**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** COMMUNITY FORESTS OCCUR ACROSS LAND OWNERSHIP TYPES, ARE GOVERNED AND MANAGED PRIMARILY BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND AIM TO PRODUCE LOCAL SOCIOECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS. HOWEVER, LITTLE IS KNOWN OF THE MECHANISMS BY WHICH THEY PRODUCE THESE BENEFITS IN THE U.S. OWING TO A PAUCITY OF RESEARCH, DESPITE THEIR GROWTH IN NUMBERS OVER THE PAST DECADE. WE WILL USE QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS FROM ECONOMICS AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES TO INVESTIGATE THE QUESTION: WHAT FACTORS AND CONDITIONS ENABLE COMMUNITY FORESTS IN THE U.S. TO ENHANCE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF FORESTS WHILE PROMOTING RURAL PROSPERITY AND WELL-BEING? THE PROJECT HAS THREE OBJECTIVES: (1) INVENTORY, CHARACTERIZE, AND CLASSIFY COMMUNITY FORESTS IN THE U.S.; (2) UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMIC AND CONSERVATION BENEFITS AND COSTS OF COMMUNITY FORESTS, THEIR MERITS AND LIMITATIONS, AND THE SOCIOECONOMIC AND INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS AND CONDITIONS THAT LEAD TO SUCCESS; AND (3) DISSEMINATE INSIGHTS ABOUT HOW COMMUNITY FORESTS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO FOREST CONSERVATION AND RURAL PROSPERITY. WE WILL ACHIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES USING A MULTI-METHOD APPROACH THAT INCLUDES CONDUCTING A NATIONWIDE SURVEY ADMINISTERED TO COMMUNITY FOREST ADMINISTRATORS; COMPARATIVE CASE STUDIES OF A SAMPLE OF COMMUNITY FORESTS; AND NUMEROUS KNOWLEDGE DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES. THE PROPOSED PROJECT ADDRESSES THE GOALS OF AFRI'S AGRICULTURE ECONOMICS AND RURAL COMMUNITIES, RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PRIORITY BY GENERATING INFORMATION TO INFORM DECISION MAKING, POLICY DESIGN, AND PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION RELATED TO COMMUNITY FORESTS AS AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO ENHANCING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF FOREST RESOURCES AND PRODUCTION SYSTEMS IN THE U.S., AND PROMOTING RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY IN FOREST COMMUNITIES.