What does it take to protect a heritage, a way of life, or a forest? Partnerships and Perseverance
Partnerships—local and global—make it possible to protect our vastly important and globally significant forest landscapes. From landowners like Jud Parsons who is partnering with us to conserve his family’s working forest, to the policy-makers who facilitate protection of our forest watersheds that supply drinking water to millions, people and partnerships help us achieve large-scale conservation goals benefitting the entire public and landscape. By connecting dedicated innovators, donors, landowners and managers, agencies, and conservationists we succeed in cultivating and catalyzing good ideas into positive, practical policies. View or download the 2015 Annual Report as a PDF, or read the full text below.
Together, with your support, we can continue conserving America’s forests for wood, water, wildlife, and well-being. Thank you for your steadfast support—you make our work possible!
Expanding Private Forest Conservation in Oregon
To help conserve Oregon’s globally renowned biodiversity, we are pioneering a path forward together with willing landowners and agencies, developing a new approach to conserving working forests. Wildlife and plants cannot rely solely on public lands to survive and thrive, especially as climate change advances. Private forests in Oregon, like those of the Parsons and Merritts, as well as Pacific Forest Trust’s 7,200-acre Van Eck Forest, provide models of enduring conservation, which restore and maintain a full range of natural forest values. Pacific Forest Trust also joined and now serves on the Board of Directors for the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts, to further improve and advance land conservation in the state.
Forests are Central in Historic Climate Agreement
The Paris Climate Agreement marked a historic turning point in the fight against climate change. Now, not only is this fight a global priority, forests are recognized as essential to solving the climate crisis, offsetting emissions, protecting water supplies, providing refuge for species adapting to changing conditions, and sustaining rural economies.
California, a Global Leader for Forests and Climate Change
Prominent in Paris were the contributions and examples of real action by individual cities and states, most notably, California. This state was the first in the world to include forests in its groundbreaking economy-wide climate policy—Assembly Bill 32—and the first to develop compliance-grade forest carbon offsets. Pacific Forest Trust led these efforts and established the first such offset project in the California Van Eck Forest. Forest carbon offsets, part of the global carbon market, play an important role in meeting climate commitments. California’s cap and trade approach, specifically its forest carbon offset program, was on full display in Paris. It was recognized as the most robust carbon market, globally. Read more.
Conserving Volcanic Forests
Pacific Forest Trust is partnering with the family-owned Michigan-California Timber Company to conserve over 5,000 acres of productive forest and wildlife habitat in the volcanic landscape surrounding Mount Shasta. This project will connect key wildlife corridors while protecting jobs in the woods and promoting recreational opportunities.
Protecting the Sierra Valley’s Natural and Working Heritage
Visually stunning and in close proximity to Reno, Nevada and Lake Tahoe, the natural and working heritage of the Sierra Valley is changing due to development and rapid population growth. Partnering with the Martinetti family, we are expanding conservation of a corridor of protected working lands along the western edge of the Sierra Valley and working to protect over 100 years of stewardship of their 610-acre ranch. This will be Pacific Forest Trust’s 6th conservation project in the Sierra Valley—cumulatively protecting over 15 square miles of forests and meadows.
Protecting Water Sources and a Family’s Heritage
On the slopes of Mount Shasta in northern California, the verdant Butte Creek Meadows Working Forest is now conserved forever. Conservation of this 3,468-acre property, owned and operated by the Hart family for over 150 years, secures a corridor for wildlife, enhances habitat for hundreds of species, and protects vitally important sources of water.
Conserving Forests to Save a Keystone Species
Gray wolves returned to California, marking the first appearance of the species since becoming locally extinct nearly 100 years ago. Their return and presence on land conserved by Pacific Forest Trust demonstrate the benefits of our work to conserve whole forest landscapes, connecting public and private land to save wildlife, their homes, and places to roam.
Partnering to Improve Forest Health and Resilience
Pacific Forest Trust is partnering with Collins, the Wildlife Conservation Board, and CAL FIRE to carefully restore an expansive landscape scorched by an intense wildfire. We are planting 3 million trees and other native plants in a multiyear effort to ensure enduring, large-scale conservation and restoration of over 35 square miles.
Demonstrating a Commitment to Excellence
Pacific Forest Trust achieved independent accreditation for a second time, a national mark of honor and distinction in land conservation. This honor, awarded by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, recognizes our continued commitment to meet rigorous quality standards and ensure permanence in the conservation of private working forests for their many benefits.
We’re Online in a New Responsive Design
We launched an entirely new website, complete with fresh content and visuals in a mobile-friendly design. Explore our new website!
Photo Credit:
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) taken by Dominic Sherony, Flickr CC by 2.0