Partnerships Highlight 2015 Annual Report

U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville, SC

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (February 8, 2016)

Catalyst. Synergist. Collaborator. Facilitator. These are just a few of the roles played by the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) to benefit working forests and forest-rich communities. Always focused on its charter to “ultimately support the North American forest industry,”the Endowment’s partnerships cross sectors, political lines, and even national borders.

The Endowment today released its 2015 Annual Report highlighting these partnerships and sharing both successes—and failures—of the past year. Focusing on six arenas in which the Endowment has grown partnerships —Government, Non-Profit, Military Lands, Research Institutions, For-Profit, and Canada —the report chronicles the Endowment’s winning model: bringing together uncommon allies to advance a shared vision.

“Had we founded our work on any model other than partnerships,” says Endowment President and CEO Carlton Owen, “the result would be fewer successes, dimmer hopes, and sorely depleted coffers. With this report, we celebrate our partners of all shapes and sizes. We can’t thank each group enough for taking the risk on a start-up organization with only a vision and a promise. This report highlights just a few of the successes and challenges that we’ve faced together.”

A sampling of partnerships highlighted include:

  • Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program: In partnership with the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency, the Endowment will administer a six year, $7.5 million initiative to protect

    watersheds that provide drinking water and many other benefits.

  • “Mass Timber” Buildings: Addressing both technical and regulatory hurdles, the Softwood LumberBoard, American Wood Council, and the Endowment are working in tandem to stimulate the market for mass timber construction such as cross-laminated timber. Cross laminated timbers have a smaller environmental footprint, are easily and rapidly installed, and have no onsite waste.
  • Enviva Forest Conservation Fund: Retention of hardwood bottomland forests in North Carolina and Virginia is the focus of this newly created $5 million, ten-year investment, the largest forest retention investment in the U.S. by a wood pellet company. Enhanced management practices to further ecological benefits of managed forests are also a priority.
  • Public, Private, Partnership—P3Nano: The Endowment and the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory collaborated to advance the commercialization of wood-derived nanomaterials. Work in 2015 saw advancement in nanomaterial applications in the cement industry, plastics, plywood and automobiles.

Speaking on the unique partnerships forged by the Endowment, Board Member Jim Hoolihan noted: “My observation is that the Endowment really gets it. They work with the understanding that it takes a true partnership to create the conditions for change. The Endowment understands its role in this process and respects the partners that it is privileged to work with in order to help create sustainable healthy change in forest-reliant communities.”

For more information contact:
Carlton N. Owen, President & CEO, 864-233-7646, carlton@runslikeclock.work
The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment) is a not-for-profit public charity working collaboratively with partners in the public and private sectors to advance systemic, transformative, and sustainable change for the health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities – www.usendowment.org

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