Collaborative Solutions for Healthy Forests & Communities

Collaborative Solutions for Healthy Forests & Communities

April 15, 2019

The Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative made a visit to Eastern Oregon for an all-day peer learning exchange with Wallowa Resources!

Four SWFC Steering Committee members, alongside two SWFC Team Members drove 8-hours to visit Wallowa Resources headquarters to participate in an all-day learning exchange. The trip was facilitated by Tyson Bertone-Riggs with Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition.

Jeff Costello, Facilitator for the Wallowa-Whitman Forest Collaborative and Umatilla Forest Collaborative Group shared his experience working with two of the collaborative groups in rural Eastern Oregon. SWFC members had the opportunity to ask questions and learn about how both of these forest collaboratives approach the work they are doing on their respective forests. 

While visiting Wallowa Resources (WR), the team had an opportunity to meet with Nils Christoffersen, the Executive Director of Wallowa Resources to learn about the work WR is doing within their community. After learning about the structure and history of WR, the team made a site visit to the Integrated Biomass Resources (IBR) facility that uses forest restoration byproducts to manufacture posts and poles, commercial firewood, and pulp chips, while also using biomass to fuel the operation.