A collaborative approach to forest restoration to prevent catastrophic wildfire; sustain recreational opportunities; ensure jobs, quality habitat and clean drinking water. While the forest means different things to each of us, members of the Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project agree on this; we must be good stewards of the forest if we want it to be good to us, today and for future generations.
We are a volunteer stakeholder committee of 19 community members representing a wide set of views and values. Our group is one of 20 landscape restoration demonstration projects in the nation established by Congress to encourage collaborative, science-based ecosystem restoration of priority forest landscapes. Our Collaborative includes experts on forests, watersheds, wildlife, fire safety, timber, natural resource policy, recreation and tourism, local government, and conservation. We are environmentalists, business people, professional foresters, research scientists, loggers, outdoors lovers, private landowners, elected officials, tribal members and government policymakers who see that unless we act now to make forests healthier and more resilient, the lifestyle and special places we all treasure are at risk. And we have learned we can only get this work done together.
