Without responsibly managed forests, much of the water we need for survival would not exist. Through outreach events and educational initiatives, Forest to Tap empowers local craft breweries to lead the conversation around why healthy forests are a critical ingredient in life. Everyone deserves access to great water…and great beer.
Healthy forests support a broad suite of benefits, including their ability to provide clean water. Because of concerns about the status of water quality nationwide, it has become all the more important to develop a shared understanding that forests are a critical part of the clean water solution. To ensure support of responsible forest management, it is critical that there be public education on how healthy forests are managed, how that management impacts water quality and water resources, and ultimately what that management means to end users and consumers of our water.
In 2018, a diverse group of partners assembled to address the need for additional education on the importance of the forest industry and forest management systems for protecting water resources. A novel approach was developed: to highlight a local industry that has high water demands, both in quality and quantity. As in many other states, the Minnesota craft beer industry is rapidly expanding and creating a community of consumers who value choice and quality. The assembled partners believed sharing the story of forests’ role in clean water, through these breweries, would be an effective way to reach a targeted audience. With that conviction, the Forest to Tap program was born.
Forest to Tap (F2T) is a nonprofit based program that is planned and supported by a diverse group of natural resource interests whose common denominator is the knowledge that good forest management – including planting, harvesting, and stewardship – results in clean water for wildlife, communities, businesses, recreation, and ultimately great beer. The program is focused on providing information about how good forest management practices provide clean water by reaching targeted audiences through local community breweries. Through increased community understanding and acceptance, F2T partners hope for increased knowledge of, and continued support for responsible forest management throughout the region.
The Forest to Tap Program utilizes the strong connection between great forests, great water, and great beer to provide education about the importance of responsibly managed forests.
Forest to Tap breweries commit to:
• Training brewery staff on key program messaging
• Pledging sustainable use of water resources in their brewery processes
• Promoting and supporting Forest to Tap outreach events
• Continued engagement with the program to retain member brewery status
Forest to Tap Coordinator
+1 (612) 333-0430