Can loggers, foresters and wood processors be members of cooperatives with landowners?
A. Yes, but with a caution. A co-op is designed to provide benefits to its members. If a co-op has a diverse group of members, their goals and objectives may vary. This can cause friction within the organization. Landowners purchase services from loggers and foresters and sell wood to processors. Members of all these groups may agree on the importance of sustainable forestry, but their economic interests regarding how to achieve this goal may not be the same. (Respondent: E.G. Nadeau egnadeau@inxpress.net) Q. When should a local group form a co-op and when should it organize a non-profit organization? A. The key issue here is whether a group of landowners is ready to form a business or whether they are primarily interested in non-profit activities such as education, information-sharing, joint work activities, etc. Some local groups may later decide to start out as a non-profit and consider forming a cooperative or other form of business at a later date. (Respondent: E.G. Nadeau egnadea
