Community Futures

Fundy Model Forest is working to assist communities to help forest-dependent communities in New Brunswick to take advantage of new economic opportunities from forest resources and to build stable local economies. This work is being carried out in accord with Natural Resources Canada’s Forest Communities Program.

Fundy Model Forest will be working with different types of communities, including municipalities and groups whose members have similar interests. We will strive to help them develop tools that they can use to analyze their current status and identify opportunities to help adapt to the dynamic nature of today’s forest industry.

Following are projects to which we are presently contributing funding:

Examining Options for Transitioning Forest Dependent Communities in the Fundy Model Forest

Affiliation: Rural and Small Town Programme, Mount Allison University

Description: This project will increase our understanding of what has been tried in the past 10 years and what has worked in helping communities that were dependent on a single resource develop new economies. We will also find out what federal and provincial programs are available to help (directly and indirectly) communities.

We will begin with a literature review examining studies, government reports, policy papers, and journal articles to be completed by March 31, 2008.

Objective: To discover and understand the scope of what is possible during the economic transition of forest dependent communities.

Contact: Amanda Marlin, amartin@mta.ca

St. John River Valley-Community Future Planning

Affiliation:  Organizations and associations in the Upper Saint John River Valley as well as Latin America/Caribbean Network

Description: Falls Brook Centre is leading this long term project to help residents of the Upper-St. John River Valley help residents envision and plan for a better future. It will involve bringing together regional communities to engage in positive planning based on an appreciation of all the qualities and values the region has to offer. This includes an asset mapping of the built, social, and natural environment for the region from Nackawic to Perth-Andover.

This phase of the project will involve obtaining input through community meetings.

Long term objective: To help communities in the Upper Saint John River Valley region transition from dependence on a single forest industry to innovative socio-economic development based on diverse use of community forest resources.

Contact: Falls Brook Centre, ja@fallsbrookcentre.ca

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