Northwest Connections is an active member of the Community-Based Forestry Movement.  This movement works towards a common goal: restoring and maintaining forest health while respecting local knowledge and bolstering rural economies.  A large part of this movement is influencing local, state, and national policies in a way that promotes the protection of rural landscapes and rural economies.   We strongly believe that place-based groups in rural areas need to have an active voice in effecting the policies that effect on-the-ground work and economic development.

As part of this policy work, we have become an active member of the Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition (RVCC).  This coalition is comprised of rural organizations working towards balanced conservation-based approaches to the ecological and economic problems facing the West. This group is committed to finding and promoting policy solutions through collaborative, place-based work that recognizes the inextricable link between the long-term health of the land and the well-being of rural communities.  Our current work with this coalition focuses on promoting national policies that protect and conserve private working forest and ranchlands.  We co-chair the Private Lands Working Group, assist in writing Issues Papers, and travel with the coalition to Washington D.C. each year.

For more information on this coalition please visit: 
http://www.sustainablenorthwest.org/programs/policy/rvcc

NwC's Mo Hartmann was a participant in the RVCC Western Week in Washington. To learn more about the trip visit:
http://www.sustainablenorthwest.org/rvcc/wwiw/western-week-in-washington-blog.

Click on following links to read the RVCC issues papers that NwC has assisted with:

Private Working Lands Issue Paper - April 2008 (PDF)

Introduction to Community Forests - June 2007 (PDF)

Private Forests & 2007 Farm Bill Issue Paper - June 2007 (PDF)