Trappist Monks forestry operations.
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Guadalupe Forestry

God is the experience of looking at a tree and saying, "Ah!"-   Joseph Campbell

 

The Forest:

     Our Community's Forestry Department is overseen by Br Chris Balent who works in conjunction with Scott Ferguson and Barry Sims of Trout Mountain Forestry. The Abbey's forest comprises 885 acres of the 1350 acre property. The forest supports natural stands of Douglas-fir, oak, and ash with extensive plantations of fir, pine, cedar, and poplar established by the monks. The land has been actively managed since the mid-1960's.

 

Community Forestry Objectives:

1. To maintain the spiritual and aesthetic values of the forest for the community members, retreatants, and guests.

 

2. To manage the timber resource efficiently and produce periodic income for the financial needs of our self-supporting community.

 

3. To establish a forestry policy that helps to bring the first two priorities into harmony and fosters a community understanding of forest management activities.

 

4. Through careful planning and record keeping, to establish a sustainable forestry program that can be passed on to future community members.