The University of Vermont (UVM), UVM’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, UVM’s Gund Institute for Ecological Economics and the Ukrainian National Forestry University (UNFU), the Institute of Ecological Economics (IEE) with support from The Pennsylvania State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Pennsylvania State University’s School of Forest Resources and The Swedish University of Agricultural Science’s Faculty of Forest Sciences are collaborating to develop a research and training process to transfer research technologies, tools, and methods in integrated forest management in the Ukraine. The Gund Institute-designed atelier — Ecological Economics and Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) in the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains — will be held in Lviv, Ukraine and field sites in the Carpathians from September 22 – October 1, 2007.

This atelier aims to improve the design and implementation of public policies regarding Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) in Ukraine during the transition economy. The atelier will incorporate public participation to identify problems and possible solutions, and will generate useful SFM strategies that can be applied by a range of stakeholders. These management strategies should address the importance of natural, human, social, and built (or infrastructure-based) capital, such that SFM will promote community-based economic development, ecological integrity and social justice. All of these contribute to the overall wellbeing and sustainability of the region.

This project is being developed as an agreement between UVM and UNFU, with support provided by the Trust for Mutual Understanding. The Trust for Mutual Understanding is a New York-based foundation supporting cultural, social, and environmental exchange between the United States of America, Eastern and Central Europe (CEE) as well as the countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU).