Redwood Forest Foundation
Stewardship Plan
by John Rogers, RFFI Board Member and
Executive Dir. of the Inst. for Sustainable Forestry
RFFI's mission is to acquire, protect, restore and
manage forestland in the Redwood Region for
the benefit of the forest ecosystem and the local
communities. Making this a reality requires
creating a stewardship plan that simultaneously
builds ecological, social and economic equity in
working forests and incorporates an innovative
approach to community-based forest management
and forest ownership on the north coast. In
effect, the Plan will concretize RFFI's mission,
integrating the diverse elements of RFFI's vision
and providing an umbrella document that guides
current and future
activities.
Designing our model
"working community
forest" requires a high
level of professional,
community and
on-the-ground
engagement. The 50,000-acre
Usal Redwood Forest
we've purchased offers RFFI and Usal's
adjacent communities the opportunity to explore,
articulate and eventually implement specific
strategies to build all three types of the equity we
hope to achieve.
Forest stewardship is an on-going, dynamic
process. Changes in forest growth, regional
markets and community demographics, as well as
climate change and our increased understanding
of forest functions will all influence the
desirability or feasibility of specific stewardship
priorities into the future. Thus, the Stewardship
Plan will also be a "living" document capable of
providing a strategic action plan for activities in
the Forest for generations to come.
RFFI's intention is for the Stewardship Plan to
strike the optimum balance between ecological
functions and forest productivity; between habitat
restoration and fiscal responsibility; between
local knowledge and professional expertise.
To achieve an environmentally sound and
economically viable Stewardship Plan, we will
and community representatives to address the key
elements of the Plan. These include:
- Natural Resource Assessment and Land Use
History
- Ecological Restoration Goals and Objectives
- Community Access, Recreation, Cultural
Resources and Stewardship Participation
- Economic Strategies to Achieve Stewardship
Objectives
- Forest Management Planning and Regulatory
Compliance
Three independent,
active working groups
are already in place
and their expertise
and experiences on the
ground are helping
RFFI determine "best
practices" for the Stewardship Plan. The RFFI
Restoration Committee has implemented over
$1.6 million dollars worth of restoration projects
on Usal. The Tanoak/Herbicide working group
is moving forward to articulate and evaluate
hardwood treatments that do not require the
use of herbicides. And the Cultural Resources
working group has identified tanoak groves with
potential for being managed for acorn production.
RFFI has also completed the initial scoping session
seeking Forest Stewardship Council certification.
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RFFI believes that the Usal Redwood Forest has
the potential to provide a ground-breaking model
of community-based, restoration forestry that is
powerful and unique.
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RFFI believes that the Usal Redwood Forest has
the potential to provide a ground-breaking model
of community-based, restoration forestry that is
powerful and unique. Yet we also recognize that
some stewardship objectives will be challenging
to achieve. We appeal to you for your committed
participation and support so that we can
continue to develop the Stewardship Plan with
a clear vision for the future and articulate the
steps necessary to restore a healthy, productive
and mature Usal Redwood Forest for coming
generations.
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