Fall 2021 ForestLife
Meet Board Member Jack Stephenson
Jack Stephenson joined the Board of Pacific Forest Trust in 2019. A passionate conservationist with a career in tech and with McKinsey & Company, Jack is now dedicating his life to the challenge of climate change.
Why are forests important to you?
I grew up in Montana and my father was a huge outdoorsman. We spent much of our free time out in nature. We are a family of committed conservationists! In my professional career, I’ve focused a good deal on climate change. I see a huge untapped opportunity to fight global warming by protecting, restoring, and better managing forests.
What do you find most rewarding about PFT’s work?
I joined PFT’s Board because Pacific Forest Trust is about as deep on forests as any organization I’ve ever known. PFT is doing truly cutting-edge work and punches well above its weight. I view PFT as a brain trust on a wide range of issues. Also, California is way ahead of the rest of the country on climate action thanks, in part, to PFT.
What do you feel to be the greatest challenge for conservation over the coming decade?
Climate change. Even in the most pristine areas, global warming has thrown things totally out of whack. Add in human destruction and degradation of critical ecosystems, we are in really dire share. We can take fossil fuel emissions to zero, but if we don’t protect nature, it’s game over.
What opportunity does PFT have to help address our climate crises?
Climate change is the biggest challenge mankind has ever faced. PFT is a master of bringing competing stakeholders together to conserve forests, increase forest carbon stocks, protect critical ecosystem services like water and wildlife, and make forests much more resilient to a warming climate.