Framing Our Community Inc

Framing Our Community's (FOC) vision is a "Healthy Forest, Healthy Community" and in an effort to maximize your gift, FOC will use your donation to instruct high school and college age youth in the identification, mapping and removal of noxious weeks; planting of trees and shrubs to stabilize stream banks and building of a recreation trailhead.  You are invited to join us as a project volunteer and can designate your gift towards any specific part of these fun and educational activities by leaving us a message in the "comment on this organization" box.

FOC was founded in 1999 by community leaders that foresaw the economic, demographic, and degrading forest changes that faced the surrounding region.  These leaders believed success lay within the framework of proactive rather than reactive programs and that by providing demonstration projects and economic opportunities the communities in north central Idaho would survive the hard times ahead.

We believe collaboration is essential and far more effective than an adversarial climate and that there is a critical need for more creative and collaborative approaches to the challenge of fire protection, forest restoration and economic development.  We believe that there is a 'way' to integrate the ecological needs of our surrounding forests and rivers with the economic needs of the people who live here plus accommodate the needs of recreational communities.

FOC believes that an "integrated program" that recognizes and addresses the need for both conservation and restoration of the forests; while maximizing the value of all of the materials removed for economic development and sustainability is necessary for a robust rural economy.

FOC is a member of the Clearwater Basin Collaborative and co-chairs the Rural Economies Sub-Committee and the Monitoring Advisory Committee for CBC's Selway Middle Fork Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project (CFLR).

FOC uses a 'model' that focuses on the development and usage of better management practices and technologies and strengthens the capacity of the community.  Being good stewards of the forest strengthens ties to the land, improves the natural resources our community depends on, utilizes life skills and experiences, and promotes best use - best value of those resources that ultimately provide the food, clothing, shelter and the social fiber of our rural communities.

Our Board Members come from widely diverse backgrounds and possess the strength, education and experience to address the economic and social problems we face.  The Board includes education and experience from master's and bachelor's degrees in engineering, education and accounting to certifications in electric power, expertise in wilderness management and veterans.  They believe we must be proactive and set a new course to break the cycle of rural poverty.  They also recognize that in hard times lay many opportunities.  Early efforts have produced projects that range from construction of an outdoor learning center, feasibility studies, business plans and construction of a Small Business Incubator and a feasibility study for a Wood Chips to Bio-fuels Facility, and summer employment for youth 14 to 25 years of age.  Their efforts have seen the formation of the "Jobs in the Woods", "Artists in the Woods" and Youth Corps programs and Phase I construction of the Elk City Small Business Incubator.

FOC works with nonprofits, private land owners, federal and state land management agencies and tribes to accomplish its goals of environmental restoration, economic development and youth programs has resulted in the following awards:  The 2009 Firewise Leadership Award for its wildfire eduction video, "Are We Safe From Fire, Protecting Idaho Communities"; the 2008 Landscape Stewardship Award for stewardship of riparian and forested lands; the Northwest Area Foundation 2008 Great Strides Award and the 2008 Encore Purpose Prize Fellow for economic development efforts.

Restoration programs improve fish habitat, protect public drinking water sources, reduce wildfire danger, create defensible space around homes, clear and repair recreational trails and re-vegetate streams and meadows.

Economic development is stimulated by providing manufacturing space for new businesses at a Small Business Incubator, courses on developing and managing a small business, access to funding programs and employment of contractors on projects.

Educational opportunities include courses and workshops as well as hands-on instruction in forest and watershed restoration and the building of bridges, dams, trails and historic structures for youth, adults and volunteers.

visit our website, www.framingourcommunity.org