Background
The Community Forest originally began in 1999 as a community protest against a proposed land exchange by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and a private timber company. The Trinity County Board of Supervisors joined with the community in asking BLM to delay the exchange while alternatives were explored. In 2003 the Trinity County Resource Conservation District (TCRCD) Board of Directors decided to take on the project to further explore ways to manage these federally-held lands. In mid-2004, BLM suggested using a new federal tool, Stewardship Contracting, to manage the lands as the community forest. Using this tool, BLM retains ownership and cooperatively works with the TCRCD to manage the forest-based objectives defined by the community encompassing timber harvesting, recreation, education, and ecological conservation.
In 2005, the first stewardship agreement for 1000 acres was signed, marking the beginning of WCF management. Subsequent expansions included a partnership with the United States Forest Service (USFS) in 2008, renewals in 2015 and 2019, totaling 14,963 acres. Various timber harvests and projects funded by retained receipts, such as river restoration and trail construction, have been undertaken. Ongoing efforts involve maintaining the Weaverville Basin Trail System with Trinity Trail Alliance and the California Conservation Corps. The WCF is home to the LaGrange Mountain Bike Race and hosted parts of the World Endurance Mountain Bike Race on 2015. Efforts also align with prescribed fire strategies for fuel reduction, crucial during events like the 2015 Oregon Fire. The WCF aims to enhance community involvement and strengthen the connection between the land and its people.
Routledge Handbook of Community Forestry Chapter 12: The Weaverville Community Forest
Partners
Bureau of Land Management Redding Field Office
355 Hemsted Redding, CA 96002 Phone: 530-224-2100
https://www.blm.gov/office/redding-field-office
Shasta-Trinity National Forest
P.O. Box 1190 Weaverville, CA 96093-1190 Phone: 530-623-2121
https://www.fs.usda.gov/stnf
Trinity County Board of Supervisors
P.O. Box 1613 Weaverville, CA 96093-1613 Phone: 530-623-1217
https://www.trinitycounty.org/198/Board-of-Supervisors
Natural Resources Conservation Service
1313 South Main Street, Space H Weaverville, CA 96093-0970 Phone: 530-623-3991
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/
Northwest Resource Conservation & Development Council
P.O. Box 2183 Weaverville, CA 96093 Phone: 530-623-3967 x117
https://www.californialandcan.org/local-resources/Northwest-California-RCD-Council/12753
Trinity Trail Alliance
P.O. Box 602, Weaverville, CA 96093 ?info@trinitytrailalliance.com
https://www.trinitytrailalliance.com
Trinity County Fire Safe Council
P. O. Box 1450 Weaverville, CA 96093-1450 Phone: 530-623-6004 x214
https://firesafetrinity.org/
State Water Resources Control Board
P.O. Box 100 Sacramento, CA 95812-0100
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/
UC Cooperative Extension Trinity County
PO Box 1468 Weaverville, CA 96093 Phone: 530-623-3746
https://cetrinity.ucanr.edu/
Community Members Like You!
Links
California Forest Stewardship Program – Forestland Steward Newsletter
https://ucanr.edu/sites/forestry/Stewardship/
Arcata City Forest – Arcata, California
https://www.cityofarcata.org/190/City-Forests
Communities Committee: Community-owned Forests:
Possibilities, experiences, and lessons learned
http://www.communitiescommittee.org/conference/index.php
National Association of Conservation Districts
https://www.nacdnet.org/about-nacd/what-we-do/forestry/