In this chapter we elaborate how some communities have become part of the fabric of forest management in the northeastern United States. The New England region contains the oldest community forests from the European tradition in North America. There is a strong tradition of community forests in New England with roots dating back to the forest commons imported by English colonial settlers during the mid 1600s (see McCullough 1995; Donahue 1999). The region also has a longstanding history of municipally owned local private land holdings, which have been assembled since about the mid 1800s as lands were gradually gifted, purchased or annexed with changing land ownership and conservation priorities. For its efforts, New England is recognized for its role “in both historic maintenance as well as recent establishment of town or municipal community forests” (Belsky 2008: 223).

The heritage of common and town forests has fostered a shared mindset founded on shared access to forests and forest benefits, as well as a habitual familiarity with the notion of having community forests on the landscape. Some suggest there is a tradition of community forest stewardship that transcends the spirit of “individuality and self-sufficiency” for which New Englanders are known (Northern Community Forestry Center 2003: 4). The recent proliferation of community-based conservation groups continues the quest to preserve open spaces by conserving both recreational and working landscapes. It might be argued that such a basic appreciation for and commitment to local stewardship, and keeping New England's forests common, provides an important base that in part supports the individual freedoms of community members.