The Priest Community Forest Connection recognizes and implements community-based solutions to interdependent social, ecological and economic issues.

The PCFC has three action goals: (1) to promote community education and collaborative processes concerning local forest issues; (2) to ensure forest and ecosystem health through private and agency based forest restoration opportunities; (3) to help provide for a sustainable forest resource-based economy within the local region.

The PCFC Resource Center is a hub for forest stewardship information, education and training opportunities, outreach, and forest resource economic innovations. Existing and upcoming programs and projects will instill a better understanding of our forest environment, will help involve citizens in forest stewardship and will better utilize our forest resource materials.

The PCFC Board of Directors are currently managing the Lakeface-Lamb Forest Stewardship Project which is taking place on the southwest corner of beautiful Priest Lake in northern Idaho. The result of this nationally acclaimed forest fuels reduction and restoration project is a safer and healthier ecological condition for the Priest Lake forest. In addition, the project has generated over 3 million dollars of income most of which has been turned back into the local economy through contracted services.

Click to learn more about the Lakeface-Lamb Forest Stewardship Project

WHY ARE COOPERATIVE VENTURES IN OUR FORESTS IMPORTANT?

Community Engagement - Since the inception of the Stewardship contracting tool with the Forest Service (1999), it has been the intention of that agency to collaborate more with the local communities, to bring the local citizens into the process of developing and possibly implementing forest restoration and fuels reduction projects on federal lands.

Since then, the Bureau of Land Management has also been given the Stewardship contracting tool. This leaves numerous opportunities for local communities to become engaged in the management of their forests.

And that only takes care of federal lands. There are thousands of private, industrial and State lands that need focused, intelligent, stewardship practices. PCFC is putting together a data base that will include consultants, contractors and partners that may be of help to anyone who is looking for assistance in caring for their forestland.

A cooperative venture puts importance on having diverse stakeholders included in the processes of managing our forests. This ensures that a wide range of knowledge, experiences, and expertise will be engaged in the activities on-the-ground. It is imperative that we learn to collectively work together to find the best practices that will steer our forestlands to a healthier, sustainable existence. We can't do without our forests, and right now, with so many forestlands in trouble due to overstocking, disease and insects, those forests need us as well.

Better Employment and Economic Prospects - There are many rural communities in the western United States that are intricately attached to the forestlands that surround their homes. These forests have health issues that may affect the safety of lives, homes and businesses through the threat of catastrophic wildfires. There are many employment opportunities that may be formed through forest health needs. There are definitely empowerment opportunities for both local citizens and agency folks: the setting of goals and most importantly the achieving of those goals. True collaboration is both communication (to bring about solutions to particular issues) and action (to bring those solutions to fuition.)

Partnerships - Most of us know that the Forest Service and the BLM are packed to the rafters with knowledge and management techniques, some of which baffles the lay person. With all of the 'ologists' that fortify the federal agencies, it's us non-agency folks who can be extremely valuable in getting things done on the ground in an efficient and economically sound manner. This is where partnerships can become very valuable. With "real world" expertise, a logical business sense and the ability to achieve specific activities within a decent budget and time frame, much can be achieved. By working together and dropping the ridiculous bureaucratic constraints that can plague many federal contracts success will come ~ to both the agencies and the communities.

EDUCATING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE

Part of this desire to improve the knowledge about our forests, is the ongoing education programs that PCFC is putting together for the local schools (elementary and high schools). We hope to instill responsible, well-informed practices in our youth through these programs so that the future of our forests, wildlife and waterways are in good hands. (See our Community Programs Page.)