Whereas, considerable improvement in timber stand establishment, growth and yield can be accomplished through proper seed collection and handling, nursery technology, nutritional amendments, vegetation management practices, and spacing;

Whereas, a cooperative would reduce duplication and costs of research by pooling all available resources among members;

Whereas, integrating all components of reforestation into one inclusive cooperative would allow for a broad range and duration of projects of interest to the members;

Whereas, increased regulatory constraints and environmental concerns have caused land managers to increase productivity on fewer acres with increased environmental awareness;

Now, Therefore, The members mutually agree as follows:

1. There is hereby formed an unincorporated cooperative under and ursuant to the laws of the State of California which shall be known as the Sierra Cascade Reforestation Cooperative.
   
   
2. The mailing address of the cooperative is:
   Weed Research and Information Center
   Weed Science Program
   University of California
   One Shields Ave
   Davis, CA 95616
   
   
3. The Cooperative shall have a steering committee consisting of one representative from the USFS Pacific SW Research Station (Bob Powers), one representative from the University of California at Davis (Joe DiTomaso) and one representative from Industry (Ed Fredrikson-Roseburg Forest Products).
   
   
4. The steering committee will review research proposals to present to the membership to maintain the focus and objectives of the cooperative.
   
   
5. Each stakeholder (company or organization) will appoint a presentative to the cooperative. This representative shall have the voting authority for that stakeholder.
   
   
6. Projects brought forward by the steering committee shall be voted upon by the full membership (stakeholders) to determine projects to be undertaken. No funds will be spent beyond that allocated for that year's budget.
   
   
7. Voting rights will be based on the type of membership chosen by each stakeholder. Membership type and fee structure shall be as follows:
   
   
   
   
   1. Land Manager Membership - For landowners over 100,000 acres the membership fee will be $8,000 per year. For landowners under 100,000 acres the member ship fee will be $4,000 per year. Each member shall receive two votes per their voting right.
   2. Associate Corporate Membership - For chemical companies, nurseries, fertilizer companies, etc (non-timberland owners) the membership fee will be $4,000 per year. Each member will receive one vote per their voting right.
   3. Affiliate Membership - The fee for any organization or group that does not wish to have voting rights but desires membership will be $2,000 per year.
      
8. All members regardless of membership type will have full access to any information obtained from the work of the cooperative.
   
   
9. The cooperative will have the following common mission and objectives: Mission: To conduct applied reforestation research from seed collection to the first commercial thinning focusing on intensive silviculture of conifer species and environments in the interior region of Northern California and Southwestern Oregon. Promote research that maximizes conifer survival, volume and growth and supports integrated research approaches that consider other aspects of ecosystem sustainability. Objectives:
   
   
   
   
   1. To develop, implement and evaluate experiments designed to increase conifer productivity utilizing intensive management techniques in primarily artificially regenerated forests while enhancing or maintaining public resources.
   2. To integrate the various aspects of reforestation (i.e. seed and nursery technology, vegetation management, nutrition, stock type, spacing, etc.) into one inclusive cooperative focusing on improving establishment, growth and yield of forest plantations.
   3. To provide an opportunity for forest land managers to focus research on local reforestation, problems associated with interior forest types of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ecosystems.
   4. To inform stakeholders of ongoing and potential reforestation research projects.
   5. Present results in a product that foresters can easily integrate into their decision-making process.
10. Members of the cooperative may, from time to time, be required to provide in-house services necessary for the successful completion of projects. Such services may include, but not limited to, use of land for conducting studies, labor, nursery space, product, etc. Any costs associated with such activities, determined by the membership to be above and beyond reasonable contributions to the cooperative, shall be reimbursed and, approved by the membership prior to initiation of that project.
    
    
11. Any member may withdraw from the cooperative at any time by providing written notice to the cooperative.
    
    
12. Others may become members in the cooperative by making a written request to the cooperative, and such request will be granted after it has received approval of the voting membership.
    
    
13. Unless terminated by written notice, these articles will remain in effect indefinitely and may be amended at any time by the mutual consent of the members.
    
    
14. Membership fees will be due by the 1st of January every year. Checks will be made payable to the Regents of the University of California and should be accompanied by a cover letter indicating the following information:
    
    
    
    
    1. Payment is an unrestricted gift to the Weed Research and Information Center (WeedRIC) for support of the Sierra Cascade Reforestation Cooperative.
    2. Total payment amount, check number, and organization providing check.
       
15. WeedRIC will administer the collective membership fees in the following ways.
    
    
    
    
    1. A ten percent overhead charge will be assessed by the co-op by WeedRIC for processing proposals, establishing a co-op website, updating information on the website, and conducting the administrative duties required to maintain the co-op.
    2. Fees will also be used to provide salary and benefits for a part-time or fulltime employee who will conduct research projects as determined by the voting membership. Additional co-op monies will be used to purchase supplies and unavailable equipment, reimburse travel expenses, and reimburse miscellaneous expenses incurred by this employee.
    3. Fees will also be used to support research projects either solicited by the voting membership or requested by researchers associated with or outside the co-op members. All funded research projects will require a written proposal prior to allocation of funds. Funded proposals will also require an annual progress report that will be made available on the WeedRIC co-op website.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF,
the parties hereto, by their duly authorized officers, have executed this Membership Agreement in counterparts as of the date first herein above written.

BY

TITLE

DATE

Forest management cooperative