Welcome to The Collaboration Site. Engineered as a full support site for collaborative groups committed to resolving resource use conflicts throughout the interior west.	We'll help you get started and keep going! Direct you to funding sources! Supply the latest news affecting your work! Collaboration at work - stories from the field! Update you on legislation and regulations!

Lake County, Oregon—a collaborative model   The Lakeview Stewardship Group has become an inspiration in forest conservation by incorporating ecological restoration and community values in land management goals. The unlikely alliance has plotted a long-range strategy for the management of the Lakeview Federal Stewardship Unit which seeks to preserve a sustainable forest that will ensure quality of life for present and future generations.   READ MORE >> READ OUR PROFILE OF THE LAKEVIEW STEWARDSHIP GROUP >> Restoration forestry—many challenges ahead   BY GORDY SANDERS AND LOREN ROSE, PYRAMID MOUNTAIN LUMBER, INC. Restoration forestry is unique to individual landscapes, requiring "light on the ground equipment" with the latest technology and very skilled workers. As equipment costs soar and the level of logging activity decreases, many woods workers are finding other occupations. Where are the incentives going to come from to encourage operators to provide the services our forests so desperately need?   READ MORE >> IN THE NEWS Salvage logging bill receives support Rep. Greg Walden's (R-Ore.) "Forest Emergency Recovery and Research Act" would reduce the time for processing permits for salvage projects. Administration officials support the legislation saying it would ensure efficient forest restoration and have little effect on the environment. SEE FULL STORY >> IN THE NEWS Schools look to forests for fuel The tiny Council School District used to pour thousands of dollars into outmoded heaters. Nearby, the Forest Service burned brush piles to limit forest fires. Together, they have developed Idaho's first public school biomass heating system—expected to save $1 million over 15 years. SEE FULL STORY >>

IN THE NEWS New drilling hot spot triggers wildlife concerns Gas operators approved for winter drilling in Pinedale Anticline despite uncertainty surrounding its impact on wildlife populations. SEE FULL STORY >> WAYS & MEANS Community-owned forests From the North Woods of Maine to the coast of California, citizen-based groups are acquiring local land— proclaiming themselves responsible for protecting and managing the natural resources that grace and nurture their communities. It's more than public-spirited altruism. An unprecedented transfer of forest ownership has galvanized leaders in communities surrounded by privately owned timberland. SEE FULL STORY >> COMMUNITY FORESTS Ford Foundation—6 years later The Ford Foundation has recently concluded a six-year study of community forestry called the National Community-Based Forestry Demonstration Program. It's findings are available in a free report from the Aspen Institute, Growth Rings: Communities and Trees. READ MORE >> CONTACT US Ross Johnson 32 South Ewing, Suite 326 Helena, Montana 59601 Phone: (406) 495-1069 Toll Free: (888) 495-0757 Fax: (406) 495-1074   The Red Lodge Clearinghouse is a program of the Liz Claiborne Art Ortenberg Foundation.

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