Almost twice the size of San Francisco, the 50,000-acre Usal Redwood Forest, in Mendocino County, is a classic sweep of California coastline. Here, stands of redwood and Douglas fir trees mix with more varied forests, oak woodlands and streams. Beneath the canopy, you’ll find spotted owls, swifts, coastal frogs, salamanders and other wildlife—and we are making sure it stays that way.
In October, 2011, we completed a landmark preservation agreement to protect this “working forest,” which provides timber and community jobs. According to the agreement, the nonprofit Redwood Forest Foundation, which owns the Usal forest, will sustainably harvest the land in a way that prohibits development or fragmentation, restores and maintains a healthy balance of trees, improves water quality and more. In exchange for contractually committing to this sustainable style of forest management, the Redwood Forest Foundation gains needed public financing to support these efforts.
To save this community forest, we led a complex, collaborative team that negotiated the preservation agreement and secured the financing to help the Redwood Forest Foundation achieve its conservation goals. Our partners included the Wildlife Conservation Board, Save the Redwoods League, and the California Coastal Conservancy.
To read more about this important conservation success, view a map and great photos, check out the article in the San Francisco Chronicle here.
Photo: Redwood trees in California / Douglas Grill, istockphoto.com
When The Conservation Fund purchased the 24,000-acre Garcia River Forest in the heart of Northern California’s redwood country in 2004, we had something to prove. We wanted to demonstrate that, as one of the nation’s first nonprofit forest owners, we could sustainably harvest the trees and use the proceeds to restore the land—bringing this degraded forest back to health.
It was a tall order.
Little did we know that our restoration efforts might also provide a brighter future for the coastal tailed frog, whose recent discovery on our property symbolizes the many environmental benefits of our commitment to sustainably manage this land.
Dating back even before dinosaurs, the tailed frog is one of the world’s most primitive frog species. To survive, the coastal tailed frog needs cold and clear running water. For years, that was not the kind of condition you’d find at Garcia River Forest, where decades of intensive logging and road-building clogged streams with sediment and eroding soil.
But beginning in 2004, once the Garcia property was in our hands, we worked with scientists from The Nature Conservancy our partner, to develop and implement a land-management plan that includes forest ecosystem restoration and sustainable harvests. We’ve taken steps to reduce stream sediment by repairing roads, and we are monitoring waters for a healthy level of shade from trees above. And the coastal tailed frog has now been found on site, where it belongs.
Research is in the early stages, but scientists say the frog’s presence at Garcia is a good sign for the health of our streams. By restoring this special place, we’re also providing safe haven for salmon, owls and other wildlife. Equally important, we’re providing jobs to support people and families who call this area home.
Just like this project, our work across America combines a passion for conservation with an entrepreneurial spirit to protect your favorite places before they become just a memory. With your support, we can do so much more.
Photo: Brome McCreary
Please note: These documents are in PDF format, Adobe Acrobat is required for download.
The report includes accomplishments and highlights from the year and our plans for 2011.
Click here to download the report.
The following summary of The Conservation Fund’s North Coast California forest management policies was prepared to facilitate review and provide links for more information in a single source document.
Click here to download a PDF of the policy digest.
2010 North Coast Forest Conservation Initiative Annual Report
The report includes accomplishments and highlights from the year and our plans for 2011.
Click here to download the PDF.
This is a partial review of the North Coast Forest Conservation Initiative to confirm that it continues to be in conformance with certification requirements, that it meets the additional requirements of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative 2010-2014 Standard.
Click here to download the PDF.
This report covers the 2nd annual audit of The Conservation Fund – North Coast Forest Conservation Program pursuant to the FSC guidelines for annual audits as well as the terms of the forest management certificate awarded in 2007.
Click here to download the PDF.
2009 North Coast Forest Conservation Initiative Annual Report
The report includes the Caspar Index, highlights from the year, and our plans for 2010. Download a PDF here.
This report covers the second annual audit of the North Coast Forest Conservation Program pursuant to the FSC guidelines for annual audits as well as the terms of the forest management certificate awarded by Scientific Certification Systems in 2007. All certificates issued by SCS under the aegis of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) require annual audits to ascertain ongoing compliance with the requirements and standards of certification.
Click here to download a PDF of the report.
NSF-ISR initially certified the North Coast Forest Conservation Program to the SFIS on July 1, 2007. This report describes the second annual follow-up Surveillance Audit designed to focus on changes in the standard, changes in operations, the management review system, and efforts at continuous improvement. In addition, a subset of SFI requirements were selected for detailed review.
Click here to download a PDF of the report.
A Review and Analysis of Existing Conservation Plans, Land Use Trends and Strategies for Conservation on the North Coast of California.
Click here to download the PDF.
The 23,780-acre Garcia River Forest was acquired in February 2004 by The Conservation Fund in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, the State Coastal Conservancy and the Wildlife Conservation Board. The project seeks to demonstrate that a large, under stocked tract of coastal forest can be returned to ecological and economic viability through patient, adaptive management by a non-profit organization in partnership with private and public entities and community stakeholders.
Click here to download the PDF.
The Big River and Salmon Creek Forests were acquired in November 2006 by The Conservation Fund in partnership with the State Water Board, the State Coastal Conservancy, the Wildlife Conservation Board and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The project seeks to demonstrate that large, under-stocked tracts of coastal forest can be returned to ecological and economic viability through patient, adaptive management by a non-profit organization in partnership with private and public entities and community stakeholders.
Click here to download the PDF.
The North Coast Forest Conservation Program offers guided tours of timber harvest areas, road improvement and restoration projects, native plant walks and youth educational trips. Volunteer opportunities through some of our community partners include invasive weed removal, tree plantings and bird surveys. Please contact Holly Newberger at the Caspar, California, office (707) 962-0712 or hnewberger@conservationfund.org for more information or to get on our mailing list.
Tours of timber harvest plans involve the public in the planning behind managing forests sustainably and solicit feedback on specific management activities.
At left: Lower Salmon Creek THP, active logging operations tour.
(Photo: Sheila Semans)
Public tours of road upgrades and other restoration projects offer opportunities to see firsthand the methods and steps the Fund is taking to improve the ecological conditions on the Forests.
At left: Danny Hagans (Pacific Watershed Associates) and the Inman Creek Road Improvement and Decommissioning Project.
(Photo: Bob Rutemoeller)
Tours provide information regarding the abundance of flora and fauna, including listed species, such as the Northern Spotted Owl.
At left: Consultants and community members listen to Mike Stephens, NSO biologist, Riverbends pre-operation THP tour.
(Photo: Jenny Griffin)
Tours by local naturalists have focused on such topics as native plants and help give participants a solid connection to the natural world.
At left: Participants enjoy a plant walk with naturalist, Mario Abreu.
(Photo: Jenny Griffin)
The Fund welcomes and appreciates community participation in restoration projects on the Forests. Volunteers on Salmon Creek have initiated planting days for redwood seedlings, with 1,200 trees planted since 2008.
At left: Dory Kwan and members of the Albion Community.
(Photo: Rixanne Wehren)
Community volunteers have taken on an invasive weed removal project and have spent many hours pulling Jubata grass on Salmon Creek. Contributions such as this are critical to the long-term ecological health of the watershed, and the Fund appreciates the individual effort and community support.
At left: Successful roundup of Jubata grass by members of the Albion community.
(Photo: Rixanne Wehren)
Volunteers working with the Mendocino Land Trust lead annual spring bird surveys in the Big River watershed, helping track long-term trends in avian diversity and distribution.
At left: Big River Steward’s Program, spring bird survey, mainstem of Big River.
(Photo: Matt Coleman)
The Fund makes it a priority to work with local school programs, such as the Point Arena Charter School and Mendocino High School’s School of Natural Resources.
At left: Learning about stream ecology and monitoring from Jen Carah, Field Ecologist with The Nature Conservancy.
(Photo: Jenny Griffin)
The North Coast Forest Conservation Program deeply appreciates the support and involvement of local community members. The recent completion of the Big River and Salmon Creek Integrative Resource Management Plan represents the collaborative work of many local individuals and organizations. The Fund is grateful for the expertise, guidance and enthusiasm generously contributed by so many.
America’s favorite forests include the redwoods along California’s North Coast. The redwood region is known for its raw beauty and rich wildlife but decades of aggressive harvesting, changing timber owners and encroaching development have left this landscape diminished, with heavy impact on the spotted owls, salmon and other species that call it home.
At The Conservation Fund, we believe that working forests can be financially self-sustaining and environmentally healthy. We’re demonstrating a new way to sustainably manage these famed forests, as a nonprofit owner that uses both sound environmental strategy and sound economics—including a “light-touch” harvest regimen, sales of carbon offsets and a supply of local jobs. We work with our partners to skillfully manage both forest growth and harvest to ensure that these forests remain viable ecosystems for generations to come.
Since 2004, we have owned and managed more than 54,000 acres: the Garcia River, Big River, Salmon Creek and Gualala River forests. In addition to restoring the forests’ watersheds and supporting local economies, these efforts fight climate change. Our forest properties were among the first and largest to receive verification as a source of greenhouse gas reductions under the protocols of the Climate Action Reserve.
Learn about volunteer opportunities, youth educational trips, guided tours, native plant walks, and other activities on our North Coast Forest Community Involvement page.
In October, 2011, we completed a landmark preservation agreement to protect this 50,000-acre “working forest,” which provides timber and community jobs.
In 2004, when we purchased the Garcia River Forest—a 24,000-acre expanse of redwood and Douglas fir forests along the Garcia River and several tributaries—we created California’s first large nonprofit-owned working forest. With our partners, we have developed a forest management plan to restore the land and streams and provide public access. The Nature Conservancy holds a conservation easement that protects the forest from future development.
Click here for the Garcia River Forest Fact Sheet.
Next door to our Garcia River Forest, the 14,000-acre Gualala River Forest shares its remarkable canopy of redwoods and Douglas firs. Beneath these magnificent trees, the Gualala River courses across the property, providing important spawning habitat for coho salmon and steelhead trout. But this land is vulnerable. At least five vineyards have erupted nearby, replacing Mendocino County forests that once sustained these fish, spotted owls or timber jobs. To protect the Gualala River Forest, we acquired a preservation agreement on the property in November, 2011, ensuring the land will be sustainably harvested to restore and maintain a healthy balance of trees, water quality and local jobs.
The Conservation Fund owns and manages 16,000 acres in Mendocino County along Big River and Salmon Creek. We practice sustainable forestry across the properties to generate revenue to repay property loans and to restore streams for steelhead trout and coho salmon habitat.
Click here for a list of reference documents available for download.
The Fund's Chris Kelly and Jordan Golinkoff are featured in the NPR article, "Scientists Turn Trees Into Carbon Banks." Click here to read.
The article, "Carbon Equation" in the Winter 2009 edition of Nature Conservancy magazine features our Garcia River forest. Click here to read.
Click here to read the CNBC.com article, "Certified Forest Products: A Great Choice for the Environment" written by the Fund's CEO, Larry Selzer.
NPR's Living on Earth program featured the Fund's Chris Kelly, head of our California North Coast Forest Initiative, in its recent story, "Forest Salvation." Click here to listen. (For the transcript, click here.)
The 23,780-acre Garcia River Forest is in the heart of the Redwood region of California’s North Coast, just 100 miles from San Francisco in Mendocino County. The forest comprises one-third of the watershed of Garcia River and contains a magnificent expanse of redwoods and Douglas firs.
Garcia River is recognized by the California Department of Fish and Game as a high priority for protection and recovery of the state—and federal—listed coho salmon and steelhead trout. The property also supports Northern spotted owl and numerous other rare plants and animals.
The purchase of Garcia River Forest in 2004 established the first large nonprofit-owned working forest in California. Today, we continue to sustainably manage this working forest. The Nature Conservancy scientists, who assisted in developing the forest’s management plan, conduct forest-carbon research and monitor biodiversity conservation on the property.
The redwood forest type that dominates Garcia River is remarkably resilient and productive: Redwood trees sprout from stumps, there are few pests or diseases and the forest can produce lumber that is uniquely beautiful, durable and valuable.
Like most large timbered properties, Garcia River Forest was owned by a succession of timber companies. This history of intensive industrial timber management left a legacy of depleted inventories of merchantable timber, a network of fragile roads on steep slopes of eroding soils and miles of spawning habitat for salmon and steelhead clogged with sediments.
In February 2008, the Garcia River Forest became one of the first forests—and the largest—to receive verification as a source of greenhouse gas reductions under the protocols of the Climate Action Reserve.
Through a partnership between The Conservation Fund, the state of California’s Water Resources Control Board, Coastal Conservancy and Wildlife Conservation Board, and with support from ACE Group and Dallas-based Centex, approximately 16,000 acres of redwood and Douglas fir forests surrounding Big River and Salmon Creek were permanently protected from fragmentation, development and conversion to nonforest uses.
The Hawthorne Timber Company and The Campbell Group are pleased to make this unique opportunity available to us. We strongly support maintaining California’s working forestlands so that our environment is conserved and timber supply is sustained to fulfill the needs of the local forest products industry.
Owning and managing working forests in California is a relatively new undertaking for us. In 2004, we purchased the 24,000-acre Garcia River Forest from Coastal Forestlands Ltd. for $18 million in partnership with the Coastal Conservancy, the Wildlife Conservation Board and The Nature Conservancy. We have implemented sustainable forestry practices across the Big River and Salmon Creek forest properties that will restore water quality and protect habitat for coho salmon, steelhead trout and spotted owl.
Although Northern California’s coastal forests have long supported abundant wildlife and a thriving economy—nearly 40 percent of the value of all timber harvested in California comes from privately owned forests in Humboldt and Mendocino counties—many of California’s forest-based communities are at a crossroads. The large commercial timber companies have been divesting their forestlands. Some of that land has been fragmented into small holdings for single-family homes or weekend getaways. Most acreage has been sold to timber investment or real estate investment companies, whose harvest practices are often geared toward short-term profit as opposed to the long-term sustainable management typically employed by commercial forest products companies. Because of the number of large properties on the market and the competition from the private sector, conservationists are struggling to finance forestland acquisitions to protect the most sensitive natural areas, such as those within Big River and Salmon Creek.
We developed an innovative funding partnership, attracting a $25 million loan from California's State Revolving Fund (SRF), the largest loan of its kind in US history. SRF is a low-interest loan program established under the Clean Water Act to fund water quality projects. While the program traditionally has been tapped to pay for construction of publicly owned wastewater treatment facilities and related infrastructure, SRF loans can be used to address non-point source pollution issues, including those related to silviculture. In addition to the $25 million SRF loan, the Coastal Conservancy and Wildlife Conservation Board each gave grants of $7.25 million. The ACE Group and Centex—through the ACE Land Legacy Fund and the Centex Land Legacy Fund—provided private support; both are being used to support our top conservation priorities. To help support the cost of the acquisition and long-term forest restoration efforts, we aim to raise an additional $7.5 million from private philanthropic sources.
Our acquisition of this 16,000 acres of forestlands ensures that the redwood and Douglas fir forests surrounding Big River and Salmon Creek will be protected permanently from fragmentation, development and conversion to nonforest uses. Across both forests, we have implemented sustainable management practices that include decreasing the intensity of harvests, increasing the time between harvests and widening riparian buffers to improve water quality in streams impaired by erosion resulting from a century of timber harvesting.
Back to Where We Work: California
In 2004, when we purchased the Garcia River Forest—a nearly 24,000-acre expanse of redwood and Douglas fir forests along the Garcia River and several tributaries—we created California’s first large nonprofit-owned working forest. In February 2008 Garcia became one of the first forests—and the largest—to receive verification as a source of greenhouse gas reductions under the protocols of the Climate Action Reserve. This certification recognizes forests’ new role in environmental protection. These towering stands of trees are not just housing wildlife and beckoning travelers—they are also trapping carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas linked to climate change.
“With credible measurement systems and sustainable management techniques forests are positioned to play an increasingly vital role in the challenge of curbing climate change."
Garcia River Forest comprises one-third of the watershed of Garcia River and contains a magnificent expanse of redwoods and Douglas firs. The redwood forest type that dominates Garcia River is remarkably resilient and productive: Redwood trees sprout from stumps, there are few pests or diseases and the forest can produce lumber that is uniquely beautiful, durable and valuable. Garcia River is recognized by the California Department of Fish and Game as a high priority for protection and recovery of the state—and federal—listed coho salmon and steelhead trout. The property also supports Northern spotted owl and numerous other rare plants and animals.
Redwood forests store more carbon per acre than any other forest type. Sustainable forest management of Garcia River enables the storage of more than 77,000 tons of carbon emissions annually.
Click here to view Garcia River Forest Facts
Like most large timbered properties, Garcia River Forest was owned by a succession of timber companies. This history of intensive industrial timber management left a legacy of depleted inventories of merchantable timber, a network of fragile roads on steep slopes of eroding soils and miles of spawning habitat for salmon and steelhead clogged with sediment.
Our challenge was to help protect the forest from conversion to vineyards or second-home development, rebuild commercial timber inventories that would support the local economy, and at the same time, help repay loans taken to acquire in the property, upgrade roads and restore stream conditions for rare and threatened species.
In 2004 we led a partnership with the California Coastal Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy and Wildlife Conservation Board to purchase the Garcia River Forest from Coastal Forestlands Ltd. by leveraging creative conservation capital including low interest loans, state grants and private philanthropic donations.
Since we purchased Garcia River Forest in 2004, which established it as the first large nonprofit-owned working forest in California, we have sustainably managed it as a working forest. The Nature Conservancy owns a conservation easement on the property, ensuring protection, regardless of ownership, that makes carbon offset verification possible. Conservancy scientists helped develop the forest’s management plan and conduct forest-carbon research and monitor biodiversity conservation on the property. Keeping the land in production will generate revenue to support ongoing forest and stream restoration work and preserve jobs within the community.
In 2007 the California Air Resources Board formally adopted the rigorous California Climate Action Registry protocols for forestry, thus establishing a clear role for forestry in the state’s climate policy and adding economic value to forest carbon projects.
In February 2008, the Garcia River Forest became one of the first forests—and the largest—to receive verification of its carbon offsets under the protocols of the Climate Action Reserve. It now provides some of the most reliable and valid carbon credits in the country to private companies and public organizations seeking to offset their greenhouse gas emissions. We are negotiating several major purchases of verifiable carbon credits to buyers interested in offsetting their manufacturing and business practices or banking the credits for regulated markets.
In addition to fighting climate change, these forests will continue to protect water quality, restore wildlife habitat and enhance opportunities for public recreation for current and future generations.
In 2011, the Fund and The Nature Conservancy set out to find cost-effective ways to improve and restore salmon habitat in Garcia River Forest. They're bringing the science and we're bringing the sustainable forest management techniques that together should help accelerate the recovery of conditions that once existed when this was an old growth forest. And although this one project is not going to solve all the challenges coho salmon face, it should dramatically increase the number and fitness of the juveniles produced in the Garcia River system.
So what are we doing to bring back the conditions under which coho salmon can thrive? Watch the video to find out:
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