The National Forest Foundation (NFF) is committed to protecting the ecological health and promoting public enjoyment of the 193-million-acre National Forest System. Our five-year strategic plan (2015-2020) focuses on increasing 1) the resiliency of National Forests' ecosystems to effectively withstand ever-increasing threats and 2) opportunities for hands-on stewardship and ecologically sustainable recreation for all Americans to generate and strengthen meaningful connections to these amazing public lands.

The NFF focuses on five strategies to maximize our conservation impact:1) Working on the ground: We carry out tangible conservation projects producing measurable results. We assess conservation need and ecological value. This ensures our site-based work adds as much value as possible to both local regions and the National Forest System (NFS) as a whole. We work on a "landscape" scale, meaning on thousands of acres rather than just a few hundred. It also means we address multiple challenges, such as plant and wildlife diversity, watershed health, economic leverage, and recreational opportunities to have greater overall impact. 2) Building a community of forest stewards: Diverse groups of engaged citizens and outdoor enthusiasts form a strong cadre of stewards who perpetuate healthy National Forests for many generations to enjoy. The NFF connects people with nature through meaningful hands-on education and volunteer opportunities in their backyard National Forests. We explain why these wild places matter. By engaging youth, including those from urban and/or underserved communities, we help them develop a land ethic, give back to their backyard forests, and acquire useful skills while building the next generation of dedicated forest stewards. 3) Supporting local conservation partners: We directly support local organizations and contractors implementing on-the-ground restoration projects. 4) Developing sustainable and innovative funding models: Alternative funding enables us to achieve real, measurable restoration results on our public lands. Seeking out such mechanisms helps us increase the resources available to site-based restoration projects nationwide. 5) Promoting collaboration: Collaborative groups are an effective solution to the complex and often contentious restoration and stewardship needs on these forests. By nature local, organic collaboratives provide an opportunity for all interest groups to weigh-in, be heard, and learn to work together. This approach leads to better conservation results on the ground and more engaged people caring for their treasured wild places. We provide a customized suite of technical assistance and other services to collaborative groups across the country. By facilitating local stakeholder groups, we build a strong foundation of diverse partners who remain engaged in our National Forests' protection and stewardship for decades to come.

A key nonprofit partner to the U. S. Forest Service, the NFF works with hundreds of community and corporate partners nationwide. We have a proven track record of successful large-scale ecosystem restoration on National Forests and Grasslands through leveraging public funding with private support. Our grant programs have a growing $6. 9 million budget that helps us further leverage restoration projects focused on the health and public enjoyment of National Forests. Our national office is based in the heart of the National Forest System, Missoula, Montana. We also have field offices in Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; Denver, CO; Los Angeles, CA; Davis, CA; Alexandria, VA; and Asheville, NC. This diversity of sites allows the NFF to generate meaningful local relationships while maintaining a national presence. The NFF is a committed and efficient conservation organization staffed by professionals who know the issues facing America's National Forests and care deeply about our beloved wild places.

Strict accountability and measurable conservation results are at the core of our collaborative restoration work on National Forests. Together with our partners, we carefully track our restoration results. Since 2001, the NFF's grant programs and direct investments have resulted in over 8. 3 million trees planted, 15,041 miles of trail work, 102,177 acres of noxious weeds treated, 5,600 miles of stream surveyed or restored, 182,001 acres of wildlife habitat restored or maintained, 161,518 volunteers engaged in the on-the-ground conservation projects, and 897,956 acres of fuel reduction completed or planned, among other accomplishments. As part of our grant programs, we also measure our success by the amount the NFF invests in local partners who implement restoration and conservation projects on National Forests, and the amount our partners raise to match our investment in this work. Since 2001, the NFF invested over $42 million in restoration and stewardship projects. On average, the NFF leverages every $1 invested through on-the-ground projects into $3. 11 in conservation results through matching contributions, volunteerism and other support. We are also focused on organically growing our constituency through continued reinforcement of the NFF's branding and messaging.

In 2015, the NFF exceeded our $125 million conservation impact goal for our five-year national "Treasured Landscapes, Unforgettable Experiences" campaign. This impact translates to thousands of acres of restored forests and watersheds and thousands of Americans engaged in National Forests' restoration. We are also proud to be making steady headway in connecting with new constituents and growing our network of supporters. Our concerted efforts through our blog, Facebook (236,000 followers), and Twitter (21,700 followers) continue to increase our online community's engagement. In addition, our engaging and informative website improves online presence. Despite these accomplishments and our growing supporters, the restoration needs on the 193-million-acre National Forest System are vast. Changing climate conditions, catastrophic wildfires, and aggressive invasive species threaten these treasured landscapes at an unprecedented rate. The Forest Service estimates that more than 60 million acres or approximately one-third of National Forests is in dire need of restoration. A Forest Service survey of watershed conditions estimates that approximately 48 percent of watersheds on National Forests are classified as “functioning at risk" or “impaired function. " U. S. taxpayers are paying about $2. 5 billion for wildfire suppression every year and the total estimated impact of U. S. wildfires is many times that number. Experts estimate that all invasive species (aquatic, plants, and insects) cost Americans approximately $138 billion annually in loss of agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and infrastructure maintenance. Additionally, the link between increasingly urban populations and wild nature continues to weaken further disconnecting them from nature and our public lands. This trend spells trouble for the broad, long-term support required to keep our public lands heritage relevant and thriving. The need to restore these wild places and increase awareness among the general public, especially youth, and to nurture the next generation of forest stewards has never been greater. We are developing and implementing programs and initiatives to connect Americans to their cherished public lands and increase the financial resources available for landscape-scale restoration bringing our innovative, results-focused, and science-based approaches to meeting these immense challenges.