Ecotrust partners with local communities from California to Alaska to build new ways of living and doing business. In forests, farms, rivers, oceans, and cities, we're creating good jobs while restoring the lands and waters we all depend on. The goals in each of our program areas are: FORESTRY: to spur a shift from industrial to ecological forest management. This approach sequesters and stores more carbon, produces cleaner and more abundant water, protects habitat, and offers economic development opportunities – while supporting a healthy, reliable forest products industry. FOOD & FARMS: to build a robust regional food system that spurs local economic development, promotes regenerative farming and production practices, and creates opportunities for better individual and community health. FISHERIES: to support a transition from industrial to viable small-boat, community-based fisheries, an approach that delivers more economic, ecological, and social value to our coastal communities.

Across everything we do, Ecotrust focuses on four strategic through-lines: 1. Developing markets: for regional food, ecological forestry products and services, and healthy seafood from community-based fisheries. 2. Coordinating and investing in vital “nuts-and-bolts” infrastructure: including food processing and distribution facilities, dockside infrastructure for fishing communities, and mills for responsibly-sourced timber. 3. Supporting the people who work in these systems: farmers, ranchers, fishermen, Native and First Nation communities, private landowners, and public agencies making resource management decisions. 4. Restoring critical ecosystems: for thriving forests and watersheds that protect key species while also supporting local economies, particularly on tribal lands.

Ecotrust’s mission and vision – strong, equitable economies coupled with healthy, resilient ecosystems – is a big one. To get there, we tackle large-scale projects for maximum impact. Our dedicated staff includes ecologists, scientists, mapmakers, economists, designers, investment strategists, and software developers. Over our 27-year history, we have co-founded the world’s first environmental bank; started the world’s first ecosystem investment fund; and helped restore 6,500 acres and 900 stream miles of habitat. And we believe that the region we call home – the coastal temperate rain forests spanning from Alaska to Northern California – holds the unique mix of values, creativity, and capital needed to build new, different ways to live and do business.

With an in-house team of data analysts, GIS experts, and economists, Ecotrust closely evaluates the direct impact our programs, and the overall reach and influence of our work. For every project, we create a unique set of quantitative and qualitative impact indicators that our teams report on quarterly to ensure we are taking the steps necessary to achieve our theory of change. As we map out new initiatives, we set benchmarks and target outcomes so that we can continuously evaluate where we are making progress, what needs adjusting, and what we can learn from our efforts.

Across all our programs, Ecotrust is doubling down on outcomes that prioritize climate-smart land and ocean use, equitable community partnerships, and regenerative economic growth. Recent progress includes: - Connecting school districts with regional farms and ranches, ensuring that over 500,000 school kids annually receive healthy, local food in the lunch line. - Joining forces with local employers and community organizations to provide culturally-specific jobs training for young adults of color in the growing green economy. - Building mobile tech used by over 700 land owners to help manage their properties for both healthy habitat, and a healthy bottom line. - Opening a 45,000 square foot, 2-block campus for food system reform in the urban heart of Portland. The campus includes cold storage, distribution facilities, commercial and community kitchens, and flexible event space: exactly the kind of “nuts-and-bolts” infrastructure needed to scale a robust regional food system.