Blandin Foundation’s Vital Forests/Vital Communities Initiative is privileged to partner with Dovetail Partners, Inc. on a number of our projects. Among our collaborations is a series of Dovetail reports commissioned by the Foundation in support of VF/VC objectives. I commend to you the latest report, Green Building Materials: Made in Minnesota , a concise overview of green standards and, using Minnesota-made products as an example, opportunities for achieving modern day green building goals by “thinking local.”

The report includes an introduction to True North Woods – a group marketing effort, supported in part by Blandin Foundation, to promote certified local, green, quality products from “cold-forged forests of Northern Minnesota.” Members in the True North Woods collective branding effort make a wide range of “Minnesota grown” wood and forest products, from building and construction materials to gift and specialty items. The report concludes that opportunities exist to maximize the economic, social and environmental benefits of green building efforts by using locally-sourced forest products.

Buying and building with Minnesota-grown is good economic development, AND good for the forest!