Redwood Forest Foundation Founded: A Community Coalition Plants the Seed of a MovementIn 1997, a diverse group of community leaders, environmentalists, foresters, and rural residents came together around a shared vision—one bold in its simplicity and profound implications: forests should be owned and managed by those who depend on them.The Redwood Forest Foundation (RFF) was born from that vision.Founded by a grassroots coalition on California’s North Coast, RFF was the first nonprofit in the state—and one of the first in the nation—to champion the idea of community-owned working forests. More than just a conservation effort, it was a declaration: that redwood forests could be a source of ecological health, economic vitality, and social equity, not extraction and loss.The Spark Behind the FoundationAt the time, the redwood region was in crisis. After decades of intensive logging, ownership of forestlands was consolidating under absentee corporate interests. Clear-cutting, habitat fragmentation, and rural job losses were taking a heavy toll on the environment and the people who called these forests home.In response, local stakeholders—from timber workers to conservationists, Tribal representatives to city council members—began meeting around kitchen tables and community centers. They weren’t united by politics or profession, but by a shared desire to protect the redwoods and their communities.They believed in a new model: one where forests would be managed sustainably, not for short-term profits but for long-term public benefit.That belief became RFF.A New Kind of Forest OwnershipUnlike traditional conservation groups that sought to preserve land by removing it from production, RFF pioneered the idea of a working community forest—land that could be protected and productive. A forest where:*Timber harvesting would be ecologically sensitive and FSC®-certified*Revenues would support restoration, jobs, and education*Decision-making would be grounded in local values and long-term visionFrom the beginning, RFF set out not just to conserve land, but to own and actively steward it, with community accountability and scientific rigor.This model was groundbreaking in its time and remains a national example of how communities can reclaim agency over the landscapes they live within.Laying the Groundwork for the FutureIn its early years, RFF built momentum by:*Hosting public forums and visioning sessions*Collaborating with Tribes and rural stakeholders*Developing policy frameworks for nonprofit forest ownership*Partnering with experts in forestry, ecology, and finance*Advocating for equitable, climate-smart land use across Northern CaliforniaThese early efforts set the stage for one of RFF’s most defining achievements: the eventual purchase of the 50,000-acre Usal Redwood Forest in 2007—a landmark moment in U.S. conservation history.But it all began here—with a founding rooted in trust, community, and a belief that the forest could belong to everyone.A Legacy Still GrowingMore than 25 years later, the foundation created by that coalition is still strong—and still growing. RFF now:*Manages tens of thousands of acres with climate, habitat, and community goals in mind*Operates cutting-edge programs like biochar production and carbon offset forestry*Engages youth, schools, and civic groups through redwood planting and education*Maintains a model for sustainable, community-led conservation that is studied and celebrated worldwideBut none of this would have been possible without the founding moment in 1997, when a group of neighbours looked at a forest in crisis and saw a future worth fighting for.Honoring Our Founders, Inviting the FutureAs we continue expanding our reach, partnerships, and impact, we honor the original coalition that brought RFF to life. Their courage to challenge the status quo—and their commitment to solutions rooted in place, people, and possibility—still guide our work today.And now, we invite you to join that legacy.Visit RFF.org to explore our history, engage with current projects, and become part of a movement that started with one bold idea:The redwoods could be protected not by power but by people.
