Attn: BC Rural Dividend Program
July 20th, 2018
RE: Community Forest, Golden BC
To whom it may concern,
The Kicking Horse Country Chamber of Commerce is a membership organization that works to support, grow and promote the business Community of Golden and Area A. A strong and prosperous small business sector is the backbone of our community.
Community forests across the province have a track record of using local staff and contractors in their operations. Research also show that the vast majority of money paid out in payroll and consulting fees for community forest management remains in the community. If successful in establishing a community forest, these payroll and contracting expenditures can be a very important and significant contribution to our local economy.
The employment created by the community forest activity, also creates considerable additional disposable income in rural communities. For a small rural community with over 200 non-profits, the dividends and donations from a community forest are extremely important.
As a small community, Golden has very limited financial resources from a small residential and business tax base. The dividends and donations from a community forest would play an vital role in providing a community-based funding component that is typically
required to access external funding programs. In addition to this, simply having a Community Forest organization can add significant rural community capacity to be able to take advantage of other externally funded opportunities.
The Kicking Horse Country Chamber of Commerce supports the Community Forest Vision Team in applying for funding under the BC Rural Dividend Program, for the purposes of exploring options for the establishment of a Golden Community Forest.
Sincerely,
Shelly Wadden | Executive Director
[email protected]
(250) 344-7125