Community Forestry

Upper Miramichi Community Forest Partnership

Three years ago, smaller communities named after ridges, hollows, rivers and brooks came together and amalgamated as Upper Miramichi for the common good of the area. The municipality contacted the Conservation Council of New Brunswick (CCNB) as an advocate and resource on community forestry. In the past year, CCNB has publicly supported the aspirations of Upper Miramichi to create a community forest within its municipal boundaries. Find out more about the Upper Miramcihi Community Forestry Partnership.

The Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Coalition on Sustainability wrote this piece about the Upper Miramichi Community Forest Partnership in their fall 2011 newsletter.

A new community forestry co-op in the works

From the Co-operative Enterprise Council’s March 2011 Newsletter: On March 2nd, eleven people from the Juniper area met with CECNB at the “Sugar Moon” maple syrup operation to take the first steps toward managing the area’s forest resources for more than just wood fibre. There was a lot of logging and milling expertise in the room, but there was also a strong awareness of alternative revenue options (everything from maple syrup and woodland medicinal, to wreath-making and recreation). The group has since moved aggressively forward to form their co-op and hope to be incorporated within the month.

Community Forestry Across Borders

A panel discussion, “Community Forestry Across Borders,” was held on Monday, Nov. 29th, 2010 in Fredericton, NB. Approximately 80 people attended the event including community forest practitioners, conservation group representatives, woodlot owners, municipal employees, Dept. of Natural Resources staff and MLA Troy Lifford. The event is organized by the NB Community Forestry Alliance.

Presentations of each speaker:

Community Forests: A Community Investment Strategy
Marcy Lyman, Community Forestry Collaborative based in New Hampshire

Forest Society of Maine and the Amherst Mountains Community Forest
Kris Hoffman, Amherst Mountains Community Forest

The Line of Best Fit: Exploring Community Forestry in New Brunswick
Sarah Carson-Pond, Rural Community of Upper Miramichi

Non-Timber Forest Products: Opportunities and Values from our Forests Beyond the Trees
Ronald Smith, VarFor Ltd.

This event was made possible by the Catherine Donnelly Foundation and the Fundy Model Forest.

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Forest Forum

On March 19, 2009, the Falls Brook Centre and the Conservation Council of New Brunswick held a Forest Forum.

The Forest Forum gathered representatives from municipalities and First Nations as well as woodlot owners, conservation groups, students and professors and others to discuss issues facing local forest communities. Participants discussed tenure reform that would allow community-based forestry. A Community Forest Charter is currently being drafted as well as a list of the outcomes from the forum.

Read the Forest Forum proceedings.

Read the Conservation Council’s latest publication – Time for a Change?

Check out the presentations and photographs below.

Chris Caldwell from the Menominee Nation and Jennifer Gunter from the B.C. Community Forestry Association answering questions during the panel discussion.

Forest Forum participants.

Forest goods and services show on March 18.

Presentations:

Corporate Reserves or the People’s Heritage? Modernization, Community and the Crown Lands of New Brunswick – 1925-2009 By Bill Parenteau and Mark McLaughlin, UNB

Healthy and Diverse Forests, Supporting People and Communities By David Coon, Conservation Council of New Brunswick

Community Forestry in BC: An Opportunity in the Face of Change By Jennifer Gunter, B.C. Community Forestry Association
Community Governance and Tenure: Menominee Experience By Chris Caldwell, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin – Dept of Trust Resources
Urbión Model Forest, Soria, Spain By Jean Arnold
Irishtown Nature Park Community Forest Project By Heather Hawker, Irishtown Nature Park

Check out the following resources on community forestry:

Check out recent research on community forestry presented at the Canadian Institute of Forestry’s meeting on Sept. 21, 2011.

Time for a Change? Conservation Council of NB. 2009.

Our Forest, Our Future. Falls Brook Centre. 2009.

Alternative Tenure Approaches to Achieve Sustainable Forest Management: Lessons for Canada. By Harry Nelson. Sustainable Forest Management Network. 2008.

Community Forestry in Perspective. Forest Wisdom, No. 6, June 2007. Forest Wisdom is a newsletter by The Forest Guild.

Reclaiming the Forbidden Forest: Roundtable discusses community forestry. Tracy Glynn, The Dominion, March 23, 2007.

What is community forestry? Conservation Council of NB. 2006.

Community forestry examples in New Brunswick and Canada. Conservation Council of NB. 2006.

How could community forestry work in New Brunswick. Conservation Council of NB. 2006.