What is a Community Forest?
A “community forest” is a forest owned and managed to provide secure and reliable access to the ecological, social, economic, and cultural benefits produced and provided by the forest. The local community plays a significant role in decision making around how the forest is managed and used. It involves collaboration between various stakeholders, community members, governments, and non-government organizations.
Where is it located?
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Stewart Mountain is located just east of Bellingham, Washington , in rural Whatcom County between Lake Whatcom and the South Fork Nooksack River valley. The mountain is approximately four miles wide by 11 miles long, or about 28,000 acres. Stewart Mountain is surrounded by the communities of Deming, Van Zandt, Acme, Wickersham, and Bellingham. The 6,000 acres envisioned for the community forest is part of the South Fork watershed, in the ancestral homelands of the Nooksack Indian Tribe.
Why do this?
The overarching intention of the Stewart Mountain Community Forest is to permanently place this forestland in community stewardship, so that it can be managed for the long term benefit of the community. Key goals of the SMCF developed through years of community engagement, include:
- Restore hydrologic functions in the South Fork Nooksack River Watershed.
- Restore local employment opportunities throughout the forestry sector.
- Expand access to the Nooksack Indian Tribe’s ancestral lands for cultural, ceremonial, and subsistence uses.
- Provide non-motorized recreational and educational opportunities for the public.
- Increase engagement and interest in community-based forest stewardship.
Who is involved so far?
This effort to establish the Stewart Mountain Community Forest is currently being led by partners with diverse experience and expertise including:
- Evergreen Land Trust Association
- Nooksack Indian Tribe
- Whatcom County
- Whatcom Land Trust
- Western Washington University
Click HERE if you would like to be involved!