaho to the work being done at multiple levels in our Nation’s capital. His visit and experience left much food for thought about how we accomplish work in the regions we call home.