Guidebook Pilot
About the Pilot
The Guidebook Pilot builds on the Endowment’s earlier work, Preparing Plan B: A Guidebook for Forest Industry-Reliant Communities Facing Economic Transition, which was developed to help communities navigate economic change, strengthen local leadership, and proactively plan for the future.
Building on those lessons, the Guidebook Pilot was created to test a community-centered framework for economic and community development. During Phase I, community members, local organizations, and regional partners worked together to identify priorities, opportunities, and strategies for future investment.
Guidebook Pilot – Phase II is a three-year investment supporting implementation in two pilot regions.
Community Priorities in Action
Alabama Black Belt
Through community engagement across all 12 counties, the Black Belt identified priorities focused on:
- Rural prosperity through homeownership and property rights
- Partnerships for resilient water infrastructure
- Adaptive and multi-generational leadership
Keweenaw Peninsula and Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan
Community leaders in the Keweenaw/UP identified priorities focused on:
- Sustainable tourism and recreation
- Forest product and natural resource opportunities
- Environmental resiliency
Preparing Plan B Guidebook: A Guidebook for Forest Industry-Reliant Communities Facing Economic Transition
Read the original guidebook:
Looking Ahead
The Guidebook Initiative is helping communities move from planning to action.
As implementation continues in the Black Belt and Keweenaw/UP, lessons learned from these pilot communities will help inform future efforts to support shared prosperity in rural, forest-reliant communities across the country.
