Hello BFWSS members and interested folks!
OUR PROJECT
We got a grant from Patagonia! Exciting! This funding enables us to work on Phase 1 of our three phase project which is called the CC Ecoplan (CC stands for citizen co-managed).
The ultimate goal of our project is to create an Ecosystem Based Conservation Plan (definition below) in our watershed that is co-managed by locals.
Are you creative? Skip to CALLING ALL CREATIVES below, then come back and read this.
The two priorities of an Ecosystem Based Conservation Plan (Ecoplan for short) are:
- Protect and restore ecological integrity, including the natural composition, structure, and function of the eco-system.
- Provide for balanced human and non-human use.
Its
an ambitious goal. But old growth is disappearing in our watershed and
time is running out. There are challenges ahead but we’ll tackle them
one at a time. The first step is Phase 1: the creation of a report by
November 1, 2020.
Our report will describe the state of the Boundary watershed and give recommendations for how to fix it, including:
- Initial description of the condition of watershed and forest (maps, data, photos)
- Create an introductory outline for an Ecoplan
- Descriptions of possible governance models and case studies of communities that already have decision-making authority in forest management.
- An introduction to economic alternatives to the current industrial forestry model, including investigation of value-added profit models and how to transition to long-term sustainable jobs.
We have hired consultant, Erik Piikkila, to help generate the report. Erik is a Forest & Watershed Ecologist and Forester-in-Training based on Vancouver Island. He worked for 13 Years with the BC Ministry of Forests and currently works with Wildwood Ecoforest on Vancouver Island. Erik’s knowledge and connections are most welcome!
More project info is here: https://boundaryforest.org/bfwss-receives-funding-for-watershed-project/
PRESENTATION & OPEN HOUSE, SATURDAY, APRIL 4, USCC HALL, GRAND FORKS
The Harrop-Procter Community Forest will be making a presentation about their cooperative on April 4. Harrop Procter manages 11,300 hectares of Crown Land and runs a small sawmill. They practice ecosystem-based forestry and sell lumber products directly from their mill in Harrop. Their mandate is to practice socially and environmentally progressive forestry that protects local watersheds while creating sustainable jobs in their community.
In addition to the Harrop Procter talk, there will also be presentations about our project and other topics. We might also screen some short films, such as Intelligent Trees (Suzanne Simard), and the Grand Forks Flood documentary series – other ideas are welcome too. There will also be a membership and info table.
VOLUNTEER?! This is where we need your help! Volunteers are needed to plan the event and to help with set up and manning our membership table on April 4. Planning starts this week and next week.
Please email or call Jennifer to volunteer: 250-584-4091, [email protected]
Help us get the community involved!
CALL FOR BOARD MEMBERS
We were lucky enough to have had Courtnay Redding on our board from our inception until last month. Courtnay was a valuable part of the board, acting as Secretary, and helping us take care of necessary paperwork. She’s got a full plate now that her farm is up and running again and unfortunately can’t remain on our board. Thanks so much, Courtnay, for all your help! We will miss her.
Courtnay left a spot to be filled. Plus, we could always use another 2 board members to bring our number up to 11. The more we have, the stronger we are.
What does it take to be on our board?
- A passion for the mission.
- A willingness to learn.
- A short-term or long-term commitment (1-year or more).
Skills and knowledge required? We value a variety of skills, knowledge, and backgrounds. Maybe you are detail and process oriented. Maybe you love trees, or fish, or mule deer. Maybe you know a lot of locals. Maybe you are full of enthusiasm. Maybe you like fundraising, or event planning, or organizing, or speaking, or minute taking, or hiking in the woods, or building stuff…….or whatever.
The board meets about once a month and we have snacks and some fun too.
We need help finding committed board members. That’s why we are turning to you to volunteer or help us recruit. Call or email Jennifer: 250-584-4091, [email protected]
CALLING ALL CREATIVES
Fundraising. Ugh! But we gotta do it. So I’ve decided to make it fun.
Our forests are gloriously beautiful and worth saving. As a fundraising project, we are going to turn our forests into magical zones. We’ll attach a story to each zone and give it a name, e.g. Bear’s Den, Enchanted Forest, Magical Spring, Wolf’s Lair.
People will be offered the opportunity to sponsor a zone as a gift to someone special.
This where creative skills are needed! Can you help with creating stories, taking photos, drawing, painting, or filming?
Call me or email to chat: 250-584-4091, [email protected]
………………………………….
Well, that’s a long email. I hope you got to the end of my message here and found something that inspires you, makes you feel hope, or helped you understand what we’re doing.
And I really hope you will come out and join us as we DO GOOD THINGS to save our forests.
All the best,
Jennifer Houghton, President
P.S. Wondering how to quickly describe our mission? Try these elevator pitches and let me know how they land:
Citizen-involved, ecologically-managed forests that support the local economy.
Or
An eco-forest, run by locals, that provides local jobs.
They say eco-forestry won’t work. Join us as we do our best to prove them wrong. Get updates on forests and forestry stuff.
sign up ↓↓↓↓↓
[mc4wp_form id=”692″]