WNC Forest Producers Marketing Project

GOAL:  A principal goal of this request is to find underemployed or unemployed forest workers with creative ideas about improving their forest enterprises, thereby positively affecting the entire production chain, from producers to the consumer.  

ECONOMY:  The marketing project helps businesses to be more profitable as demand for forest products returns and the economy recovers.  The stimulus effort provides funding to selected businesses to facilitate collaboration among underemployed or unemployed forest workers. 

JOBS:  The project could eventually employ close to 100 forest producers to explore alternate approaches to production or marketing that can help businesses succeed into the future.

GRANTOR:  The USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, based in Asheville, is providing nearly $2 million in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funds for the economic stimulus effort being administered by LOSRC.  The President signed ARRA into law on Feb. 17, 2009.  The Southern Research Station awarded the ARRA grant to LOSRC in a competitive selection process.

June 30, 2010          

Project Update: 

Land-of-Sky has selected fourteen WNC entities to receive grants from the WNC Forest Producers Marketing Project.  Grant awards total $1,209,532.   

Click here to see the Project Summaries of the selected businesses, nonprofits, and co-operatives.   

These companies will use the funds to expand and diversify their businesses while providing an estimated total of 141 jobs to under- or unemployed forest producers. 

Funding these businesses directly contributes to job growth in WNC, but also to the overall supply chain of forest products.  Each of these businesses currently purchases timber and non-timber forest products directly from landowners, handcrafters, local sawyers, artisans, and gleaners.  Through this project, the amount and variety of products and services being purchased will increase as businesses expand and diversify.

Press Releases [click on each one]:

February 26, 2010 – Council Accepts Project Proposals to Stimulate WNC Economy

June 2, 2010 – Council Awards Grants to Local Businesses to Stimulate WNC Economy

June 30, 2010 – Council Awards Close to $1 Million in Forest Stimulus Grants to Local Businesses

Plan of Work:

Western North Carolina Forest Products Cooperative Marketing – Plan of Work for Land of Sky Regional Council

For additional assistance, please contact Erica Anderson at 828-251-6622 ext. 141