Community Articles
General News · 29th October 2022
Kate Maddigan
Request for Proposals
Business Roadmap for Value-Added Forest Products
With funding from the Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET), the Cortes Community Forest Cooperative is seeking consultants to develop a strategy to ensure that more lumber harvested on Cortes is used on Cortes. The roadmap will guide future investments by the Forest Co-op in support of growing value-added opportunities on Cortes.
Local economic development with local wood is central to the mission of the Cortes Community Forest Cooperative, or “the Co-op”. Qualified individuals are invited to submit a proposal for a “road map” to implement this goal. This project requires experience in community facilitation, First Nations consultation, community forests, forestry, value-added forest product manufacturing and business planning.
The Co-op represents the non-indigenous community in the Cortes Forestry General Partnership with the Klahoose First Nation (or “Partnership"). The Partnership holds a Community Forest tenure of approximately 3,800 ha, or about 30% of Cortes Island land base. To date, the Partnership has harvested wood at a rate that is lower than the annual growth rate of the forest as a whole.
Despite existing mills, value-added producers, and consumer interest, utilization of Cortes Island wood remains low. Several Cortes Island sawmills currently process the Partnership’s logs for on-island use in construction, furniture or other value added uses. But most of the wood from the community forest leaves the island in the form of raw logs. Islanders purchase much of their lumber from off-island, which requires expensive ferry travel or delivery for products which may be harvested in ways that negatively affect other communities. Many local artisans skilled in value-added woodworking have expressed interest in creating products for off-island sale, but need support to make this happen.
The Co-op intends to provide support to grow the value-added woodworking sector, but needs a greater understanding of community capacity, and successful economic development in other communities. Therefore, the Co-op is seeking a consultant team to develop a strategy, or roadmap, for growing the local value added wood sector.
This work will be supported and informed by members of the Co-op’s board and of the Cortes Forestry General Partnership.
Deadline and Contact information
Proposal due date: November 10, 2022 at 4pm.
For more information, or to submit a proposal for this work, please contact Kate Maddigan at kate.maddigan[at]gmail.com.
Business Roadmap for Value-Added Forest Products
With funding from the Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET), the Cortes Community Forest Cooperative is seeking consultants to develop a strategy to ensure that more lumber harvested on Cortes is used on Cortes. The roadmap will guide future investments by the Forest Co-op in support of growing value-added opportunities on Cortes.
Local economic development with local wood is central to the mission of the Cortes Community Forest Cooperative, or “the Co-op”. Qualified individuals are invited to submit a proposal for a “road map” to implement this goal. This project requires experience in community facilitation, First Nations consultation, community forests, forestry, value-added forest product manufacturing and business planning.
The Co-op represents the non-indigenous community in the Cortes Forestry General Partnership with the Klahoose First Nation (or “Partnership"). The Partnership holds a Community Forest tenure of approximately 3,800 ha, or about 30% of Cortes Island land base. To date, the Partnership has harvested wood at a rate that is lower than the annual growth rate of the forest as a whole.
Despite existing mills, value-added producers, and consumer interest, utilization of Cortes Island wood remains low. Several Cortes Island sawmills currently process the Partnership’s logs for on-island use in construction, furniture or other value added uses. But most of the wood from the community forest leaves the island in the form of raw logs. Islanders purchase much of their lumber from off-island, which requires expensive ferry travel or delivery for products which may be harvested in ways that negatively affect other communities. Many local artisans skilled in value-added woodworking have expressed interest in creating products for off-island sale, but need support to make this happen.
The Co-op intends to provide support to grow the value-added woodworking sector, but needs a greater understanding of community capacity, and successful economic development in other communities. Therefore, the Co-op is seeking a consultant team to develop a strategy, or roadmap, for growing the local value added wood sector.
This work will be supported and informed by members of the Co-op’s board and of the Cortes Forestry General Partnership.
Deadline and Contact information
Proposal due date: November 10, 2022 at 4pm.
For more information, or to submit a proposal for this work, please contact Kate Maddigan at kate.maddigan[at]gmail.com.