OUR HISTORY
“Collaboration is really the only way to work through the legal and legislative frameworks that are currently in place. And it is the best way for rural communities like mine to have a meaningful say and role in public lands management and decision making.”
- Mark Webb, Executive Director, Blue Mountains Forest Partners
Facing complex ecological and economic challenges, Baker, Union, and Wallowa counties jointly convened a public meeting in June of 2012 to propose the creation of a forest collaborative. The meeting drew 48 participants from 23 diverse stakeholder groups from across the three county area. The participants formally endorsed the Wallowa Whitman Forest Collaborative’s (WWFC) formation and discussed the collaborative’s direction, priorities, and structure.
Soon after, the WWFC organized an official Operations Committee consisting of nine voluntary members, appointed Wallowa Resources as its fiscal agent, and drafted the group’s operating principles and mission. The collaborative has since hired a part-time facilitator and now meets monthly to discuss the management and restoration of the Wallowa Whitman National Forest.