Description

Our mission is to develop widely applicable methods and systems to revitalize the environment and rural communities, by connecting and integrating people with the forests, rivers, and coastlines of Washington that local and state residents love and depend on. The Olympic Peninsula, and the Olympic Experimental State Forest in particular, provide a natural laboratory for developing this human-ecosystem perspective. The new goal is to develop optimal levels of ecosystem wellbeing that can be sustained through time through community engagement and field studies and experiments that evaluate innovative win-wins for both community and environment wellbeing. The Olympic Natural Resources Center is located on the Olympic Peninsula in Forks, Washington.

Partners

UW Seattle, College of the Environment, College of Built Environment and Department of Architecture (cross-laminated timber) and Urban Design and Planning (scenario planning), UW Botanic Gardens and Center for Campus Sustainability (ethnoforestry);

Washington Dept. Natural Resources, USDA Forest Service, Grays Harbor College, Port of Port Angeles, City of Forks, Olympic Forest Collaborative, Oregon State University, Peninsula College, Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship, Makah, Quileute and Hoh Tribes, Quinault Indian Nation, WA Dept. Fish and Wildlife, WA Dept. Health, SoundToxins, School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (social science research), Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Washington Sea Grant

Funders

State of Washington (Commerce, RCO, Legislative earmarks – General fund), Coast Salmon Partnership, City of Forks, USDA Forest Service, Rosmond fund, Port of Port Angeles (2019), Conference Center revenue