Innovators in Rural Community Economic Development

Resource Library

Final Report: Formulating a Sustainable Economic Development Process for Rural America

This report documents outcomes by sector of WealthWorks implementation on the ground in Central Appalachia, the South, and the Lower Rio Grande Valley.  It also includes lessons learned over the last year and a half of the eight year Wealth Creation…


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Black Belt Treasures Cultural Arts Center Learning Journey Details

Through the support of the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, the Black Belt Treasures Cultural Arts Center facilitated a trip to Western North Carolina to study the arts economy and creative placemaking in the region. This report provides a summary…


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Community Based Tourism (CBT) Wealth Creation Project: Sustainable Rural Regenerative Enterprises for Families (SURREF) visits Country Style Community Tourism Network (CCTN)

This report is a summary of a learning journey by Sustainable Rural Regenerative Enterprises for Families (SURREF) and six individuals representing stakeholders and partners who traveled to Jamaica from December 11 to December 16, 2011. These stakeholders…


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Opportunities for Sustainable Natural Resource-Based Development in the Dragon Run Watershed

This final report documents a study conducted by Yellow Wood to identify potential opportunities for sustainable natural resource-based economic development in the Dragon Run watershed. The Special Area Management Plan recognizes that one of the keys…


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Potential Impacts of a Renewable and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard in Kentucky

The study estimates the impacts of a Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard on Kentucky’s portfolio of electricity resources, on average electric bills, and on the state’s economy. The report was produced by Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. for the Mountain…


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Wealth Creation Through Sustainable Forestry: Generating Wealth Creation Models in the Appalachian Wood-products Industry

This report examines and presents wealth creation models adapted to the needs and context of sustainable forestry in Appalachia.


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Fossil-Free Investment for a Just Appalachian Transition: Obstacles and Opportunities

This paper by the Croatan Institute was commissioned by the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED). The paper addresses the effect that the growing movement for divestment from fossil fuels and investment in more sustainable…


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Forestry and Wood Products Sector Survey: Summary of Findings

Vermont’s Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB) is engaged in a project to provide a systems analysis of the forestry and wood products industry in Vermont. Yellow Wood Associates is working with the Forestry Subcommittee (composed of both WLEB and…


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The Actual and Potential Economic Impact of Invasive Species on the Adirondack Park: A Preliminary Assessment

This report explores the economic impacts of invasive species on specific sectors of the Adirondack Park’s economy. This first-of-its-kind assessment for the Adirondacks analyzes actual and potential impacts of eight invasive species, summarizes expenditures…


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The Actual and Potential Economic Impact of Invasive Species on the Adirondack Park: A Preliminary Assessment: Executive Summary

The report “The Actual and Potential Economic Impact of Invasive Species on the Adirondack Park: A Preliminary Assessment: Executive Summary” explores the economic impacts of invasive species on specific sectors of the Adirondack Park’s economy. This…


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Building Rural Wealth Through Inclusive Business: a Primer on Private Sector Engagement for Community Impact

The final report from the Red Mantra Group on Building Wealth Through Inclusive Business is now available. Inclusive Business is an approach to economic development in which one or more large corporations are the primary demand partners. For corporations…


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Emerging Issues for Learning Communities

This paper explores the concept of learning communities and the shifts in concept and practice required to bring them about based on emerging ideas in the physical sciences, leadership training, learning theory, rural development, public work, organizational…


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Exploring Common Measures for Food Hubs: Documenting Impact, Sharing Stories, Connecting with Stakeholders

This draft report is a product of a study supported by the Wallace Center and the National Good Food Network. The study explored how a set of common measures might assist food hubs and the food hub community in telling their stories and improving their…


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Enterprise Financing for WealthWorks Value Chains: Overview and Guide

As part of WealthWorks, the Accelerating Impact project is aimed at articulating the role of finance in supporting WealthWorks value chains in rural areas.Over two years, this project of the Tellus Institute has worked with ten projects on the ground…


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Food Value Chains: Creating Shared Value to Enhance Marketing Success

The report describes how food value chains work, how to structure them for optimal performance, and what challenges they face. The report is designed to help individuals and organizations interested in exploring food value chains as a distribution…


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Demand for Nature Based Tourism in the Lower Mississippi River Region

This report, prepared for the Walton Family Foundation, analyzes regional demand for nature based tourism.  The report focuses on four types of tourism: Paddling, Culture and Heritage, Non-consumptive and Consumptive Wildlife Activities.  In addition…


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Enhancing the Local Impact of Community Banks

The Wealth Creation Clinic partnered with Presidio Bank, a progressive regional bank in San Francisco, to examine a key question for community banking: In a competitive environment, how can small banks be a more positive force for local community development,…


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Branding Study for Appalachian Local Food Economies

This report, produced for the Central Appalachian Network (CAN) in partnership with the MIT “Keeping Wealth Local” Clinic, explores examples of place-based food brands and offers recommendations for CAN and other Central Appalachian organizations interested…


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Financing the Evolving Role of the Value Chain Coordinator: Guiding Questions, Participant Insights

This report explores what we have learned about the roles value chain coordinators play in WealthWorks, how those roles may evolve, and various options for financing the coordinator role which is so essential to exploring and constructing WealthWorks…


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Guide to Crowdfunding for WealthWorks Value Chains: Understanding Options, Getting Started

This report was produced as part of a project to explore financing options for WealthWorks value chains. It describes crowdfunding and how it works, gives examples of different platforms and successful campaigns, and provides a step by step guide to…


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Parks and Beaches: Common Cents for the Common Wealth

Parks and Beaches: Common Cents for the Common Wealth quantifies the value of the park system as an engine of Massachusetts economic development. This value includes recreational tourism spending, recreational equipment spending, the timber industry,…


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Practicing Community Forestry in the Northern Forest of the United States

This paper describes preliminary learning from a project designed to test new ways of providing services to rural forested communities in the United States.


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Forest Ownership & Forest Management in the Northern Forest

A selectively annotated bibliography containing materials collected between March, 2000 and November, 2001 while reviewing the literature connecting forest ownership and forest management in the Northern Forest region.


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Finding Middle Ground Through the Arts: Using the Arts to Articulate a Balance between "Wood" and "Woods"

This report chronicles the Middle Ground Collaborative and its development of an interactive exhibit to tour the state of Maine in an attempt to generate dialogue about the history and future of Maine's forest resources. This report compiles the research…


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What is Participatory Research and Why Does it Matter?

A compilation of six readings chosen to provide examples of participatory research in the United States and Canada.


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Meeting the Needs of Communities and Forests: The Development of a Biomass Energy System in Richford, Vermont

Summarizes the learnings and insights of a group of citizens from Richford, Vermont as they have explored the issues relating to the supply and harvesting of biomass from local lands. The Richford Wood Initiative (RWI) has been meeting regularly since…


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School-Based Forest Education in the Northern Forest

A description of several school-based forest education programs in the Northern Forest Region- Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York.


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The Story of the East Branch of Fish Creek Working Group in Tug Hill, New York

This report demonstrates how a grassroots effort to protect forest values can succeed where top-down federal and state efforts failed.


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Waiting and Seeing in Coos County: The Promise and Promises of Lake Umbagog

This report describes the experience and responses of several communities in northern New Hampshire when their local forestland became the object of broad public interest. Author Thomas Brendler tells the story of how the Umbagog National Wildlife…


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What is Community Forestry and Why Does It Matter?

This report provides an overview for all those interested in learning more about community forestry, combining original material with articles by several well known community forestry practitioners to create a concise introduction to this fascinating…


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Who's Planning for Forests?: Results from a Region-Wide Contest

This report summarizes results of the 2001 Town Plans contest, with excerpts from most of the submissions.


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Community Resilience and Wealth: The Challenges and Opportunities for Rural Communities in a Rapidly Changing World

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities sponsored this report, which is intended to better define resiliency in the community context and to aid understanding of how resiliency applies to communities. In addition to an extensive literature review,…
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A New Way Forward for Rural America

In a changing global environment, the potential contributions of rural America are significant. Rural leaders need new ways of thinking about economic development. This brief introductory paper outlines seven guiding principles for a wealth creation…


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Assessment of Triple Bottom Line Financing Interventions

Ten financing interventions are profiled in this paper, which looks at how capital investment in combination with other strategies is used to achieve triple-bottom-line outcomes.


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Building a Regional Food System: A Case Study of Market Umbrella in the New Orleans Region

This case study looks at the role of Market Umbrella in helping to develop a regional food system around New Orleans. Interviews throughout the case study highlight the importance of building multiple forms of wealth to create community resilience…


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Building a Sustainable Network: A Toolkit

This toolkit is a set of worksheets designed to help groups build strong, effective, sustainable networks. It includes worksheets for organizations that are considering forming or joining a network, emerging networks that have already organized and…


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Case Studies of Wealth Creation and Rural-Urban Linkages

This report contains four case studies about rural-urban linkages in Oregon, the New Orleans region, Texas, and Nebraska, as well as introductory material and a concluding commentary that looks at each case study in context of the core principles of…


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A Compendium of Clusters in Less Populated Places: Circumstances, Interventions and Outcomes

Why and to what extent do companies clustering in rural areas pursue – intentionally or unintentionally – triple-bottom-line outcomes? This document discusses the kinds of interventions, cluster strategies, and local policies that can most effectively…


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Distributing Electric Energy in Rural America Efficiently and Economically: The Micro-grid Option

This paper describes opportunities for and barriers to managing electricity production and consumption at the community level via micro-grid systems.


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The Forests and the Wood Products Sector in Appalachian Kentucky: What We Heard and What We Learned

What are the opportunities and challenges for sustainable rural development in the forests and wood products sector of Appalachian Kentucky? The participants in the Ford Foundation Regional Learning Project Team engaged in a discovery project, interviewing…


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Third Interim Report: Formulating a Sustainable Economic Development Process for Rural America

A balanced approach to development takes account of the triple bottom line, benefiting the economy, the environment, and social inclusion simultaneously, while considering the impacts on seven forms of wealth (individual, social, intellectual, natural,…


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Second Interim Report: Formulating a Sustainable Economic Development Process for Rural America

A balanced approach to development takes account of the triple bottom line, benefiting the economy, the environment, and social inclusion simultaneously, while considering the impacts on seven forms of wealth (individual, social, intellectual, natural,…


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Fourth Interim Report: Formulating a Sustainable Economic Development Process for Rural America

A balanced approach to development takes account of the triple bottom line, benefiting the economy, the environment, and social inclusion simultaneously, while considering the impacts on seven forms of wealth (individual, social, intellectual, natural,…


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Interim Report: Formulating a Sustainable Economic Development Process for Rural America

A balanced approach to development takes account of the triple bottom line, benefiting the economy, the environment, and social inclusion simultaneously. This Interim Report on the progress of the project assesses lessons learned so far.


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Generating Local Wealth, Opportunity, and Sustainability Through Rural Clusters

As a companion paper to the more theoretical paper (A Compendium of Clusters in Less Populated Places: Circumstances, Interventions and Outcomes), this second clusters report – over 100 pages in length – offers a series of 50 case studies of rural…


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Growing and Retaining Wealth in Rural America

Interviews with community leaders at high-performing organizations in Central Appalachia, the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and the Delta Region provide insight into connections between organizations engaged primarily in individual asset building, entrepreneur-focused…


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How Rural is Central Appalachia?

Before we can measure rural economic activity in an area, we need a clear picture and understanding of how geographic areas are defined as rural. This paper explores several methods for measuring the rural character of a region and uses each method…


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Impact Investing for Rural Wealth Creation: Investing for financial returns and community impact

How do we connect impact investors and rural enterprise, encouraging investment that develops multiple forms of wealth? This paper outlines key features of impact investment and shares examples of successful investment models that provide both financial…


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Keeping Wealth Local: Shared Ownership and Wealth Control for Rural Communities

Resources do not represent community wealth unless communities own and control them. This report introduces the concept of shared ownership, then describes and explores various models, looking at strengths, weaknesses, the range of applications, expertise…


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Learning Journey Debriefing: Emerging ChangeMakers Network visits Coastal Enterprises Inc.

This learning journey report shares the reflections of members of Emerging ChangeMakers - a Ford grantee in the Black Belt that is exploring the creation of an investment value chain - on their visit with an experienced triple bottom line lender and investor.…
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Harnessing the Sun as an Alternative Energy Resource: Economic and Social Impacts of PV Use in Electricity Production

This paper examines economic impacts, policy frameworks, and socially inclusive training programs related to photovoltaic energy.
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Measuring Community Wealth

What do we mean by "community wealth" and how would we know it if we saw it? In "Measuring Community Wealth," real world data from Appalachian Kentucky is used to illustrate how examples of six forms of wealth (individual, intellectual, natural, built,…
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Measuring Community Wealth: Appendices

This paper provides detailed analysis of the data from Appalachian Kentucky used in "Measuring Community Wealth." This information includes county-by-county rates of healthy weight people and the financial costs of obesity; broadband access and computer…
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The Significant Potential of Wind Energy in America: A Transformative Force in Struggling U.S. Rural Economies?

This paper examines opportunities and issues related to wind energy development in rural America, with case studies illustrating a range of wind energy projects.


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Plastics from Plants: A Case Study of NatureWorks LLC, Blair, Nebraska

This is a case study of NatureWorks, a bio-based products company in Nebraska that transforms a renewable crop into a value-added plastic resin that can be used to make low carbon footprint and/or biodegradable products.
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Case Studies: Prosperous Counties in Appalachia

This paper identifies rural counties in Appalachia which have sustained or attained relatively strong levels of prosperity over the course of the decades from 1980-2000. Statistical analysis of these counties lays the groundwork for future detailed…


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Rural Entrepreneurship Development I: Examples of Effective Practices

Entrepreneurship development is a key part of a sustainable economic development process for rural America that benefits the economy, the environment, and social inclusion. This paper begins an exploration of what makes this approach particularly effective…
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Rural Entrepreneurship Development II: Measuring Impact on the Triple Bottom Line

To gain greater insight into how entrepreneurship development practitioners are measuring the impacts of their work, this analysis began by looking closely at six interventions, ranging from a youth entrepreneurship program to a multi-county entrepreneur…
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Rural Entrepreneurship Development III: Insights for Moving Forward

Based on a year-long exploration of many effective interventions in rural entrepreneurship development, this report shares insights on what is needed to move forward in working for greater triple-bottom-line impacts.


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Rural-Urban Interdependence in Central Appalachia Discussion Paper

To better understand the potential for wealth development in the Central Appalachia region, this paper reviews regional approaches to assessing and developing wealth; examines the ways and extents to which rural and urban economies are interconnected;…
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Rural Networks for Wealth Creation: Impacts and Lessons Learned from US Communities

This research report presents qualitative data from interviews with 24 practitioners at six networks that are working to create wealth in rural areas across the United States. The report presents findings related to network results, network management,…


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The Role of Equity Capital in Rural Communities

This research focuses on the impact that venture or patient capital has on rural economies, how patient capital funds can promote a triple bottom line (TBL) in their rural investments, and how practices with positive impact can be scaled and or replicated…


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Transitioning to a Restoration Economy: A Case Study of Oregon's Forestry Sector

This case study explores a developing restoration forest economy and its positive impacts along the forest products value chain; these impacts can be seen both in terms of wealth retention and creation and of forging linkages between rural and urban…


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Value Chain Best Practices: Building Knowledge for Value Chains that Contribute to the Health of Source Communities

This paper aims to contribute to a tool box of best practices for using value chain strategies, which represent an emerging field in rural development. The objectives of healthy value chains are to better balance risk, responsibilities, and benefits along…
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Financing Renewable Energy Projects: An Overview

This paper reviews methods for financing residential and large-scale renewable energy projects. Examples highlight how communities use these methods to develop cost-effective, energy-efficient, and stable energy sources.
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Wealth Creation in Rural Communities: A New Approach

Start with this paper for a description of the Wealth Creation in Rural Communities initiative.
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A Brighter Path Forward: The Intersection of Green Construction and Affordability

This report presents FAHE's research into green, energy efficient building techniques that balance concern for affordability and conservation. The goal of this research is to support environmentally and economically sustainable construction of homes…
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Wealth and Prosperity in Central Appalachia

This paper assesses the prosperity of Central Appalachian counties. The assessment compares the prosperity levels of Central Appalachian counties to each other, to themselves over time, and to the region and the country as a whole, using measures that…


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Wealth Creation and Regional Innovation

This paper identifies the place- and history-based context for a regional approach to wealth creation; assesses varying prosperity rates across the counties of Central Appalachia; analyzes the trade flows between Economic Areas in Central Appalachia;…


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Wealth Creation and Rural-Urban Linkages in Central Appalachia Briefing Paper

This briefing paper summarizes the research work conducted by RUPRI in analyzing areas of the Central Appalachia region, assessing the prosperity levels of the Central Appalachia region, analyzing trade flows between rural and urban parts of Central Appalachia,…
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Wealth Creation and Rural-Urban Linkages Final Composite Report

This process report summarizes the wealth development research work undertaken by RUPRI on behalf of the Ford Foundation during the 2009-2010 year.
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Wealth Creation and Rural-Urban Linkages An Exploratory Study of Economic Flows in Two Natural Resource-Rich Regions

How does the flow of money from trade, dividends and interest, rent, and taxes affect the potential for wealth creation? By examining the economic activity of areas in two resource rich regions, one in Oregon and one in Appalachia, this paper paints a…
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Wealth Creation, Capture and Retention for Low-Wealth People and Places in Regional Systems

Much of the wealth created in low-wealth and rural communities slips away. This paper examines how more of the wealth generated can remain in these communities and accrue to the benefit of low-wealth families and individuals. Building on research by the…
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Wind Energy and Rural Development: A Case Study of West Texas

This case study looks at the extent to which wealth generated by wind energy development in West Texas has remained in and benefited rural communities.
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Biomass Heating Analysis for the Academy School

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment analyzing whether or not a wood pellet heating system makes sense for the Academy School.
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Alexandria Central School

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment analyzing whether or not a wood pellet or woodchip heating system makes sense for the Alexandria Central School.
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Applegate Apartments

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment analyzing both woodchip and pellet biomass scenarios for providing heat and hot water at the Applegate Apartment Complex.
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Barnet School

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment analyzing whether or not a wood pellet heating system makes sense for the Barnet School.
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Berkshire Hardwoods, Inc.

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment analyzing whether or not a semi-automated woodchip system makes sense for Berkshire Hardwoods, a family-owned business providing hardwood lumber throughout the Northeast and Canada.
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Guide to Public Outreach for Biomass Projects

This guide, produced as part of the Wood Energy Utilization Services project, is meant to show the steps to effective public outreach for biomass projects.
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Is Woody Biomass Right for You?: Biomass Pre-Feasibility Reports

This publication provides overview information about the Wood Energy Utilization Services project and summary lists of the reports created for the project.


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Biomass Heating Analysis for Brasher Falls Central School District

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment specifically tailored to the Brasher Falls Central School District outlining whether or not woodchip heating makes sense for their St. Lawrence campus facility from a practical perspective.
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Buckland Shelburne Elementary School

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment analyzing whether or not a wood pellet heating system makes sense for the Buckland Shelburne Elementary School.
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Burrows Paper

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment specifically tailored to Burrows Paper outlining whether or not biomass energy makes sense for this facility from a practical perspective. Two scenarios were analyzed for this study – one analyzes the addition…
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Canton Central School

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment specifically tailored to Canton Central School outlining whether or not a woodchip heating system makes sense for this facility from a practical perspective.
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Clifton-Fine Central School

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment specifically tailored to the Clifton-Fine Central School outlining whether or not wood pellet heating makes sense for this facility from a practical perspective.
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Clifton-Fine Hospital

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment specifically tailored to the Clifton-Fine Hospital outlining whether or not wood pellet heating makes sense for this facility from a practical perspective.
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Colrain Central School

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment analyzing whether or not a wood pellet heating system makes sense for the Colrain Central School.
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Colton-Pierrepont Central School

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment specifically tailored to the Colton-Pierrepont Central School outlining whether or not woodchip heating makes sense for this facility from a practical perspective.
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Dummerston Town School District

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment analyzing whether or not a wood pellet heating system makes sense for the Dummerston Town School System
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Eminence Elementary School

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment specifically tailored to the Eminence R-I Elementary School outlining whether or not biomass heating makes sense for this facility from a practical perspective. The biomass scenario analyzed for this report…
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Fairfield Center School

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment analyzing whether or not a wood pellet heating system makes sense for the Fairfield Center School


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Biomass Heating Analysis for Fannett-Metal School District

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment analyzing both woodchip and pellet biomass scenarios for providing heat and hot water at the Fannett-Metal School District
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Biomass Heating Analysis for FiberMark

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment specifically tailored to FiberMark outlining whether or not woodchip heating makes sense for this facility from a practical perspective.
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Flood Brook Union School

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment analyzing whether or not a wood pellet heating system makes sense for the Flood Brook Union School


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Biomass Heating Analysis for Gainesville R-V School District

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment specifically tailored to the Gainesville R-V School District outlining whether or not biomass heating makes sense for this facility from a practical perspective. The biomass scenario analyzed for this report…
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Hardwick Elementary School

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment analyzing whether or not a wood pellet heating system makes sense for the Hardwick Elementary School
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Hawlemont Regional School

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment analyzing whether or not a wood pellet heating system makes sense for the Hawlemont Regional School
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Biomass Heating Analysis for HDK Wood Products

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment specifically tailored to HDK Wood Products (HDK) outlining whether or not a wood heating system makes sense for this facility from a practical perspective. The biomass scenario analyzed for this report included…
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Biomass Heating Analysis for Hermon DeKalb Central School

This report is a pre-feasibility assessment specifically tailored to the Hermon-DeKalb Central School outlining whether or not a biomass heating system makes sense for this facility from a practical perspective. This study analyzes two different biomass…
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