The Center's Programs

The Center’s programs are driven directly by its mission to advocate for the Northern Forest region and help its communities benefit from forest-based economic and conservation initiatives. The Center approaches this work three ways:

  • Generating income from sustainable use of natural resources
  • Building regional capacity for success
  • Benefiting local communities

The program strategy is grounded in a commitment to advance the regional strategy and recommendations of the Sustainable Economy Initiative (SEI) through continued integrated regional approaches to Northern Forest issues. The Center delivers on its mission by collaborating with a wide range of public and private partners, and supporting a wide range of networks for the good of the region.

 

Read The Center's FY2011 Annual Report

 

 

 

 

Natural Resource Programs

Through its work on SEI and other projects, the Center has become continually more involved in four economic development sectors based on natural resources. The Center believes these four segments of the regional economy have the potential to support the region’s communities while also providing landowners with new incentives for good long-term sustainable forest management. They include:

  • Renewable Energy: High energy costs for both heat and electricity – along with state and federal renewable energy objectives – are driving great interest in the use of wood and other resources as energy sources in the Northern Forest. New demand for energy from woody biomass in particular has the potential to create incentives for sustainable forest management and conservation—if the opportunity is well managed.
  • Ecosystem Services: Emerging markets for forest ecosystem services–particularly carbon and water–could create new income streams for forest landowners and communities. New models are needed to help landowners access these emerging markets.
  • Destination Tourism:  Tourism is one of the few economic sectors that has seen consistent job growth in recent years. While the sector has a reputation for providing low-quality jobs, it has shown the potential to diversify economies, generate overall economic growth and expand public services and amenities. It is expected to continue growing, but training, product development and branding are all needed to generate better paying jobs.
  • Sustainable Forestry & Wood Products: Despite challenges in recent decades, forestry and wood product manufacturing remain vital elements of the Northern Forest economy. Innovative approaches to forest ownership, management, logging and manufacturing are needed to sustain and create jobs in this sector.