Putting the Forest Back Into Forestry

““Forestry” has become a term for the art of managing complex forest ecosystems solely for commodities–timber and fiber. Other outputs and services, like water, wildlife, and native plants, are treated as constraints to that management. The resulting regulatory environment is rigid, with perverse incentives. At van Eck Forest in McKinleyville, the Pacific Forest Trust has pioneered ways to pay for vital forest outputs like water, habitat, and climate while also reducing regulatory burdens. Laurie Wayburn, the dynamic executive director of the Trust, will show what this new kind of managed forest looks like, compared to “standard” industrial timber harvest, and explain the central role of managed forests in combating climate change.”  -North Coast CNPS

Video credit: North Coast CNPS