The U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit organization established at the request of the
governments of the United States and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
in accordance with the terms of the Softwood Lumber Agreement 2006 (SLA)
between the two countries. The Endowment is one of three entities designated to share in a one-time infusion of funds to support "meritorious initiatives" in the U.S. It has been endowed with $200 million under the terms of the SLA.
The Endowment has been chartered with two purposes:
1) educational and charitable causes in timber-reliant communities; and
2) educational and public-interest projects addressing forest management issues that affect timber-reliant communities, or the sustainability of forests as sources of
building materials
Building material is material used for construction. Many naturally occurring substances, such as clay, rocks, sand, wood, and even twigs and leaves, have been used to construct buildings. Apart from naturally occurring materials, many man- ...
,
wildlife habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
,
bio-energy
Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms bi ...
, recreation, and other values.
The Endowment’s vision is that ''America’s forests are sustainably managed to meet broad societal objectives such as marketable products, clean waters, wildlife habitats and other ecological services, while ensuring healthy and vibrant forest-reliant communities''. To achieve this vision, the Endowment operates with a mission to, ''work collaboratively with partners in the public and private sectors to advance
systemic, transformative and
sustainable change for the health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities''.
References
{{reflist
External links
Official website
Non-profit organizations based in the United States
Forest conservation organizations