Since its inception in 2003, the Vital Forests / Vital Communities Initiative has developed and implemented strategies to promote the connection between a healthy forest-based economy, healthy forest ecosystems and healthy communities.

Our work is guided by an Advisory Board, and focuses on a set of objectives that fall within three focus areas: forested land base and resource, forest management and economic development:

• Forested Land Base and Resource
  • Maintain Minnesota’s forest resource base and reduce losses caused by conversion, parcelization, and fragmentation of private lands and disposal of public lands.
  • Capture and enhance the productivity of Minnesota’s forests for forest products and consumption.
• Forest Management
  • Establish ecologically-based forest management as the norm in Minnesota.
  • Increase the number of acres of private, non-industrial woodland being actively and sustainably managed.
  • Increase public understanding of forest management and practices and the role they play in ensuring resource health, quality, and productivity for vital communities.
• Economic Development
  • Create new products and markets for Minnesota’s wood products industry.
  • Enhance the operating efficiency and economic viability of Minnesota’s wood products industry.
  • Increase the number of acres of private woodland and number of forest products companies under third-party certification.
  • Increase the capacity of the forest management services sector (ex: logging operators, professional foresters).

To learn more about the VFVC Initiative, visit the Projects section of this website or our VFVC Blog.