Are cooperatives playing any role in forest resource conservation?
A. Among other reasons, many forestry cooperatives exist to help their members find the information and resources that they need in order to make good decisions about their land. So one might expect a higher quality of management on co-op member lands. But, its hard to make conclusive statements about actual on-the-ground impacts that result from membership in a cooperative. This is an important area for future research. (Respondent: Eli Sagor esagor@umn.edu) Q. Can cooperatives identify and sustain marketing opportunities for timber and non-timber products? A. In my experience, many people who have joined forestry cooperatives cite potential marketing advantages as important reasons for joining. And many co-ops are working to develop marketing advantages for their members. However, the there are few clear examples of success thus far in this area. This may well change in the futuremany North American co-ops are still at a very early stage of business development. Massachusetts Woodlan
