Endowment and Ford Support Community Forestry Trust

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities announced that it had joined the Ford Foundation in supporting the creation of a National Community Forestry Trust.  “Our recent study of community-based forestry across America pointed to a need to assist communities in acquiring and managing certain vitally important forested lands in and around them,” said Endowment President Carlton Owen.  While the idea of “community owned” forests isn’t a new one it is just beginning to emerge in some parts of the country.  The current work, to be led by The Conservation Fund (www.conservationfund.org) is designed to augment work emerging locally and regionally with a national level of support to further advance the cause of community owned forests that benefit a wide range of societal, environmental and economic objectives.