Community Investments made to date

Community Success Stories

Cooperative Forestry has a variety of Economic Action Programs as described:

Rural Community Assistance
Economic Recovery—Forest Service Cooperative Forestry staff provide technical and financial assistance to rural communities located in or near National Forests and Grasslands that have become economically dependent or disadvantaged due to public land management decisions. Grants are provided to eligible communities, counties, and tribes for development of strategic action plans and for funding projects contained in those plans. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis.

Rural Development—Technical and financial assistance is provided to help strengthen, diversify, and expand local economies, especially those experiencing long-term or persistent economic problems. Communities need not be dependent on Federal lands to be eligible. Grants provide technical assistance and matching funds for natural resource-related projects designed to stimulate improvements in the economic or social well-being of rural citizens.

The Northwest Forest Plan/Northwest Economic Adjustment Initiative
Using Economic Recovery and Rural Development authorities, the Cooperative Forestry staff work through the state Community Economic Revitalization Teams in Oregon, Washington and California to coordinate delivery of technical and financial assistance to communities impacted by declining timber harvests on federal lands within the range of the northern spotted owl. Special funds are available to these communities during FY 1994-2002.

Who can Apply?

Communities, tribal governments, counties, municipalities, and not-for-profits with an economic development mission in areas dependent on forests and natural resources and:

Community must be located within 100 miles of the official boundary of a National Forest

Population is 10,000 people or less, or county population is less than 22,550.

At least 15% of the total primary and secondary labor and proprietor income is derived from wood products and forest-related industries such as recreation and tourism.

Community is economically disadvantaged as a result of Federal or private sector land management practices.

Eligible Activities:

A variety of community and economic development proposals can be funded. Proposals can range from requests to support community action plan development and other technical assistance, to project implementation requests from an existing action plan. Policy and Congressional direction focus funding to natural resource-based projects originating from local action plans which help communities diversify their economies.

For additional information on the Economic Action Programs, contact Ron Saranich, Rural Community Assistance Program Manager at 503/808-2346 or Bill von Segen, Rural Development Program Manager at 503/808-2348.