The Weaverville Community Forest

Abstract

The Weaverville Community Forest (WCF) was 15 years old in 2021. It evolved from a community sentiment of ‘not-in-my-back-yard’ to the collaborative management of 6,055 hectares of Klamath mixed-conifer forests and oak woodlands that border the small, historic hamlet of Weaverville in Trinity County, north-western California. The process began in 1999. The US Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administer the federal lands surrounding Weaverville. In practice, these lands are managed as the WCF through agreements with the Trinity County Resource Conservation District (TCRCD), a local, special district that acts as a bridge between the federal managers and the community. This management model is based on federal Stewardship Contracting Authorities granted to these federal agencies by the US Congress. The USFS, BLM, and TCRCD entered into 10-year stewardship agreements to implement resource management and restoration. Timber harvests are one tool in the strategic plan for the WCF, providing key funds for forest restoration activities.