Overview 

The National Community Forestry Center, Northern Forest Region has a commitment to provide targeted assistance to 3-5 communities per year conducting participatory research. The primary purpose for working intensively with target communities is to generate products and/or processes that can be used by other communities facing similar issues or opportunities. Candidate communities are identified through an open nomination process with decisions made by our advisory council.

Criteria for communities to be considered for targeted assistance include:

•	Does the community have an organizational capacity to construct and carry out a year-long work plan?
•	Are they confronting an issue/opportunity common to other communities in the region or the nation?
•	Is the community willing to engage in participatory research?
•	Is the community willing to share results of their research process with others?

Seven communities from across the Northern Forest were nominated to receive targeted assistance from the National Community Forestry Center, Northern Forest Region for 2001-2002.  Five communities were chosen following presentations to the NCFCNFR advisory council at their fall 2001 retreat in Jackson, NH. Four of the five communities have actually received assistance. The Towns of Richford and Lincoln, Vermont; the Middle Ground Collaborative of Maine; and Timber Harvesting Communities of New Hampshire and Vermont each received up to $7,000 to hire a local coordinator and technical assistance from Center staff and partners to engage community residents in conducting participatory research. 

For this year (2003), the Middle Ground Collaborative requested, and received, another year to continue their research. Richford has received a time extension to conduct more focused research on local biomass energy. Lincoln will finish up by the end of February, and NH by June. Below are brief descriptions of what each community is researching. Click on their names for more information about the community and their research.

• Members of northern New Hampshire and Vermont Timber Harvesting Communities are studying how recent changes in forest land ownership are impacting forest management, timber harvesting, and rural economies. 
  
• The Town of Richford, Vermont is gathering information to assist in developing forest-based economic development strategies. 
  
• The Lincoln, Vermont Conservation Commission is leading an effort to involve as many local residents as possible in gathering information to plan for their municipal forestland.
  
• The Middle Ground Collaborative has developed an interactive exhibit to tour the state in an attempt to generate dialogue about the history and future of Maine’s forest resources. The Collaborative is developing methods to effectively engage those who view the exhibit, and create a running record of their responses.

All four communities have received training in participatory research methods and assistance in developing a work plan to complete their research. They have agreed to work with NCFCNFR to share their learning and results with other communities throughout the region.

Past Community Projects

The Mt. Washington Valley Economic Council Forestry Committee contacted and interviewed forest landowners to determine their interest in a cooperative approach to support sustainable forest management. The National Community Forestry Center, Northern Forest Region followed their progress, provided information and assistance upon request, and produced "So You're Thinking of Starting A Landowner Cooperative?",  a publication to assist others in exploring options for building relationships among forest land owners.

The Starksboro, Vermont Conservation Commission developed a set of social, economic, and cultural indicators to track local forest health. NCFCNFR worked with the Commission to design and present an interactive 4-hour workshop based upon their experience developing indicators of forest health. The workshop had its debut in Vermont on May 8, 2002, and has subsequently been presented in Boonsville, NY. The workshop is available throughout the region upon request.