Vita Nuova provided technical assistance to the Veteran’s Ecologic Trades Collective (VETC) and the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation to identify reuse options for a 120-acre parcel of land used historically for food processing. VETC utilized the land to work with veterans in ecological and conservation fields with the intent of managing post-traumatic stress disorders and lowering the high suicide rate in the veteran population. Due to limited volunteer resources to undertake a comprehensive restoration, the organization determined that the best course of action was to transfer the land to the Chehalis Tribe. 

Vita Nuova worked with the Chehalis Tribe, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and VETC to develop a conceptual reuse plan that identified restoration and management practices supported by the Chehalis Tribe. The long-term goal is to enhance the value of the land as an important wildlife corridor for animals migrating between the Cascade and Olympic Mountain regions. Management practices, consistent with traditional ecological knowledge, will be minimally invasive, support their cultural heritage, utilize native vegetation, and provide reuse options that educate tribal youth on subsistence practices.