Enclosure 4A - Project Summary Form
NATIONAL FIRE PLAN COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE PROJECTS
Application for Fuels Utilization and Marketing Projects
Applicant
Applicant/Organization:
Sustainable Northwest’s Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities Partnership
Phone:
FAX:
Email:
503-221-6911
503-221-4495
rtemple@sustainablenorthwest.org
Address (Street or P. O. Box, City, State, Zip):
620 SW Main Suite 112; Portland, OR 97205
Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator (Name and Title):
Ryan Temple, Marketing Manager
Organization/Jurisdiction:
Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities Partnership
Phone:
FAX:
Email:
503-221-6911 ext. 112
503-221-4495
rtemple@sustainablenorthwest.org
Project Information
Project Title:
Building markets and business capacity to support wildfire risk reduction treatments
Proposed Project Start Date:
Proposed Project End Date:
2/1/04
8/1/05
Federal Funding Request:
Total Project Funding:
$150,000
$187,500
Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please explain and prioritize:
No
Brief Project Description:
The Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities Partnership is comprised of nearly 50 wood products
businesses and community-based organizations working together to promote forest restoration, and
utilization and market access for the wood by-products of restoration activities. A pioneer in these
efforts, the Partnership offers research, market exposure, business capacity building, market
assistance and wood sourcing to forest-based enterprises across the Pacific Northwest. As a
group, we convey a strong and unified message of the social and ecological value of utilizing
restoration by-products. We are also able to broadly distribute the costs of public relations,
technical assistance, manufacturing and advertising; allowing smaller, local businesses to
participate in markets of a scale previously inaccessible to them.
As the Partnership continues to grow and evolve we have developed a work plan for the coming
year that builds upon skills and experiences gained to date. We seek National Fire Plan support to:
1) Increase our delivery of technical assistance and training to wood products entrepreneurs,
2) Develop the tools needed to inform markets of restoration-based product alternatives,
3) Investigate a labeling campaign to create market differentiation of restoration by products.
4) Coordinate a regional forum to bring together other Fire Plan grant recipients for mutual learning
Project Location (latitude/longitude if applicable):
County:
Congressional District:
Oregon and Washington
Multiple
OR District 1
If the applicant is an unincorporated area, define the geographic area being represented:
Throughout the NW with concentrations in Jackson, Josephine, Wallowa, and Okanogan Counties
Enclosure 4B (Page 1 of 3) - Project Narrative Description
Applications for funding must include a narrative response that describes the proposal. Please do not submit responses longer than one page,
single space, 12-pitch font.
Describe project including, but not limited to:
 project location
Address these
 project implementation
items as
 anticipated outcomes
applicable:
 measures and reporting
 interagency partners





project relationship to community or natural landscape fire plans.
project time frames and income
specify types of activities and equipment used
amount or extent of actions (acres, number of homes, etc)
environmental, cultural and historical resource requirements
Response:
As restoration and fire risk reduction projects are being implemented across the Pacific Northwest, the
importance of high-value markets for by-products of restoration is increasingly evident. HFHC will use
support from the National Fire Plan over an 18-month period to improve market awareness of, and
availability for, these products, and to increase manufacturers’ ability to deliver to these markets.
We will build market awareness by further developing our suite of materials that tell the story of restorationbased businesses and by taking advantage of venues and opportunities to deliver them. These materials
will contain information specific to the individual business, coupled with the broader HFHC story of
restoration. Hang tags will describe how consumer choices can support the restoration of our forest
resources; brochures and product sheets will expand on the story and begin describing the range of HFHC
products using small diameter wood and under-utilized species. Our website will be updated to become an
interactive tool for connecting buyers and sellers. The website will also serve as an information
clearinghouse for the latest research on small diameter markets and related opportunities. Perhaps our
most compelling marketing strategies are those that allow us to get face to face with consumers. Towards
this end, our tradeshow booth is a powerful tool for taking our message to the public. We plan to make
improvements to this booth and increase the number of shows we attend. Further, our public relations
efforts will focus on reaching professional audiences such as the National Association of Home Builders, The
US Green Building Council, and the American Institute of Architects. In 2004, the Green Building Council
will hold its annual meeting in Portland. We are already engaged in the planning of this event and see it as
the perfect opportunity to reach a large (est. 10,000+) audience with the HFHC story.
The enthusiasm engendered by HFHC suggests potential value of a marketing label to differentiate products
made from restoration wood. To further explore this idea, we plan to use Fire Plan funds to convene focus
groups, conduct market research, and take other steps to determine the viability of a ‘restoration label’ and
the attributes encompassed therein. This includes developing a market- acceptable notion of restoration and
defining the mechanisms necessary to verify and label wood coming from restoration projects. We believe
such a label and system might be useful to groups similar to HFHC throughout the nation, and we plan to
carry out this project in a manner that facilitates learning and replicability to others.
While marketing remains axial to this program, we realize that the ultimate success of restoration-based
businesses necessitates attention to a broader range of issues. Our technical assistance sessions,
workshops, and business trainings have reached eager audiences, and we have found the demand for such
services higher than we could accommodate. In conjunction with community partners, agency personnel,
and business professionals, HFHC intends to deliver requested capacity building through both one-to-one
and group sessions. It is important that HFHC not become the marketing and business arm of our partner
businesses, but rather a tool that allows them to build these skills within themselves. To remain informed,
we will also continue to conduct research relevant to marketing and utilization of restoration wood.
Since its inception, the National Fire Plan has supported a significant amount of projects, both in terms of
quantity and diversity. The knowledge gained and lessons learned throughout this process is invaluable and
should be captured to ensure future success of our efforts. In cooperation with the Forest Service, Wallowa
Resources and the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, we propose to bring Fire Plan grantees from
Region 6 together to discuss our cumulative efforts, and to document the results in a comprehensive
report. This report will inform other communities and businesses interested in these issues, policy
makers on the impact of the National Fire Plan in Region 6, and the media about the success and
lessons learned through the implementation of the National Fire Plan.
Enclosure 4B (Page 2 of 3) - Project Evaluation Criteria
Applications for funding must include narrative responses that address the following four criteria. Within each criterion, subcriteria are listed in descending order of importance. Limit your responses to the areas provided.
1. Increasing Local Capacity (35 Points)
A. How would the proposal improve or lead to the improvement of the local economy in terms of jobs and sustainable economic
activity? How many jobs are expected to be created or retained and for how long (please distinguish between essentially
year-round and seasonal jobs)? How will this proposal link to other projects (or proposed projects) to create year-round jobs?
B. Will biomass or forest fuels be utilized; if so, in what manner and how much?
C. Which, if any, private businesses will participate?
D. To what extent will this project be offered to serve as a model for other communities or businesses, or natural landscapes?
Response:
Our marketing, capacity building and other services are available to all HFHC partners; and HFHC
is open to all wood products businesses and non-profits in the region demonstrating a commitment
to the vision and values of the Partnership. Currently, there are 47signed members, 30 of which
are businesses providing nearly 100 jobs in the Northwest. This membership is doubling annually.
Several HFHC non-profit partners are submitting proposals for Community Assistance grants; their
focus is primarily on fuels projects and community planning. By design, HFHC’s proposal provides
the marketing and utilization complement to these projects, thus supporting our ‘watershed to the
woodshop to the marketplace’ strategy.
The proposed project will support the utilization of forest fuels primarily converted into flooring,
paneling, furniture and dimensional lumber. The Partnership processes 1.5mmbf, but has the
capacity to process over 50mmbf annually, and plans to increase production and product diversity.
As a result of our research, innovation and real market experience, HFHC and its partner
businesses are frequently contacted by rural communities seeking to stimulate a restoration-based
economy. Through conferences, speaking engagements, peer exchanges and published material
we share what we have learned with others in the field. A monitoring component accompanies all
our work. Further, by coordinating a forum to bring other Region 6 Fire Plan grantees together, we
will increase the knowledge bank for others dealing with similar issues.
2. Reducing fire risk. (30 points)
Describe how the proposal promotes reduction of risk in high hazard areas and communities or natural landscapes.
Describe how the proposed project benefits resources on federal land or adjacent non-federal land, or how it protects the
safety of communities.
C. To what extent does the project implement or create a cooperative (1) fuels treatment plan or (2)community fire strategy
(include evidence of the plan if it already exists)?
D. Explain how the proposal (1) leads to, enhances or restores a local fire-adapted ecosystem, and/or (2) mitigates or leads to the
mitigation of hazardous fuels conditions.
A.
B.
Response:
HFHC operates in forest-based communities across the Northwest with particular focus on
impoverished rural areas surrounded by degraded public lands at high risk of wildfire. As rural
entrepreneurs turn a forest health problem into a restoration opportunity, the Partnership helps
these businesses succeed by developing markets for restoration by-products and enhancing rural
capacity to successfully manufacture products for these markets. We also collaborate with other
Sustainable Northwest programs, including the Sustainable Forest Policy and Communities
Programs, both of which focus on opportunities for restoring fire-adapted ecosystems and
community well-being.
Funding from the National Fire Plan will support several specific activities that will promote a
restoration economy in the Pacific Northwest. These activities are closely linked to opportunities
associated with wildfire risk reduction projects, such as flow of materials. Therefore, it is imperative
that we not only work on the manufacturing side of wood products but also consider and support
the implementation of planned risk reduction projects. By building markets for the by-products of
fuels treatment and by building capacity to manufacture these products, the Partnership improves
the economic viability of such treatments and thus facilitates their implementation.
Enclosure 4B (Page 3 of 3) - Project Evaluation Criteria
3. Expanding Community Participation. (15 Points)
A. To what extent have interested individuals, groups, and communities been provided an opportunity to become informed and
involved in this proposal?
B. Describe the extent of local support or opposition for the project, including any cost-sharing arrangements
C. What are the environmental, social and educational benefits or concerns of the project?
HFHC in its most intrinsic sense is a partnership – a network of businesses and nonprofits working
together to create a restoration-based economy. As such, each member has a voice and role in
shaping the program and our projects. They, along with other community-based partners in the
region helped craft this proposal.
In addition, to maintain close communications with the multitude of HFHC businesses, HFHC has
developed strategic partnerships with organizations in each of the communities where we work.
Groups such as Wallowa Resources, Okanogan Communities Development Council and Central
Oregon Intergovernmental Council are our place-based nodes in the communities where we work,
and we rely on them to respond to proposal concepts and offer advice on how to coordinate our
work with their efforts.
The mission of HFHC concentrates on the point of overlap between environmental, economic and
social interests: “to build rural capacity to practice community based forestry and to produce and
market wood products that benefit local businesses, their community economies and forest
ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest.” The proposed project will support and create sustainable
jobs and economic opportunities based on the restoration and conservation of forest resources.
These jobs are primarily in the manufacturing sector but span the lumber and wood products
industry from loggers to building supply retailers.
4. Increasing interagency and intergovernmental coordination. (20 Points)
A. Explain the level of cooperation, coordination or strategic planning through a “Local Coordination Group” for wildland fire
activities, or among federal, state, tribal, local government and community organizations in developing this proposal. List the
cooperators (a detailed list of cooperators will be required for projects that are funded).
B. Describe how this project implements a local intergovernmental strategy or plan, or creates such a plan. Describe the plan if
it already exists.
Response:
The types of activities made possible in the National Fire Plan have enormous potential to be the
foundation of a synergistic relationship between USDA Forest Service objectives and the needs of
impoverished rural communities of the Pacific Northwest. The ongoing work of HFHC is done in
close collaboration with Forest Service and other agency personnel from the region and across the
nation who provide valuable advice to our programs and engage with the Partnership on a regular
basis. Additionally, all of our businesses are associated with a local non-profit partner that provides
liaisons with the local Ranger District and community development organizations.
The proposed scope of work merges the ecological, social, and economic objectives of several
organizations, such as Wallowa Resources, the Watershed Research and Training Center, Central
Oregon Ingergovernmental Council, the Sunny Wolf CRT and others. The success of HFHC in
addressing multiple objectives is evidenced by the breadth of support we have received. The
USDA Forest Service, and the Surdna and Bullitt Foundations support our work in ecosystem
restoration; Oregon Economic and Community Development Department and Ford Foundation help
us address rural poverty and equity issues; and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation works
with us to promote a conservation-based economy. We are proud to have these governmental and
private organizations as cooperators as we implement our collective strategy to chart a sustainable
resource-based future for the Pacific Northwest.
Enclosure 4C - Project Work Form
Tasks
Technical Assistance
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Time Frame
Ongoing
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Market Training
Flooring Production Efficiency
Business Basics
Region 6 National Fire Plan
grantee forum and report
Winter ’04, Spring ‘05
Spring ‘04
Ongoing
Fall ‘04
Marketing Materials
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Mailers
Hangtags
Product Sheets
Tradeshow booth upgrades
Website
Winter ‘04
Summer ‘04
Summer ‘04
Ongoing
Ongoing
Tradeshows
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Portland Home and Garden
Timber Frame Expo
Remodelers’ Conference
USGBC Annual Meeting
Outreach/Public Relations
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Spring ‘04
Spring ‘04
Fall ‘04
Winter ‘04
Ongoing
Architect and Designer tours
Workshops and Presentations
Build Consumer Database
Media Campaign
Research
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Small diameter product feasibility
Market demands and expectations
Distribution channel options
Website as info clearinghouse
Spring ‘04
Ongoing
Summer ‘05
Ongoing
Restoration Label
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Determining market opinions
Develop Draft Labeling System
Identify acceptable restoration
Market testing Restoration Label
Monitoring
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Sustainable Northwest
Business Needs Diagnostic
Business Evaluation
Identify Challenges and Obstacles
Technical Assistance sessions
that respond to needs
Workshops/Training
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Responsible Party
Track inquiries and sales
Measure community impacts
Estimate forest impacts
Share knowledge nationally
Sustainable Northwest
Green Mountain Woodworks
Local SBA’s
Sustainable Northwest
Pyramid Communications
Design Origins
Paramount Graphics
Sustainable Northwest
Framing Our Community
US Green Building Council
Env. Building Supplies
Log Homes Illustrated
Sustainable Northwest
Pyramid Communications
Env. Media Services
PGE Earth Advantage
Oregon Home Magazine
Sustainable Northwest
Sunny Wolf CRT
Green Mountain Woodworks
Wallowa Resources
Sustainable Northwest
Fall ‘03
Winter ‘04
Spring ‘04
Summer ‘04
Ongoing
Sustainable Northwest
Watershed Research Center
Wallowa Resources
Green Mountain Woodworks
Ford Foundation
Enclosure 4D - Project Budget
Cost Category
Description
Federal
Agency
Applicant
Partner 1
Partner 2
Total
Personnel
Primary Staff
Other Staff
Subtotal
35000
30000
15000
15000
50000
45000
Fringe Benefits
Primary Staff
Other Staff
Subtotal
5600
4800
2400
2400
8000
7200
Travel
Shows and Conferences
Regional Outreach and Training
Subtotal
10000
5000
10000
5000
Supplies
Samples
Printed Materials
Subtotal
5000
7500
5000
7500
Contractual
Technical Assistance and Training
Professional Services
Subtotal
22500
15000
22500
15000
Equipment
Subtotal
Other
Administrative Support
9600
2700
12300
150000
37500
187500
Subtotal
Total Costs
Project (Program) Income1
1
Program income is the gross revenue generated by a grant or cooperative agreement supported activity during the life of the
grant. Program income can be made by recipients from fees charged for conference or workshop attendance, from rental fees
earned from renting out real property or equipment acquired with grant or cooperative agreement funds, or from the sale of
commodities or items developed under the grant or cooperative agreement. The use of Program Income during the project
period may require prior approval by the granting agency.