Our comprehensive initiative transforms overly dense, recently burned, or healthy forests into economic opportunities, enhancing forest health and community vitality. This innovative plan brought together more than 300 landowners, government staff, industry representatives, and community stakeholders to co-develop a business-savvy approach to local economic development and sustainable forestry in the forested counties of northern New Mexico.
Our Five-Step Approach:
- Knowledge Foundation: Compile existing research into accessible tools for stakeholders to make informed decisions.
- Community-Driven Planning: Facilitate collaboration among landowners and industry professionals to develop optimal forest treatment approaches.
- Resource Assessment: Conduct a complete analysis of the forest wood supply to accurately determine available materials and guide investment decisions.
- Industry Growth Strategy: Evaluate and enhance the capacity of local forest products companies to process biomass and identify the specific opportunities to integrate services from outside the region.
- Implementation Blueprint: Create a practical business plan with detailed components for operations, logistics, funding, and governance.
Initially focused on four northern New Mexico counties, this model establishes a framework for scaling up to a statewide and ultimately a continental level, as outlined in the North American Sustainable Forestry Business Plan.