In October 2010, the Northwest Natural Resource Group received a generous grant from the Benjamin N. Phillips fund of the Seattle Foundation to support educational workshops and forest landowner outreach in Clallam County.  The project is designed to increase sustainable practices on private forest land and increase economic productivity leading to lower conversion rates of forests to other uses and higher rural quality of life in the County.

NNRG, working in partnership with the North Olympic Land Trust, will present two workshops on conservation options and income opportunities from sustainable forestry, provide site visits and consultations to interested landowners, and provide membership scholarships to ten qualified landowners to pursue FSC certification for their lands.

North Olympic Land Trust is a non-profit conservation organization based in Port Angeles that serves the communities of the North Olympic Peninsula. They work to protect the special qualities of the North Olympic Peninsula in Clallam County, Washington, just outside the internationally treasured Olympic National Park.  Founded in 1990, the Land Trust has worked with area landowners to conserve 2,300 acres, many of those on forested lands.

“The natural partnership between NNRG and the Land Trust allows us to reach out to forest landowners throughout the county and provide unique conservation options”, said Greg Good, Executive Director at North Olympic Land Trust.

Check NNRG’s website and upcoming newsletter for dates and locations of future workshops.  A limited number of scholarships are still available through September of 2011. Contact Kirk Hanson, Director of Northwest Certified Forestry, for more information on membership and to find out whether FSC certification is right for you.