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News focused on funding & financing
nature-based solutions
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| Members of our staff and Steering Committee attended the 9th American Forest Congress in Washington, DC earlier this month, where we enjoyed spending time with CFN partners and meeting new friends. Held every so often since their debut in 1882, Forest Congresses are an opportunity for participants to discuss issues facing the conservation and management of forests in the United States and develop resolutions affirming paths forward. This year’s Congress came at a particularly challenging moment for forests, and the Congress centered around the theme of Healthy Forests, Thriving Communities in order to consider how to grow economic opportunities for forested communities by advancing practical forest conservation, management, and stewardship in the face of a changing climate, increasingly severe wildfires, and other stresses.
With participants encouraged to concentrate on areas of common ground, conversation at the conference focused on the need to: conserve forests and invest in forest health; address the wildfire crisis and other stewardship challenges on both private and public land; ensure Tribal perspectives inform forest management; highlight the power of community forests to connect people to nature; and of course, advance new strategies to fund and finance forest conservation, restoration, and wood products markets. Zach Knight, CEO of Blue Forest, stressed the need for conservation finance and collaboration in reflecting on his experience as a panelist in the session on Frontiers in Forest Finance (read Zach’s reflections here). Stay tuned for the forthcoming conference resolutions and action items stemming from this important gathering.
Our staff are looking forward to a busy fall filled with events. Please reach out if you are planning to attend the Land Trust Alliance Rally in Cleveland. CFN and partners will be doing a workshop about interim finance and we’d love for you to join us. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy the summer and find ways to enjoy the outdoors.
Sincerely,
Katie Michels
Director of Partnerships
The Conservation Finance Network
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The Secretary of Agriculture Announces the Latest Round of Funded Forest Legacy Projects
The Forest Service announced Forest Legacy grants totalling $106.3 million that will fund 10 projects in 8 states to conserve an estimated 177,000 acres of working forests, bringing to 259,000 acres the total amount of forestland conserved in 18 states and $195 million the total investment in the program in 2025. (USDA Forest Service)
Largest Ever Land Back-Conservation Deal in California Now Complete: Western Rivers Conservancy Conveys Final Acreage to Yurok Tribe in a 47,000-Acre Effort Critical to the Salmon, Wildlife and Forests of the Klamath River
In early June, Western Rivers Conservancy, the Yurok Tribe, and the California State Coastal Conservancy have completed the largest land back deal in California history. This 47,000-Acre land back deal will add 73 square miles to the Yurok Tribe's land holdings and mark a milestone achievement in both Tribal sovereignty and conservation. (Western Rivers Conservancy)
The Conservation Fund Protects the Okefenokee Swamp, Ending Mining Threat
The Conservation Fund has protected the Okefenokee Swamp, in partnership with the Holdfast Collective, the Cox Foundation, and Georgia-based partners like One Hundred Miles, Okefenokee Swamp Park, Georgia Conservancy, Georgia Rivers Network, Southern Environmental Law Center, Georgia Wildlife Federation, the Okefenokee Protection Alliance, the Georgia Water Coalition, and many committed individuals. For more on the import of this project, see Margaret Renkl's recent ode to the Okefenokee. (The Conservation Fund)
USDA Invests $80 Million to Expand Timber Markets, Protect Forests, Fuel Economic Growth
$80 million in investments from the USDA's Wood Innovation Grants will be used to support rural jobs, forest health, wildfire mitigation, and energy independence. The grant dollars will encourage wood products manufacturing, expansion of active forest management, and the acceleration of energy innovation in timber-producing communities. (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Mass Timber Could Drive Forest Expansion and Cut Emissions
A recent study from the Yale School of the Environment found that climate benefits of cross-laminated timber outweigh earlier identified concerns but only if responsibly managed. The study shows that cross-laminated timber could impact carbon storage through the end of this century. Additionally, the replacement of mass timber for concrete and steel could reduce global carbon emissions and encourage the expansion of managed forests by as much as 36.5 million hectares. (Yale School of the Environment)
Qarlbo Biodiversity Signs First-Ever Voluntary Biodiversity Credit Agreement in the U.S.
In partnership with 6M Properties LLC, a timberland investment portfolio firm, Qarlbo Biodiversity announced the first-ever off-take agreement for voluntary biodiversity credits in the United States. Qarlbo Biodiversity will generate credits on its 10,576-acre land in Louisiana where it is restoring longleaf pine ecosystems. (PR Newswire)
$300 Million in Federal Funding for Indigenous-Led Conservation in the Northwest Territories Arrives
380,000 square kilometers of land and water in Canada's northwestern indigenous territories have been protected, thanks to an infusion of plubic and philanthropic funding. The deal includes partnerships with 21 Indigenous nations to launch an Indigenous-led conservation agreement over the land with $300 million in federal funding and an additional $75 million from philanthropic partners. (The Narwhal)
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| U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of the Interior
Other
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| | Virtual & In-Person Events
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| 2025 Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting
Baltimore, MD
August 10 - 15, 2025
Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference
Cleveland, OH
September 3 - 6, 2025
Blue Finance 2025: Investing in Ocean Sustainability
London, UK
September 10 - 11, 2025
North American Biochar Conference
Minneapolis, MN
September 15 - 18, 2025
OCTO: Changing Human Behavior to Secure Conservation Outcomes
Webinar: September 16, 2025
Midwest Community Land Trust Regional Conference
Madison, WI
October 7 - 9, 2025
Australian Land Conservation Alliance Annual Conference
Cairns, QLD
October 7 - 10, 2025
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