What Mattole Restoration Council does

The Mattole Restoration Council (MRC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1983 and headquartered in Petrolia, California, operating as one of North America's oldest community-led watershed restoration organizations. MRC delivers four integrated programs across the Mattole River watershed on California's North Coast: Ecosystem Restoration (invasive species removal, riparian restoration, Sudden Oak Death monitoring, native plant propagation), Education and Outreach (Nick's Interns paid high school internship program, Mattole Field Institute public courses, school-based restoration activities), Watershed Information Systems (long-term collection, archiving, and analysis of restoration and ecological data, including GIS mapping and field monitoring), and Working Lands and Human Communities (fire safety, fuels reduction, and the Lower Mattole Fire Safe Council). Supporting operational assets include a native plant nursery with capacity for up to 200,000 plants across 60+ species and an organic native grass seed farm producing 9,000 grass plugs from locally-collected seed.

The organization's primary customers and partners are federal and state agencies (BLM Arcata Field Office, NOAA, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Cal FIRE, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation), conservation NGOs (The Nature Conservancy, Sanctuary Forest, Mattole Salmon Group, Salmonid Restoration Federation), private landowners in the watershed, and local schools (Mattole Triple Junction High School, Mattole School K-8, Honeydew School). MRC is governed by an elected Board of Directors with voting rights restricted to watershed residents, landowners, and descendants of ancestral territory holders, and is led by Executive Director Sarah Vroom (since February 2020) following prior leadership from Nathan Queener (2017-2020) and Cassie Pinnell (2013-2017).

MRC's business model combines grant-funded project delivery with a community-supported funding base. Revenue is generated through federal and state grants (BLM, NOAA, CDFW, NFWF, The Nature Conservancy), annual memberships priced from $15 (low-income/student) to $500 (lifetime), community donations (501(c)(3) tax-deductible), direct sales of native plants and contract growing services, and fee-based custom mapping services for members. Distribution occurs through direct field programs, the on-site nursery, volunteer events, and partnerships with schools and agencies. Headcount is approximately 9 regular staff plus up to 60 seasonal employees, supported by an annual budget of over $1 million documented in 2019 hiring materials, with no AI/ML or software product offerings.

Name

Mattole Restoration Council

Legal name

Mattole Restoration Council, Inc.

Website

https://mattole.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Mattole Restoration Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1983 in Petrolia, California that conducts community-led watershed restoration in the Mattole River valley through four programs (Ecosystem Restoration, Education & Outreach, Watershed Information Systems, and Working Lands), serving landowners, schools, federal/state agencies, and youth across California's North Coast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Ecological Restoration Planning & Monitoring (Habitat, Wetland, Stream) (EUAHAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Invasive Species Control & Site Restoration (Pre/Post Planting) (AFAMACAN), Native, Pollinator & Drought-Tolerant Garden Installations (HSAIAFAL), Forestry, Land Use & REDD+ Programs (BPADALAF)

Keywords

• Watershed restoration services
• Ecosystem conservation programs
• Native plant nursery
• Environmental education programs
• Fire safe council services

Headquarters

HQ city

Petrolia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual memberships ranging from $15 to $500 (student/low income to lifetime). Membership runs for one year from date of last payment.
2. Donations: Community donations supporting restoration projects. MRC operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
3. Grant Funding: Federal and state grants from agencies including BLM, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, NOAA, and foundations. MRC staff lead fundraising efforts and submit grant proposals to various federal and state agencies and foundations.
4. Native Plant Sales: Sale of native plants to general public year-round, contract growing services for restoration or landscaping projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mattole Restoration Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that restores and conserves the Mattole River watershed in Northern California through ecosystem restoration projects, native plant propagation and sales, youth and community education programs, fire safety initiatives, and working-lands stewardship. It serves residents, landowners, agencies, and visitors of the Mattole region through hands-on restoration, native plant nursery sales, internships, field institutes, and partnership-based conservation programs.

Product overview

Mattole Restoration Council operates as a unified non-profit organization offering four interconnected core programs focused on watershed restoration: Ecosystem Restoration (invasive removal, native plant propagation, Sudden Oak Death monitoring), Education and Outreach (youth and community education), Watershed Information Systems (data collection and analysis), and Working Lands and Human Communities (fire safety and land management). Supporting services include a Native Plant Nursery growing up to 200,000 plants, Nick's Interns youth program, Mattole Field Institute educational courses, custom mapping services, and the Lower Mattole Fire Safe Council. The organization also maintains a native grass seed farm for restoration projects. The portfolio functions as an integrated approach to community-based watershed stewardship rather than discrete standalone products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lower Mattole Fire Safe Council: A sub-organization focused on reducing wildfire risks in the Lower Mattole area through education and fuels reduction projects.
• Mattole Field Institute
• Nick's Interns

Products and services

• Mattole Native Plant Nursery

Quantifiable outcome

• 30,000 grass plugs planted over 18 acres in single restoration event
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• King Range Alliance (KRA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2014Four organizations that have worked for decades to protect the King Range National Conservation Area formed this partnership for better regional care and coordination. Partners: Mattole Restoration Council, Sanctuary Forest, Mattole Salmon Group, and Lost Coast Interpretive Association. Collaborates to promote education, science, and restoration in the King Range National Conservation Area.
• Lower Mattole Fire Safe CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe LMFSC mission is to reduce risks and minimize damage from wildfire by coordinating fire-safe education and projects in the Lower Mattole. Since its inception, LMFSC has partnered closely with MRC securing funding through grant writing to implement fuels reduction and fire safety projects. Honeydew and Petrolia have been recognized Firewise communities since 2011.
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMRC works with BLM Arcata Field Office on prairie restoration projects including Prosper Ridge. The partnership spans 13+ years with multiple project phases. BLM provides funding and direction through the King Range National Conservation Area Resource Management Plan.
• Mattole Salmon GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner in estuary restoration projects. Collaborates on slough restoration, helicopter wood placement for salmon habitat, and salmon population monitoring. One of three organizations in the Mattole River and Range Partnership.
• The Nature ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Mattole Estuary Project providing funding and technical support. Works with MRC and Mattole Salmon Group on salmon habitat restoration.
• Cal FIREminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with MRC on Grasshopper Fire Lookout staffing and repairs. Works on burn permits and fire safety in Humboldt and Del Norte counties.
• Lost Coast Interpretive AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of King Range Alliance. MRC partners with them on education programs including returning native plants to Shelter Cove.
• Sanctuary ForestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLand trust based in Whitethorn, CA. Co-founder is original MRC Council member. Part of King Range Alliance and Mattole River and Range Partnership. Works on water stewardship and land conservation.
• Salmonid Restoration FederationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit that coordinates the Annual Coho Confab. MRC co-hosts restoration conferences and field symposia with SRF.
• Bureau of Land Management King Range National Conservation AreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgency partner for Nick's Interns program. Hosts youth interns for conservation and restoration work. Part of multiple agency partnerships including California State Parks.
• California State ParksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgency partner for Nick's Interns program. Cooperates on trail building and campground maintenance projects.
• Redwood Forest FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Nick's Interns program providing youth conservation career opportunities.
• Watershed Stewards Project (CA Conservation Corps)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmeriCorps program that places Watershed Stewards with partner organizations. MRC hosts WSP members for 10.5-month terms working on restoration projects.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Rivers: National river and watershed conservation nonprofit whose mission and advocacy posture closely parallel MRC's watershed restoration focus, though at national scale with different funding mix.
• Trout Unlimited: National coldwater conservation organization with extensive volunteer-driven habitat restoration programs comparable to MRC's salmonid habitat work, though operating nationally with much greater scale and resources.
• The Nature Conservancy: Major global conservation organization that directly partners with MRC on the Mattole Estuary Project. Overlaps in land conservation, native ecosystem restoration, and partnership-based delivery at substantially larger scale.
• Trinity River Restoration Program: Larger-scale California watershed restoration program focused on Trinity River salmonids and sediment management. Comparable in scope of riverine restoration work and salmonid recovery, though operating at a substantially larger scale and with federal-tribal co-management structure.

Regional players

• Point Blue Conservation Science: California-based conservation science nonprofit focused on applied ecological research, including watershed and coastal monitoring. Comparable in data-driven restoration approach and California geographic focus, though primarily research-oriented rather than direct implementation.

Direct peers

• Salmonid Restoration Federation: California nonprofit coordinating restoration conferences and field symposia (e.g., Annual Coho Confab) that MRC co-hosts. Peer in coldwater habitat restoration training and community-based salmonid recovery practice.
• Mattole Salmon Group: Direct partner of MRC in the Mattole River and Range Partnership, focused on salmon habitat restoration and population monitoring in the same watershed. Most directly comparable in mission, geography, and restoration practice.
• Surfrider Foundation: Coastal and watershed community-based nonprofit with beach cleanup, water quality, and habitat programs. Overlaps with MRC's Coastal Cleanup Day engagement and broader coastal-watershed stewardship mission.
• Russian Riverkeeper: Community-based watershed conservation nonprofit serving a Northern California river system. Comparable in operating model (community-led, membership-driven, focused on watershed health and salmonid recovery) and in operating scale and region.
• Sanctuary Forest: Land trust based in Whitethorn, CA and co-founder of the King Range Alliance with MRC. Operates water stewardship and land conservation programs in the same Mattole region with comparable community-based, watershed-scale focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MattoleRestorationCouncil
• Instagraminstagram.com/mattolerestorationcouncil/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mattole-restoration-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Mattole Restoration Council