Press Releases

NFF Celebrates 2011 Achievements

More than 3 million trees planted

From new partnerships, to the expansion of our Treasured Landscapes, Unforgettable Experiences campaign, to more than 3 million trees planted, the NFF’s work in 2011 set new records in addressing the myriad challenges facing America’s National Forests and Grasslands. The past year saw the NFF expand its scope of operations by opening a new field office in Colorado, adding to our existing offices in California, Oregon and Washington. This growth in staff and field locations enables the NFF to better collaborate with local and regional partners and manage on-the-ground restoration work for the benefit of our public lands.

The wide-reaching conservation work achieved in 2011 includes:

• The NFF awarded 150 grants to local conservation organizations to engage their communities in direct on-the-ground restoration projects on their local National Forests. Grantee groups hail from around the country and involved more than 12,000 local volunteers in improving and caring for their National Forests.
• The NFF organized 9 Friends of the Forest® Days events, getting 423 volunteers actively engaged in forest restoration activities, and tallying an impressive 2,359 hours restoring our National Forests.
• The NFF continued large-scale restoration work on Treasured Landscapes conservation campaign sites around the country, including:
• Development of the long-term restoration vision plan for Midewin National Tallgrass in collaboration with many regional stakeholders.
• Launching work identified through the comprehensive restoration plan designed by pre-eminent stream hydrologist, Dave Rosgen, for the Hayman site in Colorado.
• Creation of wildlife openings and restoration of oak-woodland habitats for wildlife on Arkansas' Ozark National Forest.
• Continued streamside restoration along the Metolius River and Whychus Creek in Oregon’s Deschutes National Forest, even as the first returning native salmon began to make their way back to these historic habitats.

Over the course of the last decade, the NFF and our collaborating partners have accomplished measurable results that include:

• Nearly 1,400 stewardship projects completed.
• Leveraging of more than $24 million with $78 million in matching support to achieve $102 million in on-the-ground conservation investments.
• 8.035 miles of trail-work.
• 1, 086,594 volunteer hours donated.
• 3,095,179 trees and shrubs planted.
• 2,860 miles of stream surveyed or restored.
• 61,527 acres of noxious weeds treated.
• 48,105 acres of wildlife habitat restored or maintained.
• 15,137 youth employed or engaged in National Forest projects.

The NFF has also actively facilitated capacity building for grass-roots conservation at the local level, as well as the formation of collaborative groups, which bring local stakeholders together to solve natural resource issues. Since 2001, the NFF has supported 95 capacity-building processes, 64 new collaboratives, and 42 existing collaboratives, while 167 representatives of these groups have participated in NFF capacity-building and training workshops.

The NFF’s tree-planting program and Carbon Capital Fund also continue to grow. Since the programs began in 2007, we have planted more than 3 million trees – from red oaks in North Carolina to ponderosa pines in Arizona. This year saw the NFF forge new Carbon Capital Fund partnerships with the Chevrolet Motor Company and the Walt Disney Company to develop carbon demonstration projects on the San Juan National Forest in Colorado and the Angeles National Forest in California. Other non-carbon tree-planting locations include: Arizona, Tennessee, Vermont, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Washington. In addition to providing the next generation of Americans with beautiful forests for recreation and relaxation, these trees sequester carbon, support important wildlife habitat, decrease air pollution, and protect watersheds that feed public water supplies.

The NFF is already poised for another big year in 2012 thanks to the generous support of our corporate, foundation and individual donors. “With the expansion of our tree-planting initiatives and partnerships as well as the addition of new Treasured Landscapes conservation campaign sites, in 2012 the National Forest Foundation will continue to perpetuate the many forest values that benefit our families, our communities and our nation,” said NFF President Bill Possiel.