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IFCAE Project: Nontimber Forest Product Development and Technical Assistance in the Middlefork Willamette Watershed |
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| Timeframe: | 2007-2008 |
| Project Leaders: | Eric T. Jones, Pat Mooney |
| Administration: | Institute for Culture and Ecology |
| Funding: | USDA Rural Development |
| Project Overview | |
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IFCAE has partnered with members of the Middlefork Willamette
watershed to help small businesses develop their NTFP ideas and
products. Nontimber Forest Products (NTFP – aka special forest products) include floral greens like salal, medicinal plants like devil’s club, and edibles like wild mushrooms. Each year in Oregon hundreds of species are gathered by thousands of harvesters and sold by small businesses, brokers, and large wholesalers throughout local, regional, national, and international markets. The middle fork of the Willamette River between Lowell and the Willamette Pass is one of the most productive NTFP temperate forests in the world. However, only a fraction of the potential quantities and revenue from the hundreds of commercially viable products that occur in the area are harvested. While existing levels of harvest make an important economic contribution to the regional economy, the potential is much, much greater. Communities in the Middlefork Willamette Watershed have experienced sustained high levels of unemployment since the 1980s and business incubation and economic diversification are priorities of local governments. With a little investment, coordination, and infrastructure, Oakridge and other communities in the watershed could use the sustainable management of NTFPs to diversify and significantly augment their economic base. Our proposed project is in line with local economic development strategies and we will work closely with economic development officials to keep the project seamless with local objectives. This project will provide locally-appropriate technical assistance, job training, and community development linked to nontimber forest product industries. Our approach will be to form an action team and advisory council to be a catalyst for the creation of NTFP cottage industries, and strengthening of existing NTFP businesses. |
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