Fall 2022 ForestLife

Donor Profile:

Ben Hammett

Ben Hammett is a lifelong conservationist deeply committed to fighting climate change. He, and his late wife Ruth, began supporting PFT in 2012. Ben recently shared why he feels PFT’s work is so important.

Why are forests important to you?

My family has been involved in forests for several generations. We own a sawmill now in Washington state, and healthy, diverse forests are essential to running a paper mill! Also, I grew up hiking all over California and its amazing forests and loved it. My wife Ruth and I loved the diversity of plants in forests (and out), which is one reason I loved hiking in the Trinity Alps. Amazing diversity there.

What makes PFT’s work important?

Pacific Forest Trust takes an innovative, unanticipated, but very effective approach to conservation that stands out. PFT integrates direct conservation with policy, and I like the outcomes because they benefit so many stakeholders and other conservation groups, too. PFT’s work on climate has really helped me see the importance of conserving and managing forests to address climate change. Not just for sequestration but also for water, wildlife, and improving fire behavior. PFT emphasizes the whole forest, not just the timber or the tree planting. As a family mill owner, I see the need to grow and cut trees, but I also see that forests are more than that. PFT recognizes that middle ground.

What worries you about forests in this time of climate change?

We aren’t acting fast enough, and we’re being too simple. Forest loss is a big problem for climate change, and planting trees is not enough to solve the problem. We need a more comprehensive approach. Not enough people know about forests and climate change, so they don’t necessarily think about them as a solution. While forests may seem far away to many people who live in cities, how we manage and conserve those forests impacts their daily lives—providing water, preventing bad fires…PFT’s work is essential to helping people understand and support a new approach.

What gives you hope?

I have grandchildren, so I also have optimism. PFT’s work shows how we can manage our forests differently, leveraging them for more carbon stores, water, and timber. It’s convincing.