USDA Forest Service / College of Menominee Nation                          

 

 

 

Sustainable Forestry Research, Education and Extension Center Initiative

 

Introduction

 

The USDA Forest Service and Tribes share many common values and concerns that provide opportunity for partnerships.  Tribes have been culturally tied to the land and its resources for thousands of years.  Their traditional knowledge and continuing contributions to the body of scientific information can improve management of the nation’s resources. The Forest Service has embraced an ecosystem management concept in carrying out its stewardship responsibilities.  Conservation of the nation’s resources has been part of tribal stewardship for generations. (National Tribal Relations Program Task Force--A Vision for the Future)

 

This partnership initiative emerged from a number of discussions among the College of the Menominee Nation (CMN) Sustainable Development Institute (SDI) staff and Forest Service representatives from Research and Development (Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), North Central Research Station (NCRS)), National Forest System (Eastern Region (R- 9)), State and Private Forestry (S&PF) (North Eastern Area (NA)), and the Tribal Government Program Manager (S&PF Washington Office).  The group explored ways the land-grant approach could be applied to promote 1) sustainable forestry on public and private forests and 2) sustainable utilization best practices among underserved private forest owners and tribal forest communities--with an emphasis on sustainable rural development.  This directly led to the proposal for CMN and the Forest Service to develop a partnership embodied in a Sustainable Forestry Research, Education, and Extension Center at CMN.

          

Sustainable Forestry Research and Education Center Description

 

This unique research, education, and extension Center would represent and embody a synergistic partnering of Menominee sensibilities and expertise in silviculture with Forest Service expertise in forest ecology and wood utilization.  The Center benefits a wide array of stakeholders, including but not limited to: CMN and surrounding communities; all three branches of the Forest Service; private land owners accounting for 70% of U.S. forestland; and the tribal forest communities, particularly the 44 timber-rich tribes, who together account for some 16 million acres of forest.

 

CMN is ideally positioned to host such a Center: its proximity to the Menominee Tribal Forest – a living laboratory and longstanding model for best-practice, sustained-yield forestry -- and to FPL, R-9, NA, and NCRS facilities; its geographic centrality and Menominee credibility among the timber rich tribes, all support this logic.  But there is also CMN’s stewardship record and its ability to leverage and cycle program resources to extract and disperse maximum benefit to many stakeholders.

 

The Center would synthesize best practices of forest ecology, utilization, and Native American (e.g. Menominee and other Tribal entities) expertise for sustainable development and serves as a model for university/federal partnerships in common cause for public good that:

 

·        Creates and distills knowledge about sustainable forest management and sustainable development.

 

 

·        Carries out a program of fundamental and applied work that enables field level application of sustainable forestry and techniques for sustainable utilization of forests.

·        Balances western science with native sensibilities about forestland management and use.

·        Builds National capacity by developing the science and technology, skills, and abilities to sustainably manage forest resources and sustainably meet the needs of people--where utilization contributes to maintaining and improving the health, condition and sustainability of forests and forest health and condition drives utilization considerations.

·        Creates a forum for discourse and information exchange on the best practices among multiple constituencies.

·        Reinvents delivery of higher education to meet multiple disciplinary holistic strategies to resource management.

·        Develops a diverse, knowledgeable, and skilled workforce in the areas of sustainable forestry and sustainable utilization.

·        Serves both Indian and non-Indian rural communities.

 

Unique Features of the Center

 

The Center will serve as a focus for long-term cooperation between the Forest Service and timber-rich tribes and has a number of unique features that are not possible anywhere else. First, CMN would be the only tribal college with a significant forestry research, education, and extension capacity that would serve as a magnet for cooperation with other tribes, tribal colleges, and tribal business entities. Second, the Center builds on the unique capabilities of both partners—the Forest Service (Research and Development, National Forest System, and State and Private Forestry) and CMN.  Third, the Center will integrate traditional cultural values, forest management, and utilization.  Fourth, the Center will create unique synergies by bringing American Indian values, sustainable forestry science, sustainable development science, forest operations science, and rural development together.

 

Currently no such Center exists in the US that rivals the capabilities of the partners; brings in the perspectives and expertise of the Menominee Nation and other tribes; has the ability to deliver results to users, and develops a diverse, skilled workforce for the Forest Service, tribes and other public and private entities.  In addition, the Center would uniquely serve Native American communities and tribes and would have a focus on the complex nature of tribal land tenure patterns. The location of the Center on the CMN campus, the Menominee Forest, and the adjoining National Forest (Chequamegon-Nicolet) creates a truly one-of-a-kind situation.  Lastly, the partnership is open to including other participants as full partners that can add to the overall success of the Center.

 

Benefits flowing to the Forest Service from the Center

 

A primary benefit to the Forest Service is that this Center helps achieve mission goals as laid out in the Forest Service Strategic Plan, namely--promoting ecosystem health and conservation to sustain the Nation’s forests, grasslands, and watersheds;

 

 

 

providing a wide variety of uses, values, products, and services for present and future generations by managing within the capability of sustainable ecosystems; and developing the best scientific information available to deliver technical and community assistance and support ecological, economic, and social sustainability. 

 

The Center offers a program driven focus for achieving healthy and diverse forest ecosystems; focuses on sustainable forestry and sustainable development where forest health and condition is dominant over other uses; takes an integrated approach to all aspects of forest management; brings in the reputation of the Menominee Forest; and allows the Forest Service to tap into Menominee/American Indian expertise through integration of traditional cultural values into forestry and use. The Center will increase partnerships with a wide variety of other cooperators that are interested in sustainable forest management and sustainable development of forest resources.

 

The Center offers the Forest Service an opportunity for outreach and service to underserved American Indian populations; provides a new avenue for interaction and program delivery to American Indians via the science of sustainable forestry and sustainable use; offers an opportunity for long term, positive interactions with the Menominee Nation and the other 43 timber rich tribes in the areas of silviculture, utilization, traditional cultural values, education, research, and forest operations; serves and provides forest-based economic opportunities for rural communities; and offers the opportunity to bring in other tribes and tribal colleges as partners. 

 

With respect to workforce, the Center will:  create a pool of diverse, trained, and skilled workers for the Forest Service; develop a continuous supply of future American Indian land managers for both the Forest Service and Indian Nations; and introduce CMN students to the program of the Forest Service so that they will consider a career in the Forest Service.  

 

Center Functioning and Capabilities

 

The Center will be located on the campus of CMN in Keshena, Wisconsin.  The Center would to the greatest extent make use of existing capabilities within CMN and participating Forest Service units.  This will minimize costs for the Center and eliminate needless duplication of effort and capacity.  As part of its current growth, aside from this partnership, CMN will need to build facilities for additional classrooms, laboratories, and offices.  Space for this Center will be included in those CMN planning and expansion efforts.  It is envisioned that at least one Forest Service liaison would be located at CMN to coordinate activities and program delivery. Depending upon program development and needs, additional Forest Service staff could be located at the Center.  The Center would have a Director and appropriate administrative support staff.  The Director, in cooperation with senior leaders at CMN and the Forest Service, develops the program, identifies Center staffing and infrastructure needs, and serves as the lead in obtaining required resources.  Center capacity will augment that already existing within CMN and participating Forest Service units.  Senior CMN and Forest Service Leaders from participating units will serve as a Board of Directors for the Center and can be augmented with third party participants as is appropriate.

 

 

Center Programs

 

The Center will focus on three major programmatic areas: education; research and technology transfer; and extension and outreach.  In each area, it is expected that the

Center will be able to leverage base funding through third party grants and agreements. CMN will have the responsibility to develop the education program area.  Forest Service participation will primarily be in the areas of research, technology transfer, and extension as well as student internships in all three Forest Service branches. Envisioned programmatic activities are as follow:

 

Research and Technology Transfer

  • Technical advances to improve forest production while enhancing forest health and condition
  • Value-added wood products, and refinements in related manufacturing processes
  • Improved utilization of mixed species
  • Economic potential of non-timber forest products
  • Materials Science study of ethno-botanical applications and wood species attributes

 

     Education

·         Accredited curricula for baccalaureate and graduate programs in Sustainable Forest Management and Sustainable Development

  • Additional faculty to support expansion of curricula/programs, particularly in the fields of Materials Science and Forest Ecology
  • Recruitment of students and prospective Forest Service employee candidates nationally/internationally with emphasis on Native Americans from the 44 timber-rich tribes

 

      Extension/Outreach

  • Conferences, workshops, and continuing education courses to communicate research findings and practical demonstrations of sustainable forest management and utilization principles
  • Dissemination of “Best Practice” forest management and forest product utilization strategies to tribal forest communities and private landowners
  • Refine strategies for expansion into certification markets for current and potential wood products

 

Next Steps

 

Convene a meeting of senior CMN and Forest Service leaders at CMN to decide whether this proposed Center is desirable/beneficial for both organizations. (Strategic Plan element 1) 

·        If the decision is to pursue implementing the Center partnership, further develop/affirm the proposed mission, scope, and programs for the Center. 

·        Senior leaders from the Forest Service and CMN direct, guide, and implement development of the Center and partnership.

·        Decide on the need for a Memorandum of Understanding on working together and what other documents are needed to define the scope of the cooperation.

·        If the decision is not to proceed, decide on the need for any follow up actions or opportunities that should be discussed/explored.

 

 

 

 

Decide on how to best conduct a feasibility, needs assessment, and implementation studies for a cooperative, integrated educational, research, extension, and technology transfer program between the CMN and the Forest Service.  As part of the feasibility, needs assessment, and implementation studies, funding for start up of the Center and ongoing funding needs would be determined. (Strategic Plan elements 1, 2, and 5)

 

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