Issue Papers

Private Working Lands

The West's privately-owned forests and ranchlands are vital components of a large working landscape supporting rural economies and providing wildlife habitat and other valuable ecosystem services.  Today, however, these landscapes are rapidly unraveling as land is subdivided, sold for real estate development and criss-crossed by infrastructure corridors. Western rural communities are too quickly losing the many public benefits private lands have long provided. 

RVCC works to create policy solutions for maintaining private working lands.  Learn more about our 2008 recommendations and read the Private Working Lands Issue Paper.

Private Forests & 2007 Farm Bill

The 2007 Farm Bill provides an opportunity to make changes in federal policy to address critical issues related to private forest conservation and the social, economic, and environmental well-being of rural communities.

The Farm Bill should include provisions that respond to the emerging threat of development on private forestlands by incorporating ways for communities to engage in the long-term protection and management of private forests. The conservation of private forests, like public forests, cannot be achieved without investments in and capacity for long-term stewardship. This requires the willing involvement of landowners, technical and financial assistance, and an in-place workforce and business infrastructure.

Although many private forest landowners have been enthusiastic about existing programs, federal funding has been insufficient and has lacked the consistency needed to build their broad participation.

To learn more about our recommendations read our Private Forests & 2007 Farm Bill Issue Paper.

Introduction to Community Forests

Community members, conservation organizations and local, state and federal government officials are seeking opportunities to maintain large parcels of land as contiguous forest. Increasingly, forward thinking communities are pursuing an exciting and challenging option: acquiring these lands to manage as community forests. Community forests give residents greater control and self-determination in how their communities grow and develop, keep economic benefits from the land in local hands, preserve and enhance local traditions, and allow the community to invest in long-term resource protection. To learn more about community forests and their benefits, read our Introduction to Community Forests.

Working Group

The RVCC Private Lands working group formed in response to the rapid conversion of private forestland nationwide. The group's goals are to support integrated approaches to private and public lands management, create incentives for private landowners to maintain working forest lands, and illustrate public benefits derived from private forests.  One solution the group has become particularly involved in studying and pursuing support for is the concept of community owned and/or managed forests. Chairs: Laura Schweitzer, American Forests; Maureen Hartmann, Northwest Connections