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Sustainable Working Forests |
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The underlying goal of CEI's forestry sector work is to support the
long-term economic use of forest resources and promote sustainable
forest practices. Our involvement with the sector falls into three
broad categories: financing and counseling forest products businesses,
brokering and developing the third-party certified wood market, and
making New Markets Tax Credit investments in large-scale forestland
transactions. CEI supports forest-related enterprises that:
- Add value to Maine's forest resource
- Practice sustainable forest management
- Work toward maximum utilization of the resource
- Generate/sustain quality jobs
Maine's forests have always been a staple of the state's
economy and, while some parts of the industry are in decline, overall
the industry still makes a significant economic contribution. Almost
90% of Maine's lands are forested and many communities rely on forest
products - both timber and non-timber - for their livelihoods. With
intense competition from abroad, the forest products industry is
relying on innovation more than ever to remain viable. Investments in
more efficient equipment and time-saving technologies, creation of new
products and other value-added strategies like green certification, and
creative use of by-products are some of the ways companies are staying
competitive. All of these efforts must be pursued within a
sustainability context to ensure that forest products remain a strong
part of the Maine economy in the long term.
CEI's "3E" philosophy is reflected in the goals of our forestry sector
work. With every project or business we assist, CEI seeks a financial
return for our clients and ourselves (economic), job creation or
retention (equity), and best management practices (environment). We
work with a wide range of businesses - from independent loggers, to
lumber mills, to furniture makers - providing loans and business
assistance to help them grow and become more viable. Over the years,
CEI has loaned over $3 million to 70 Maine-based forestry enterprises,
leveraging another $10 million in investments, and counseled nearly 270
business owners. (See sidebar for information about some of the
businesses we have helped.)
We also believe that supporting growth of the certified wood market is
an important way to preserve the long-term health and productivity of
our forests. By "certified" we mean independent, third-party evaluation
of forest management practices to meet established ecological and
social goals. In addition to financing and counseling, CEI helps by
sourcing certified wood for construction and manufacturing projects. In
the current marketplace, certified wood is not readily available,
making it difficult for supply and demand to intersect. We try to
connect the two by playing a brokering role.
Finally, a major part of CEI's New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program is
investing in timberland to support paper, lumber, and other forest
dependent ventures. While the general goal of CEI's NMTC program is to
catalyze business investments in urban and rural low-income
communities, a substantial portion of our allocation is used on natural
resource-based sustainable development projects, mostly forestry. Our
aim is to maintain sustainable working forests by protecting
timberlands and ensuring long-term availability of forest products and
jobs. (See our New Markets Tax Credit section for more information
about the program.)
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CEI IN THE NEWS! |
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U.S. Finance Expert Encourages Banking Investment in Maine Communities
At CEI's 32nd Annual Meeting, Ellen Seidman, Exec. VP of ShoreBank in Chicago, and Sr. Research Fellow with the New America Foundation in Washington, DC, urged Maine bankers and community activists to consider “greater community investment…meeting the actual needs of the community, not just counting dollars invested.” See full speech.
See annual meeting remarks by Ron Phillips, CEO, on triple bottom line investing and the next 5 years for CEI…
See the 12/14/09 article on CEI and the state of investing in communities. It’s where mission happens… CEI Receives $125 Million in NMTC Through its subsidiary, CEI Capital Management LLC, CEI will use the allocation to attract private capital investments for primarily rural economic development projects. See press release here.
CEI Receives Investment Funds
In partnership with Manufacturers Association of Maine, CEI will receive $765,000 over from the Federal Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Community Services (OCS), to finance several job-generating small-to-medium enterprises. This funding will create 78 full-time, year-round jobs. Read press release here. Bangor Savings Bank and CEI offer low-interest loans to small and medium-sized enterprises in disadvantaged areas in Maine. Read more here. |
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Maine WoodNet |
Maine WoodNet (MWN) is a marketing and manufacturing network of over 70
wood products businesses in the Northern Forest region of Maine. It
puts into practice ideas for improving the health and sustainability of
forest-based businesses. By helping its members make and market wood
products, build business and woodworking capacity, and better connect
fine craftsmanship with good forestry, MWN is helping small businesses
compete and thrive in an increasingly global forest products market.
Originally conceived by The Wilderness Society, MWN confirms the
founding premise that "it's not how many logs come out of the
forest...its how many dollars come out of the logs." This concept of
getting more product and dollars from the same -or less- timber is
called "wood-use efficiency." And in 2001, MWN obtained the first
Forest Stewardship Council Group Chain of Custody certificate in the
US. To date eleven MWN members are participating in the group making
FSC Certified products from lumber to furniture to pens.
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SugarWood Gallery |
Many of MWN's artisans sell their products at SugarWood Gallery, which
opened in 2001 in historic downtown Farmington. The member owned and
operated gallery sells over 50 area woodworkers' and artisans' work.
The Women's Business Center at CEI has worked with SugarWood and its artisans.
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