Our Projects

Here are some of the special projects the new Chair and Executive Committee are working to address:

- Seeking partnerships with other organizations & associations
- Official Membership Drive
- Mentoring project among APAEA members
- Advocating for a Multicultural Workforce Strategic Initiative (MWSI) / APA Liaison

For more information on these projects, please see our current APAEA emphasis areas document. The Chair may appoint Executive Committee members to lead a project, and invite other APAEA members to participate on Task Groups for these projects. Please contact us if you’d like to help!

Asian Pacific American Heritage Collaborative

Background

Several years ago, Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region and Intermountain Region formed a collaborative group with the Chinese Historical Society of America (San Francisco, CA), the Chinese American Museum (Los Angeles, CA), and others to better engage the APA urban community with their heritage resources on National Forests and surrounding lands within California and western Nevada. In 2015, the Forest Service partnered with the Chinese Historical Society of America to develop educational outreach materials (web and hardcopy) that highlights the early contributions of APA pioneers during the 1865 building of the transcontinental railroad and the 1849 gold rush era in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on Forest Service and surrounding lands. A website was launched in June 2017, “Chinese Heritage Sites of the American West” at https://exploreapaheritage.com/

Examples include Chinese work sites, cabins, merchant shops, railroads, tunnels, mining and timber camps. Ultimately, this will serve as a foundation for APA Heritage public programs, such as tours, conferences, school field trips, etc. Through these programs, we will invite the APA community groups, APA youth, media, other government organizations, and members of the commercial organizations (for example, chamber of commerce, tour associations) who may be able to make APA heritage public programs commercially sustainable for years to come.

Goal

Build a collaborative partnership among Forest Service, APA communities, non-profits, universities, commercial entities, and other agencies to provide interpretation and access to heritage resources on public lands for APA urban communities and others. This goal is consistent with USDA goals (rural development) and Forest Service goals (enhance recreation opportunities, engage urban America, cultural transformation).

Objectives

Develop websites, conferences, publications, exhibits, and other public programs to educate under-served communities about their heritage resources on Forest Service and surrounding lands
Initiate and facilitate tours and field trips for under-served communities to Forest Service and surrounding lands to visit heritage resources
Build and foster APA partnerships to raise awareness of Forest Service’s outreach and recruitment employment opportunities, historic preservation, ecological restoration efforts, and other programs
Expand partnerships with other federal, state, and local agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private sector organizations who are interested in historic interpretation, education, preservation, and cultural tourism

Contact

Hilda Kwan, Environmental Coordinator (Mendocino National Forest)

Phone (Office): 707-275-1413