Revitalize the Forest Cluster?

What is the “Forest Cluster” and what will it take to revitalize it?  The forest cluster is private firms and public organizations that “support production of and benefits from primary and secondary wood products.”  In other words, an Economic Development Strategy for the forest/timber community.

The notion of clusters was introduced at the Oregon Business Plan Summit in 2006.  The Forest Cluster Work Group has been meeting since 2007. Here is a memo on the status of the Forest Cluster as of 12-1-2010  Recently, the Forest Cluster group has expanded to include private forestry and timber representatives in an effort to develop action items for the Board of Forestry and the Oregon legislature. 

As a critical response to the economic and employment problems Oregon faces, the BOF and the Oregon Business Plan are using the “cluster” concept “to make things happen.”  Stay tuned.