Keeping Working Forests in Forests: Common Ground

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment) and the National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO) co-hosted a workshop in Chicago, December 10-11, 2008, “Keeping Working Forests in Forests:  Looking for Common Ground to Achieve Common Objectives.”  The primary purpose of the session was to consider needs and means to keep landscape-scale working forests in forested condition.  Forty-plus participants reviewed changes in forestland ownership over the past two decades, increasing pressures driving conversion to non-forest uses and possible ways to ensure greater retention of these forests for all purposes — economic, societal and environmental.  As a result of the meeting the participants – representing state and federal natural resources agencies, land conservation and environmental organizations and forestland owners – agreed to develop a loose coalition to further common interests.