Ecological Restoration Institute

What Ecological Restoration Institute does

The Ecological Restoration Institute (ERI) is a non-profit research institute founded in 1996 by Dr. Wally Covington and housed within Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. ERI conducts ecological restoration research, landscape monitoring, and wildfire/fuel treatment assessment across Western U.S. forest ecosystems, including ponderosa pine, mixed conifer, and pinyon-juniper woodlands spanning Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. The institute serves federal and state land management agencies (primarily the USDA Forest Service), tribal governments (Hopi Tribe, Western Navajo Agency), and collaborative forest landscape restoration partnerships such as 4FRI and SWERI.

ERI's core products and technical capabilities include TWIG (Treatment and Wildfire Interagency Geodatabase), a web-based decision-support tool providing daily fire progression tracking and anomaly detection for wildfire planning, with integrated IFPRS data; the ReSHAPE program for cross-boundary fire and fuel treatment assessments; ThinCost 1.0, a spreadsheet-based thinning cost estimation model; the Wood For Life tribal firewood distribution program; Terrestrial LiDAR Scanning (TLS) for 3D forest fuel characterization; and biochar application research for post-fire soil remediation. Underlying technical infrastructure combines geospatial databases, LiDAR-based remote sensing, and statistical fire behavior modeling.

ERI operates as a grant-funded non-profit with no commercial revenue model. Primary funding sources are USDA Forest Service federal research grants, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law appropriations channeled through SWERI, and the Arizona Board of Regents Technology, Research and Innovation Fund (TRIF). All publications, tools, and science delivery services are provided free of charge. The institute's go-to-market is community-led: research publications, the annual Science to Stewardship workshop, the Fire Ecology Chats podcast, newsletters (Science Flash, Field Notes), and direct engagement with land managers, tribal practitioners, and policymakers. ERI's value proposition centers on translating decades of field science into actionable restoration strategies for Western forest landscapes.

Name

Ecological Restoration Institute

Legal name

Ecological Restoration Institute

Website

https://eri.nau.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Ecological Restoration Institute is a non-profit research institute at Northern Arizona University that conducts ecological restoration research, wildfire management, and landscape monitoring for federal land agencies, tribal governments, and policymakers across Western U.S. forests.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ecological Restoration Research

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAMAEAK

Integrated Forest Health & Fire Management Planning

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Forest Health, Pest & Fire Management Services

Keywords

• Forest restoration research
• Wildfire management tools
• Ecological assessment services
• Biomass utilization research
• Tribal forest stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Flagstaff

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Research Grants: Primary funding from federal agencies including USDA Forest Service for restoration research, wildfire management, and ecological assessment programs.
2. Technology, Research and Innovation Fund (TRIF): Funding from AZ Board of Regents through the Technology, Research and Innovation Fund.
3. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Funding: SWERI funded by BIL to build tools for informing planning, prioritization, monitoring, and evaluation of fuel treatments and wildfires on public lands.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ERI is a university-based research institute that conducts forest and ecological restoration research with a focus on wildfire management, forest operations, biomass utilization, and tribal forestry. It delivers decision-support tools such as the TWIG wildfire geodatabase and ThinCost 1.0 cost model, runs the ReSHAPE and Wood For Life programs, and provides open-access publications, science delivery workshops, and technical assistance to federal, state, and tribal land managers.

Product overview

The Ecological Restoration Institute offers a portfolio of research services, decision-support tools, and science delivery programs focused on ecological restoration and wildfire management in Western forest landscapes. The core offerings include TWIG (Treatment and Wildfire Interagency Geodatabase), a web-based tool for wildfire planning with fire progression tracking and anomaly detection; the ReSHAPE Program providing workshops, trainings, and research publications; and specialized tools like ThinCost 1.0 for cost estimation. The institute also operates the Wood For Life tribal partnership program and maintains a publications library serving researchers, land managers, and policy makers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wood For Life (WFL): A partnership supporting active forest management and restoration by making firewood available for Tribal and local communities.
• TWIG (Treatment and Wildfire Interagency Geodatabase)
• ReSHAPE

Products and services

• TWIG (Treatment and Wildfire Interagency Geodatabase) A web-based decision support tool providing daily fire progression tracking and anomaly detection for wildfire planning and response, with integrated state-level fuel treatment data, intended for federal, state, and tribal land managers and wildfire responders.
• ReSHAPE Program Wildfire management research program providing decision-support tools, research publications, workshops, and trainings to help land managers guide wildfire planning and response across landscapes.
• ThinCost 1.0 A spreadsheet-based model to estimate thinning costs for forest restoration and fuel reduction operations, supporting operational planning for restoration practitioners.
• Wood For Life (WFL) Program supporting active forest management by making firewood available for tribal and local communities and providing an outlet for small-diameter biomass removed during forest treatments.
• Science Delivery and Application Science outreach services helping land managers incorporate best available restoration science into planning and implementation across Western forest landscapes.
• ERI Publications and Research Library Digital library of publications including fact sheets, white papers, working papers, general and technical reports, and journal publications on ecological restoration, freely accessible to researchers, land managers, and policy makers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research sites span Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Northern Arizona UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerERI is housed within Northern Arizona University at the Southwest Forest Science Complex. NAU provides institutional support, infrastructure, and academic framework for the institute's research activities.
• USDA Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary federal funding source and research partner. USDA Forest Service supports ERI's work on forest restoration, wildfire management, and ecological assessment across Western forests.
• Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes (SWERI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerERI is one of the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes. SWERI was tasked by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to build tools for planning, prioritization, monitoring, and evaluation of fuel treatments and wildfires.
• Hopi TribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWood For Life partnership supports active forest management and restoration by making firewood available for tribal communities. Approximately 90% of households rely on firewood for heating, with an estimated 24,000-50,000 cords of firewood needed per winter for Hopi and Western Navajo communities.
• Western Navajo AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWood For Life partnership serving 21-22% of the Navajo Nation's population with firewood distribution programs supporting tribal forest restoration goals.
• National Forest FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Wood For Life workshops and collaborative initiatives supporting tribal forest stewardship and restoration programs.
• Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerERI provides shared leadership roles and best available science to support 4FRI treatment prioritization and optimization. The initiative has 2.4 million acres of NEPA-cleared restoration work.
• Zuni Mountains Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerERI staff conducted in-person interviews with key players to understand how this group engages a variety of interested and affected entities in collaborative forest governance.
• Western Klamath CFLRPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerERI staff conducted in-person interviews with key players based in northern California to understand collaborative forest governance approaches.
• Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for hosting summer internships supporting Wood For Life and Institute for Native-serving Educators seminars on natural resource curricula.
• Southwest Decision ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing workshops for Wood For Life focusing on grant opportunities, agreements, contracting, and business/nonprofit administration.
• Coalitions and CollaborativesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing Wood For Life workshops and supporting WFL partners in administrative and organizational capacity.
• Coconino County Flood Control DistrictmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on biomass disposal trial comparing Air Curtain Burner and CharBoss equipment for slash management, with Jay Smith serving as Forest Restoration Director.
• University of Arizona, Gila County Cooperative ExtensionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in biomass disposal research with Christopher Jones (Extension Agent, Forest Health Programs) providing expertise on forest health programs.
• USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research StationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with Dr. Deborah Page-Dumroese (Senior Scientist & Research Soil Scientist) and Dr. Nate Anderson (Research Forester) on biochar and soil research.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Southwest Research Station (USDA Forest Service): Federal research arm of the USDA Forest Service conducting forest and rangeland research in the Southwest. Direct peer to ERI in ecological research on Western forests and fuels, but operates as a large federal institution rather than a university-based non-profit.
• U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station: Federal research station that partners with ERI on biochar and soil research. Overlaps directly with ERI on forest health and restoration science in the American West but with a broader mission and larger federal footprint.
• The Nature Conservancy (Forest Programs): Large environmental non-profit operating forest restoration and fuels reduction programs across the U.S., including the American West. Comparable mission in restoration ecology but operates as a much larger, national-scale implementer rather than a research institute.
• National Forest Foundation: Non-profit partner of the USDA Forest Service that convenes collaborative forest landscape restoration work and is an active ERI partner in Wood For Life. Comparable non-profit model and forest restoration focus but with broader national scope.

Direct peers

• Northern Arizona University School of Forestry: Academic forestry program within ERI's parent institution. Conducts forest ecology, management, and fire research across the same Western forest ecosystems and shares faculty, students, and research sites with ERI.
• John Muir Institute of the Environment (UC Davis): University-based environmental research institute focused on ecological research, including forestry and fire. Comparable structure to ERI as an academic research institute producing science for land managers and policymakers.
• Headwaters Economics: Independent, non-partisan research organization producing economic and social research on Western land use, wildfire, and community resilience. Closely comparable to ERI's human dimensions and policy research function in forest restoration.

Emerging players

• Humboldt State University (Cal Poly Humboldt) Wildland Studies: University-based forestry and wildland resources program in Northern California with shared focus on fire ecology and forest restoration research in Western landscapes, particularly through the Western Klamath CFLRP.
• Conservation Biology Institute: Non-profit producing geospatial decision-support tools for conservation and land management, including fire and fuels planning. Comparable to ERI's TWIG function in providing data and analytical tools to land managers.
• Salish Kootenai College Forest & Natural Resources Program: Tribal college-based forestry program engaged in tribal forest restoration and co-management of federal lands — closely analogous to ERI's Tribal Forest Restoration Program and Wood For Life initiative, though with a different geographic and community focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ERI_NAU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/eriatnau
• Facebookfacebook.com/EcologicalRestorationInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecological-restoration-institute-at-northern-arizona-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/eri_nau_az

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ecological Restoration Institute