Earlier this week I sat in a banquet room at the Roseburg County Club listening to a forest service employee speak to a room full of people that included both 'those environmentalists' and 'those loggers,' all of us invited guests of the 'Lunch Bunch' (an informal 'Men's Discussion Group'). The presenter, Jim Archuleta, was discussing the current work on a Fast Pyrolysis pilot project working to find a viable means to produce renewable energy and increase forest health in the Umpqua National Forest. When he mentioned that the entire 'bio fuel from bio mass' project had its impetus in a desire to improve forage quality for large game in the Diamond Lake area, and its inspiration from indigenous peoples in the Brazilian Amazon, it occurred to me that things happening out here 'in the sticks' aren't as 'po-dunk' as many (especially the popular media) would have you believe.

Our rural communities are often perceived as being the last bastions of 'the simple life' (the condescending connotations associated with that phrase finding no better manifestation than the eponymous reality TV horror starring Paris Hilton). While rural communities do place value in things and experiences that go beyond material wealth (connection with the natural environment, a close network of relationships with neighbors), the reality of today is that crafting vibrant futures requires as much ingenuity, technical capacity, and finesse as urban initiatives.

Mr. Archuleta listed no fewer than ten major partners involved in the Diamond Lake Fast Pyrolysis Demonstration Project: Rocky Mountain Research Station, University of Idaho, University of Montana, University of Massachusetts, Umpqua National Forest, Bitter Root National Forest, Renewable Oil International, Bio Char Products, National Resources Conservations Service, Oregon State Forestry, and Douglas County Soil and Water Conservation District. The process integrates cutting edge bio-fuel production technology, and puts Douglas County on the front edge of forest bio-fuel production.

If everything works out the way those involved hope, the county would eventually have a portable, scalable bio fuel production system that would a) provide 'Bio Oil' b) provide 'Bio Char' a newly rediscovered soil amendment that would c) increase the productivity of soil in the Umpqua National forest and d) increase forage for elk and other large game e) reduce the fire load in the forest f) decrease the susceptibility of the forest to diseases and problem bugs and g) provide funding for important restoration activities. Not a short list, or an insignificant set of ambitions, and I didn't even get in to their assertions that bio fuels projects such as this would create new revenue streams to replace Timber Receipts, reduce wildfire management costs, and replenish improvement funds. Whew!

Are all these claims feasible? I honestly have no idea, and that's not actually the point I hope to make. What I encourage you to consider is the complexity of the system that the described project works within. It's tempting for those of us working towards change and revitalization of our communities to bunker down and chug away single-mindedly on the issue we feel is of singular importance. Where we see the most success, however, are those communities and projects that embrace the complexity of our evolving community dynamics, and leverage a wide variety of people, disciplines, resources, and grow connectivity within their community. Successful projects create opportunities for synergy and partnership and often end up with sums that are greater than the whole of the parts.

Another way to look at this issue is through one of my dad's favorite sayings; "When all you've got is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." Seth Godin, a business and marketing expert who runs this fantastic blog, made a very helpful analogy between that saying and the challenges we face as individuals or groups struggling to adapt to the new 'globalized' world. He asks, "What sort of hammer do you have?"
 

One study found that when confronted with a patient with back pain, surgeons prescribed surgery, physical therapists thought that therapy was indicated and yes, acupuncturists were sure needles were the answer. Across the entire universe of patients, the single largest indicator of treatment wasn't symptoms or patient background, it was the background of the doctor... When the market changes, you may be seeing all the new opportunities and problems the wrong way because of the solutions you're used to.

To put a more positive spin on it, we've got so much creativity, skill, energy, enthusiasm, know how, and general 'can-do' nature lying untapped within our communities... let's take advantage of it! What would have happened if the hospital administrator got all those doctors and therapists in the room together? My guess is that they would have come up with a solution that was unique to patients' needs, tapped the unique skills of each player, and ultimately provided better results.

The people working on Fast Pyrolosis in the Umpqua got this approach right; they tapped minds at four major universities, several government agencies, local expertise, private entrepreneurs, and the enthusiasm of a county commissioner to get their project up and off the ground. Alone, Jeff would have been a lonely forest ranger worried about keeping elk fed through the winter. Now, he's part of a diverse and empowered team working on a wide reaching and exciting initiative. Mr. Godin summed up his point by saying, "The best way to find the right tool for the job is to learn to be good at switching hammers." I would modify that slightly, and ask for your forgiveness with this rather over extended metaphor. For rural communities, the best path to success is to get together all of the people you know, who have all different types of toolboxes, dump them all out on the table... and get busy!

Post Script: 

At TEDxUSC, David Logan talks about the five kinds of tribes that humans naturally form -- in schools, workplaces, even the driver's license bureau. By understanding our shared tribal tendencies, we can help lead each other to become better individuals.

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