The Northwest Innovative Forestry Summit (NIFS) is a space for regional learning, exchange, and ongoing cooperation to foster ecologically-based forest management strategies with programs focusing on sustainable, forest-related innovation – past, present, and future.

2024 fALL Summit

Save the Date – Fall 2024 Summit | October 3-5, 2024 | Trout Lake, WA

SUMMIT ORGANIZERS

Please email membership (at) forestguild.org if you have questions about the summit or are interested in joining the organizing team.

Past Events

• From Experimentation to Innovation in the Forests of the PNW – 2023 Virtual
• Assisted migration Field Tour at Stossel Creek and Oxbow Farm– 2023 Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center
• Fall 2022 Summit – September 30 – October 2, 2022 University of Washington Pack Forest
• April 2022 Virtual Event Series

In April 2022 we held a month-long series of virtual sessions that acted as a precursor to the in-person Summit at Pack Forest in the fall. These events were be a mix of presentation and discussion. You can view recordings of the events at the links below.

Living with Change: Discussing Future Challenges and Opportunities

The goal of the session is for participants to share what changes they see on the horizon for forestry, gain an understanding of the associated challenges, and collect ideas how we can best deal with those changes. The session starts with a brief summary of results from a survey about the ecological, economic, and social changes respondents see as challenges or opportunities for our region. Participants will then discuss changes in smaller groups.

The Co-evolving Story and Stewardship of Northwest Forests

Like beauty, ecological integrity and forest productivity are in the eye of the beholder. Those madronas growing among the Douglas-fir — are they competitors or cooperators? That forested park — is it a wildlife refuge or a tinderbox of excess fuel for wildfires? Not only is forest stewardship changing, so are the stories we tell ourselves about the forest and our place in it. This panel will take stock of how the narrative about forestry has shifted both within the forestry community and in the larger public arena.

Diversifying Forest Revenue and Values: What’s the Same and What’s Changing?

Carbon credits, wood-based certifications, non-timber forest products, conservation finance, and ecotourism are some examples of financial opportunities that forest landowners consider to diversify revenue streams – but these opportunities are not always lucrative. How are the opportunities and markets for forest owners changing or staying the same? Join us for a panel discussion on which opportunities are fulfilling their promise to landowners and which are falling short.

Working Together: New Partnerships in Forest Ownership and Conservation

Flux in forest ownership has long been a reality and driving force in the Northwest. We are in a period of relatively rapid ownership transition and the outcomes continue to shape both the forests and forest-dependent communities. All across our region people, organizations, agencies and businesses are finding innovative ways to work cooperatively together toward common goals for forests and human communities. In this session we will explore the role of innovation and lessons learned from case studies, in varying levels of maturation, from across our region. Participants will be invited to consider how these lessons might be applied throughout our region.