GreenFire Consulting Group, LLC

Working to Integrate Environmental, Economic and Social Concerns

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GreenFire Clients and Projects

Center For Biological Diversity and Natural Resources Defense Council
(2007 Project)

Concept Zero (2004 Project)

Heartwood (2008 Project)

Indiana Forest Alliance (2008 Project)

Kentucky Heartwood (2004 and 2007 Projects)

Protect Our Woods (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Projects)

San Francisco Estuary Institute (2004 Project)

 

Center For Biological Diversity
and Natural Resources Defense Council

GreenFire Project Description:

Analysis of and Comments on the Draft Economic Analysis of Critical Habitat Designation for the Hine's Emerald Dragonfly

About the Clients:
Combining conservation biology with litigation, policy advocacy, and an innovative strategic vision, the Center for Biological Diversity is working to secure a future for animals and plants hovering on the brink of extinction, for the wilderness they need to survive, and by extension for the spiritual welfare of generations to come.
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/index.html

NRDC is the nation's most effective environmental action organization. We use law, science and the support of 1.2 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things.
http://www.nrdc.org/about/

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Concept Zero

GreenFire Project Description:

“Analysis of the USDA Forest Service's Land and Resource Plan for the Land Between the Lakes, Kentucky and Tennessee”

In 2004, The Forest Service issued a Draft Land and Resource Management Plan and accompanying Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Land Between the Lakes.

GreenFire was commissioned by David Nickell of Concept Zero to analyze the DEIS and comment on it. In the Plan, the Forest Service selected a preferred alternative that favored high-impact recreation development for the LBL.

We found that if the Forest Service had considered all the costs and benefits of keeping LBL's wild places intact, including recreation, option, bequest and existence values, an alternative favoring forest protection and low-impact recreation would have delivered the highest net social, economic and environmental benefits to the public.

About the Client:
Concept Zero is a coalition of former LBL residents, environmental groups and area businesses opposed to commercial development in the Land Between The Lakes.

Contact:
David Nickell
Associate Professor of Sociology
West Kentucky Community and Technical College
4810 Alben Barkley Drive
PO Box 7380
Paducah, KY 42002-7380

Tel. 270-534-3269
DavidL.Nickell@kctcs.edu

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Heartwood

GreenFire Project Description:

"An Economic Analysis of the Wayne National Forest Plan"

In 2006, the U.S. Forest Service adopted a "revised" 15-year land and resource management plan for the Wayne National Forest in Ohio. Under legal requirements in place in 2006, the Forest Service was expected to maximize net public benefits when adopting this plan. Heartwood, Buckeye Forest Council, and others felt that the public was not getting its money's worth in regard to taxpayer funding of the management this national forest and appealed the plan.  Those appeals were, for the most part, denied. Heartwood then commissioned Greenfire Consulting Group, LLC in 2008 to analyse whether the Wayne National Forest plan indeed does "maximize net public benefits."  

The findings of this study indicate that this is not the case.

Click here for Intro, Summary & Recommendations of the study

Click here for Economic Analyis of the Wayne National Forest Plan and Appendices

About the Client:
Heartwood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the health and well-being of the native forests of the Central Hardwood Region.

Contact:
Heartwood
http://heartwood.org/index.html

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Indiana Forest Alliance

GreenFire Project Description:

Comments on the “Draft Environmental Assessment: Increased Emphasis on Management and Sustainability of OakHickory Communities On the Indiana State Forest System.”

The Indiana State Forests are public forests owned by the people of Indiana and managed by the Division of Forestry (DoF), a division of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). For over a decade, citizens of the State of Indiana, organized in citizens' groups such as the Indiana Forest Alliance, Heartwood, Protect Our Woods, Tree of Life Alliance and the Hoosier Environmental Council, have attempted to direct the DNR to preserve these forests for their highest public benefits.

In 2008, the DoF published an Environmental Assessment for its 20-year plan projecting increased logging and burning in Indiana State Forests.

GreenFire Consulting Group, LLC was hired to analyse and comment on this Environmental Assessment. We concluded that Indiana taxpayers most likely will have to subsidize the increased logging and burning, that the capacity of the state forests to provide highly valued ecosystem services will be compromised, that air and water quality will be negatively impacted, and that the plan will contribute to the spread of non-native invasive species that pose an increasing threat to native species of aninals and plants.

Click here for detailed GreenFire Comments on the 2006 Indiana State Forest Draft Environmental Asessment

About the Client:
The Indiana Forest Alliance was formed in 1996to coordinate efforts of existing forest protection and conservation organizations and concerned citizens.  

Contact:
Indiana Forest Alliance Office
The Caldwell Center for Culture and Ecology
323 S. Walnut Avenue
Bloomington, IN

phone- (812) 332-4878
fax- (812) 337-8892
http://www.indianaforestalliance.org/

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Kentucky Heartwood

GreenFire Project Description:

2007 Project:
Analysis and comments on the proposed I-66, Somerset to London segment

2004 Project:
Analysis of and comments on the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) of the USDA Forest Service Daniel Boone National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan.

About the Client:
Kentucky Heartwood is a non-profit volunteer group that seeks to protect and restore the integrity, stability, and beauty of Kentucky's native forests and biotic communities through research, education, advocacy, and non-violent intervention.

Contact:
Kentucky Heartwood
P.O. Box 555
Lexington, KY 40588

p/f (859)253-2697 (call first for fax)
kyheartwood@alltel.net

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Protect Our Woods

GreenFire Project Descriptions:

2007 Project:
Appeal of the Record of Decision for the German Ridge Restoration Project on the Hoosier National Forest. Link to Executive Summary of Appeal:
http://www.protectourwoods.org/news/germanridge2007/20070605-grapp-1a.html

2006 Project:
Appeal of the Record of Decision for the 2006 Land and Resource Management Plan for the Hoosier National Forest. Link to appeal file:
http://www.protectourwoods.org/downloads/20060701-HNF-Appeal-ROD-EIS.pdf

2006 Project: Response to the Draft Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the German Ridge Restoration Project. Link to GreenFire Comments:
http://www.protectourwoods.org/news/20061206-feis-comments.html

2005 Project:
Analyis of and Comments on the Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Land and Resource Management Plan for the Hoosier National Forest in Indiana

2004 Project:
Analyis of and Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statements (DEIS) for the German Ridge Timber Sale Project.

About the Client:
Protect Our Woods is a local grassroots organization dedicated to the preservation of state and national forests as well as to clean air and water and a high quality of life in rural Southern Indiana. POW's many supporters include an unlikely mix of hunters, environmentalists, animal rights activists, and many people from all walks of life, and of all political persuasions, who are concerned about the quality of life for everyone in this part of the state. We have always been a staunch supporter of landowner rights, even as we have opposed timber cutting in our taxpayer-owned forests.

Contact:
Protect Our Woods
P.O. Box 352,
Paoli IN 47454-0352

Tel. 812-678-2667
president@protectourwoods.org

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San Francisco Estuary Institute

GreenFire Project Description:

"A Cost and Environmental Analysis of Aquatic Plant Management in California”

In 2004, GreenFire was retained by the to oversee a project coordinated by the Institute and involving a group of student consultants from the Bren School of Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

GreenFire directed the Bren student group in how to fully incorporate the environmental costs of the different alternatives available for aquatic plant management at two different sites in central California.

About the Client:
San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) was founded as a non-profit organization in 1994 to foster the development of the scientific understanding needed to protect and enhance the San Francisco Estuary. SFEI is governed by a Board of Directors composed of Bay Area scientists, environmentalists, regulators, local governments, and industries.

Contact:
San Francisco Estuary Institute
7770 Pardee Lane
Oakland, CA 94621-1424

Tel. (510) 746-SFEI (7334)
Fax (510) 746-7300

www.sfei.org
Ben: ben@sfei.org

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GreenFire Consulting Group, LLC
917 W. 6th Street
Bloomington, IN 47404
Tel. (812) 336-0360