Sustainable Forest Management in Northern California

The towering redwoods and Douglas fir around Northern California’s Big River and Salmon Creek had an all-too-familiar sign on them in 2006: For Sale. During the decade’s real estate boom, large timber companies across the country were selling large tracts of land that seemed more profitable for housing developments than forestry products.

With the help of substantial loans from California’s State Revolving Fund and other partners, the Fund purchased 16,000 acres of working forest near Big River and Salmon Creek—and kept it as a working forest. We continue sustainable logging in the area that supports the restoration of key habitats for coho salmon, steelhead trout, and the rare spotted owl, while preserving valuable timber jobs in the local economy.

Photo: Tree canopy at Big River and Salmon Creek/The Conservation Fund

Learn more about our North Coast Forest Conservation Initiative