Nils Christoffersen

Nils Christoffersen, a photo by Semester in the West on Flickr.

Nils Cristoffersen
Executive Director, Wallowa Resources and Wallowa Resources Community Solutions, Inc.
Wallowa County, Oregon
September 1, 2012

A quick glance at Nils Christoffersen’s background could lead you to believe that this man has difficulty extending roots and settling down. After growing up on the East Coast and earning a degree in Economics with a minor in Environmental Studies from Williams College, Nils went on to complete a Master’s program in Forest Management, and later, applied these skills to wildlife and forestry work in Norway and Africa. However, the broad, global experiences he brings to his position do not appear to limit his ability to dedicate his focus to one small place: Wallowa County. As Executive Director of Wallowa Resources, Nils seeks to find responsible ways to utilize the natural resources of the county to provide jobs for those who have been adversely affected by the downfall of the area’s once booming timber industry. One way Nils accomplishes this goal is through his work as Executive Director of Wallowa Resources’ for-profit subsidiary, Community Solutions, Inc., which converts the woody material from fire-reduction projects into usable densified logs for firewood. Nils explains that he is not interested in a future of “islands of national parks in seas of intensive use,” but instead hopes to see a future of working landscapes and sustainable resource use.

By Libby Fones