Research
Feasibility and Pre-feasibility Studies
Northern Community Investment Corporation Call Center. January - May 1998. Yellow Wood worked with the Northern Community
Investment Corporation and the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund to identify opportunities for establishing a telecommunications call center employing
welfare-to-work individuals in Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Yellow Wood assessed the market demand for call center services, sampling a
core group of Vermont-based direct market firms, chambers of commerce, colleges, banks, cable television firms, real estate firms, financial
service providers and insurance firms. The project resulted in preliminary estimates of the capital investment needed for start-up, and operating costs for the call center.
Contact Paul Denton,Northern Community Investment Corporation, 347 Portland Street, PO Box 904, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819, (802) 748-5101.
"As you know we wanted to pick up on your work to do the business plan
ourselves because of limited budget. We were able to do this without much back-and-forth between us because of the
clarity and sharp focus of your study. It was a pleasure working with you."
-Paul Denton, Northern Community Investment Corporation
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Strategic Planning
Wood Products Development Strategy for Northern New York June 1990 - April 1991. On behalf of the Adirondack North Country
Association, Yellow Wood prepared a detailed primary and secondary wood product development strategy for six counties in northern
New York. Work included extensive field and phone interviews with wood products manufacturers within and outside the region, focused literature review,
industry analysis and bench marking to uncover the key characteristics of successful wood products firms in specific markets. Contact
Terry Martino, Adirondack North Country Association, 28 St. Bernard Street, Saranac Lake, NY 12983, (518)891-6200.
"This is the best strategy of its kind I have seen."
-Dennis Allee, Senior Deputy Commissioner, New York State Department of Economic Development
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Evaluation
Integrated Service Delivery for Secondary Wood Processors July 1995 - May 1996. Yellow Wood worked with
the Maine State Rural Development Council to evaluate a program providing integrated service to secondary wood processors in five areas of the
state. The work involved literature review, on-site interviews, focus groups, analysis, and
recommendations for improvement. Contact Bob Ho, Maine Rural Development Council, 104 Libby Hall, Orono, ME 04669, (207) 581-3192.
"I’m very pleased with the quality, and detail in this report.It should get wide distribution, and a permanent place in the literature."
-Jim Connors,Maine State Planning Office
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Best Practice Case Studies
Moriah Neighborhood Based Alliance and Economic Development Zone May - July 1995. Yellow Wood worked with the Neighborhood Based
Alliance and the Economic Development Zone in Moriah, New York to provide assistance in community economic development. Tasks
included a survey of retail spending by high school and resident consumers, and business practices of local businesses. The study included
analysis of best practices in elementary education for healthy lifestyles, use of public access television to improve dissemination of
information in the community, and waterfront revitalization for industrial waterfronts.
"Your understanding of the hurdles to be jumped, enthusiasm for determining the
best solutions, and ability to define workable strategies were enormously helpful to us. Survey results
are well-thumbed and talked about; are and will be very useful to the business community."
-Marcy Neville, Coordinator, Moriah Economic Development Zone
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Market Studies
Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce. September 1995 - November 2003. Yellow Wood worked with the
Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce to identify seven key sectors – Industry, Tourism, Real Estate, Cultural Affairs, Retail,
Financial and Professional Services, and International Border Businesses – of Clinton County which are impacted economically by its proximity to,
and relationships with, Canada. YWA developed methods for primary data collection to measure impacts in each sector and has conducted this study
every two years since 1994. The 2000 study saw the addition of the Health Care Sector. Contact Garry Douglas, Executive Director,
Plattsburgh and North Country Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 310, Plattsburgh, NY 12901, (518) 563-1000.
"The [original] report has been nothing less than a clarion call to all public
and private decision makers ...and is sure to impact many future decisions and policies. The [original]
report is already proving to be an effective marketing tool to Canadian companies and investors. Thank you again for your diligent, considered,
informed and professional role in making this study such a quality, credible product."
-Garry Douglas, Executive Director, Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce
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Economic and Fiscal Impact Analysis
Milton, Vermont Sewer Expansion. June - August 1999. April – May 2000. Worked with the Conservation Law
Foundation to help explain the importance of economic and fiscal impact assessment in relation to a proposed sewer
expansion. Work included substantial attention to the importance of developing standards of public service
for local communities in areas such as emergency services, recreation, police protection, and libraries as a
prerequisite for meaningful fiscal impact analysis. Existing standards were identified, where they existed, and
opportunities for developing relevant standards identified. Contact Mark Sinclair or Sandra Levine, Conservation Law
Foundation, 15 East State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602-3010, (802) 223-5992.
" Yellow Wood Associates provided excellent economic analysis and testimony that
was instrumental in winning Act 250 cases. Their work is insightful, thorough and on-target.
They have an excellent understanding of economic and planning issues and are prepared with the data to
support their findings. In the town of Milton Act 250 proceeding, regarding a proposed sewer expansion,
Ms. Ratner provided testimony that convincingly critiqued the lack of any real analysis of economic
impacts provided by the Applicant. The testimony was clear and presented some very complicated
economic materials in a very understandable fashion.
-Sandy Levine, Conservation Law Foundation
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Survey Design and Implementation
University of Minnesota Extension Service. February 2003 - February 2004. The Leadership and Civic
Engagement Program of the University of Minnesota Extension Service selected Yellow Wood Associates to work
with a team of extension professionals to create an interactive tool to measure social capital in
Minnesota communities. Social capital refers to social networks and norms of reciprocity and trust that facilitate
cooperation for mutual benefit. Extension professionals hope to use the tool to help community groups examine the
links between social capital, civic engagement, and vital communities, as well as to assess the
effectiveness of Extension’s work in building social capital. Contact Donna Rae Scheffert, State Program Leader
for Leadership and Civic Engagement, 249 Classroom Office Building, 1994 Buford Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108-6040,
(612) 625-3334.
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Spatial Analysis/GIS
Vermont Department of Housing and Community Affairs. September – December, 2003. Collected and geo-referenced
data on the socio-economic characteristics of the Towns of Hartford, Norwich, and Hartland, Vermont in relation to
three regional planning commission districts to assist the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development in
determining whether Hartford’s request to change districts would result in a “logical geographic and coherent
socio-economic planning area.” Product included GIS maps of economic, social and geographic data as well as a detailed
written report. Contact: Peg Elmer, Planning Director, Vermont Department of Housing and Community Affairs, National Life
Building, Drawer 20, Montpelier, VT 05620-0501,802-828-5220, peg.elmer@state.vt.us.
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Policy Analysis
Institutional Arrangements Study. January - November 1994. Yellow Wood provided project management and conducted
research on behalf of the Lake Champlain Management Conference to recommend possible alternatives, modifications
and/or enhancements to existing institutional and funding arrangements that would enhance the potential for long term
basin-wide management of Lake Champlain. Project participants included Cornell University and The Conservation Law Foundation.
Contact Lee Steppacher, Water Management Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, New England Region, JFK Federal Building, Boston, MA
02203, (617) 565-4874.
"The extensive and detailed work that you have completed on Institutional Arrangements for the
Lake Champlain Basin has provided the Lake Champlain Basin Program with a highly professional product and detailed
information for use in the planning effort for Lake Champlain. Your attention to detail, commitment to formulating workable
solutions to complex institutional issues and ability to communicate your ideas in a concise format are greatly
appreciated.
-James E. Connolly, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
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Participatory Research
Richford Wood Initiative. 2001-2002. With the help of Yellow Wood Associates, in the guise of the National Community
Forestry Center, Northern Forest Region, the town of Richford, Vermont embarked on a participatory research process to
determine a way to use the wood products industry as a mechanism for economic development in the future to provide local
jobs. By the end of 2002, the group decided to focus its efforts on creating a combined heat and power (CHP) plant for Richford.
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