Get your own Free Home PageMidwest SOARRING member, William Garfield, is Regional Environmental Officer of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration, in Chicago, Illinois
Menominee Tribal Enterprises: A Success Story
By William W. Garfield
Menominee Tribal Enterprises (MTE) is an integrated sustainable forest management and wood products manufacturing enterprise, which markets certified Green Cross/Smart Wood wood products from some 14 quality hardwood and softwood species. MTE is located on the Menominee Reservation in the north central portion of the state of Wisconsin. MTE’s President, Larry Waukau, recently took SOARRING member Bill Garfield and daughter Julia on a tour of their offices and forest.
The sustainable forest management practices take place on the 220,000-acre Menominee Forest. MTE’s timber is manufactured into various wood products, and marketed nationally and internationally. The current primary product mix includes lumber, veneer, pulpwood and byproducts. There are plans to construct a plant for valueadded wood product lines that would increase tribal self-sufficiency through manufacturing finished products on the reservation. By manufacturing their own products, rather than shipping all of the wood out to other manufacturers, this facility will allow the tribe to keep jobs and revenues local.
As the business arm of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin being owned, controlled and managed by the members of the Menominee Community MTE in many ways embodies the culture, values and spirituality of the Menominee. Marshall Pecore, MTE Forest Manager, from the Journal of Forestry (July 1992) says:
It is said of the Menominee that the sacredness of the land is their very body, the values of the culture are their very soul, and the water is their very blood. It is obvious, then, that the forest and its living creatures can be viewed as food for their existence.
This land ethic and commitment to sustainable forest management practices and principles literally sets Menominee apart from all other integrated forest management/wood products manufacturing businesses. MTE has been built upon the understanding of the need to integrate advanced
science, technology, and business practices, within a cultural context, to remain competitive and profitable for current as well as future generations of Menominee People. The commitment to intergenerational equity is a key determinate of decision-making and management. The Menominees have been practicing this sustainable forestry for over 150 years.
Menominee Tribal Enterprises was certified as being "Well Managed" by Green Cross in 1992 and recertified in 1994. They were certified "Smart Wood" in 1995. MTE’s achievements were recognized nationally through winning the 1996 President's Council on Sustainable Development Award for sustainable practices. MTE has proven for 150 years how good business practices and good environmental practices can work together to the benefit of all.
The statements in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administration.
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