What Cascade Forest Conservancy does

Cascade Forest Conservancy (CFC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization headquartered in Vancouver, Washington, founded in 1985 (originally as the Gifford Pinchot Task Force and rebranded in 2010). It protects and restores forests, streams, wildlife, and communities across the southern Washington Cascades, with an operational focus on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Mount St. Helens (Lawetlat'la). Its work integrates three pillars: (1) advocacy and litigation — including four court victories since 2008 blocking mining near Mount St. Helens and a successful campaign for Washington's first Outstanding Resource Waters designation on the Green River in December 2023; (2) field-based restoration science — using low-tech process-based restoration (LTPBR) techniques such as beaver dam analogues, channel process structures, instream wood placement, MCH pheromone caps for old-growth protection, and a Beaver Relocation Program employing Dittbrenner's beaver intrinsic potential spatial model for site selection; and (3) community organizing — sustaining a 12,000+ member base, coalition leadership of the Green River Valley Alliance (with Patagonia, Conservation Northwest, Washington Wild), and partnerships with the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Yakama Nation, and the U.S. Forest Service.

CFC's core programmatic offerings function as a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than discrete products: Forest Protection and Restoration, Water Conservation (anchored by the Instream Wood Bank network sourcing logs from Weyerhaeuser and private timberland owners), Wildlife Protection, Fire Management, the Conservation Guidebook, Volunteer Science and Education, and the Beaver Relocation Program. Major advocacy campaigns include Mount St. Helens Mine Opposition and Roadless Area Conservation. The organization's only technology components are ecological field methodologies (LTPBR, spatial scoring) and operational logistics (instream wood sourcing), not a software platform — there is no API, SDK, or digital product offering.

CFC generates revenue through donation-based, non-commercial channels: one-time gifts, sustaining memberships, planned giving/bequests, stock and vehicle donations, employer matching, and a Business Partners program. Secondary revenue comes from ticketed fundraising events (Forest Fest, Understory NW Film Fest) and merchandise sales (Bonfire t-shirts). Go-to-market is community-led — email newsletter (Field Notes via e2ma, 12,000+ subscribers), social media, blog/news content, action alerts, public hearings, volunteer field trips, and earned media/public testimony. Customer segments are individual donor-members, volunteers, the U.S. Forest Service, Indigenous tribes, and downstream municipalities benefiting from watershed restoration.

Name

Cascade Forest Conservancy

Legal name

Cascade Forest Conservancy

Website

https://cascadeforest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cascade Forest Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (est. 1985, 7 staff) that protects and restores forests, streams, and wildlife across the southern Washington Cascades through litigation, low-tech process-based restoration, beaver relocation, and coalition-led advocacy serving 12,000+ members, tribes, the U.S. Forest Service, and downstream municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forest Ecosystem Services & Carbon/Conservation Programs (AFAMAAAJ), Silviculture & Reforestation Services (Nurseries, Planting, Tending) (IMAMAJAC), Replanting, Infilling & Stand Rehabilitation (AFAMACAI), Forest Fire Management & Fuels Reduction Services (IMAMAAAH)

Keywords

• Forest conservation services
• Watershed restoration programs
• Wildlife habitat protection
• Environmental advocacy campaigns
• Citizen science volunteering

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations & Memberships: CFC generates revenue primarily through individual donations including one-time gifts, sustaining/recurring memberships, planned giving (bequests), donate stocks and bonds, donate a vehicle, employer matching programs, and business partner programs. The organization references a 12,000+ member base.
2. Events & Fundraisers: Revenue is generated through ticketed events such as Forest Fest (annual community fundraiser featuring silent auction, raffles, games, food, drink) and the Understory NW Film Fest (annual film festival at Kiggins Theatre). Both events serve as major fundraising vehicles.
3. Merchandise Sales: CFC sells merchandise such as 'PUBLIC LANDS, PUBLIC INPUT' t-shirts through platforms like Bonfire, with proceeds supporting operational activities including advocacy trips.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cascade Forest Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides forest conservation, watershed restoration, wildlife protection, and fire management services in the southern Washington Cascades. The organization combines field-based restoration programs (Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration, beaver relocation, Instream Wood Bank), litigation and advocacy campaigns (Mount St. Helens mine opposition, Roadless Area Conservation), public education, and volunteer citizen science to protect ecosystems and downstream communities.

Product overview

Cascade Forest Conservancy is a conservation nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) that offers a portfolio of interconnected conservation programs and advocacy campaigns rather than a unified technology product. Core programs include Forest Protection and Restoration, Water Conservation (encompassing instream restoration, riparian planting, and the Instream Wood Bank), Wildlife Protection, Fire Management, and Volunteer Science and Education. Major advocacy campaigns focus on Roadless Area Conservation, Mount St. Helens Mine Opposition, and the Green River Valley Alliance coalition. The Conservation Guidebook provides published strategies for ecosystem conservation. The Beaver Relocation Program supports wetland restoration through ecosystem engineering. These programs work together to protect and sustain forests, streams, wildlife, and communities in the heart of the Cascades.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Understory NW Film Fest: Annual film festival celebrating conservation and natural world stories
• Green River Valley Alliance (GRVA)

Products and services

• Forest Protection and Restoration Program Programs focused on protecting, restoring, and exploring the diverse forests of the southern Washington Cascades through conservation efforts and advocacy, for the benefit of regional ecosystems and downstream communities.
• Water Conservation Program Innovative solutions for aquatic habitats, including instream restoration, riparian planting, and watershed protection initiatives that safeguard drinking water supplies for downstream communities such as the cities of Vader and Castle Rock, WA.
• Wildlife Protection Program Studying wildlife and safeguarding biodiversity in the southern Washington Cascades region, including species such as coho salmon, Cascade torrent salamander, and old-growth Douglas fir.
• Fire Management Program Creative response to wildfire in southwest Washington, including community resilience and ecological fire management strategies for the Pacific Northwest.
• Conservation Guidebook Published strategies to conserve ecosystems and safeguard biodiversity in the southern Washington Cascades, providing guidance for conservation practitioners on land management and restoration.
• Volunteer Science and Education Program Citizen science and environmental education programs providing volunteers one-of-a-kind opportunities to learn and make a lasting impact through hands-on field activities, including tree planting, beaver habitat assessments, huckleberry surveys, and invasive species mapping.
• Mount St. Helens Mine Opposition Campaign Ongoing fight to stop a dangerous open-pit mine in the shadow of Mount St. Helens (Lawetlat'la), including legal action, grassroots advocacy, and four major court victories against IGMI and Ascot Resources.
• Roadless Area Conservation Campaign Advocacy efforts to safeguard wildlife habitat and backcountry areas protected by the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, including campaigns against its rescission and public education on its ecological importance.
• Beaver Relocation Program Relocation of beavers from areas of conflict to suitable habitat in forests, supporting ecosystem engineers and wetland restoration through site assessments evaluating water depth, building materials, food sources, and grazing pressure.
• Instream Wood Bank Program sourcing non-lumber wood (logs with rootwads, cottonwoods, spruce) from private timber companies and landowners, supplying it to regional restoration partners at discounted rates for salmon habitat improvement projects.
• Green River Valley Alliance Coalition campaign dedicated to securing a legislative mineral withdrawal to permanently protect the Green River Valley near Mount St. Helens from mining, with nearly 500 people having signed the GRVA petition.
• Understory NW Film Fest Annual film festival at Kiggins Theatre in Vancouver, WA celebrating conservation and natural world stories, serving as a major fundraising and community engagement event.
• Forest Fest Annual Fundraiser Annual ticketed community fundraiser at Holocene in Portland, OR featuring silent auction, raffles, games, food, and drink; serves as a major fundraising vehicle for the organization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Green River designated as Washington's first Outstanding Resource Water (ORW) in December 2023
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship / core and minor.

• Upper Lewis River Outstanding Resource Waters CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026CFC, along with a coalition of conservation and recreation groups, nominated the Upper Lewis River for Outstanding Resource Waters status in March 2026. The EPA has identified the Upper Lewis River as one of 12 primary thermal refugia in the Columbia River.
• Green River Valley Alliance (GRVA)flagship / coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2022The Green River Valley Alliance is CFC's flagship campaign coalition dedicated to securing a legislative mineral withdrawal to permanently protect the Green River Valley near Mount St. Helens from mining. GRVA is a growing coalition of conservation organizations and businesses including Conservation Northwest, Washington Wild, and Patagonia, publicly supporting CFC's proposed mineral withdrawal. Nearly 500 people have signed the GRVA petition. CFC leads the coalition and coordinates advocacy, organizing, and public outreach efforts.
• Instream Wood Bank NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020CFC is an active participant in the Instream Wood Bank, a regional network that has supported aquatic restoration and salmon habitat improvement projects since 2020 by sourcing non-lumber wood and supplying it to partners at discounted rates. The network includes partners across Washington and Oregon.
• Conservation NorthwestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation Northwest is a named member of the Green River Valley Alliance coalition. They are a regional conservation organization working to protect wild places and wildlife across Washington and Northwest Oregon.
• Washington WildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashington Wild is a named member of the Green River Valley Alliance coalition. They are a statewide wilderness organization advocating for protection of Washington's wild places.
• PatagoniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatagonia is a named member of the Green River Valley Alliance coalition, publicly expressing support for the proposed mineral withdrawal protecting the Green River Valley near Mount St. Helens.
• Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term restoration partner for instream habitat work. CFC has worked with LCFEG on projects including Stump Creek restoration and sourcing cottonwood and spruce logs from Weyerhaeuser timberlands for South Fork Toutle River habitat enhancement.
• Yakama NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFC partnered with the Yakama Nation and Underwood Conservation District on a wood movement project near Husum, WA, supplying ~200 logs with rootwads for fish habitat construction on White Creek (Klickitat River tributary) and Rattlesnake Creek (White Salmon River tributary).
• Underwood Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Husum, WA wood movement project with Yakama Nation. Receives logs from CFC's Instream Wood Bank for use in White Creek and Rattlesnake Creek restoration.
• Mount Adams Resource StewardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner that identified available wood sources for the Instream Wood Bank's Husum, WA project and initiated the collaboration effort.
• Northwest Youth CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthwest Youth Corps is an AmeriCorps service program that connects young adults with natural resource work experiences. CFC partnered with NYC for the first time at Salmon Creek, with NYC crews installing instream woody structures and planting 900+ trees and shrubs over two weeks in August and one week in November 2025. The partnership provides cost-effective labor for CFC while offering crew members hands-on conservation education.
• WeyerhaeusercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeyerhaeuser, a major timber company, collaborated with CFC's Instream Wood Bank to supply approximately 150 cottonwoods and spruce from their timberlands near Toutle, WA for salmon habitat enhancement in the South Fork Toutle River. This is described as an uncommon collaboration with one of the nation's largest timber companies.
• Lichen Land & WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFC collaborated with Lichen Land & Water as part of the Salmon Creek watershed assessment team working to evaluate restoration potential for drinking water quality improvement for the cities of Vader and Castle Rock.
• Lewis County Public WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Salmon Creek watershed restoration project, working with CFC and the Department of Health to assess restoration potential for improving municipal drinking water quality.
• Washington Department of EcologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashington Department of Ecology designated portions of the Green River and other waterways as Outstanding Resource Waters (ORWs) in December 2023, following a multi-year advocacy campaign by CFC and partners. The ORW designation provides the highest level of Clean Water Act protection in Washington state.
• U.S. Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFC has an established collaborative partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, working together on habitat restoration priorities, volunteer programs, and projects connecting local students to National Forest opportunities. CFC's Executive Director testified before the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Forestry about these partnerships. CFC also serves an oversight/accountability role that sometimes puts it at odds with the agency.
• Cowlitz Indian TribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cowlitz Indian Tribe has been a key ally in opposing mining proposals near Mount St. Helens. Since 2013, Mount St. Helens has been designated as a Traditional Heritage Property (THP) of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. The Tribe spoke out against previous mining attempts and participated in the Green River Valley Alliance.
• Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Yakama Nation spoke out against previous attempts to develop a mine in the hills of Mount St. Helens and is part of the coalition opposing Cambria Gold Mines' new efforts. The Tribe has government-to-government consultation rights regarding management of these lands.
• Washington Beaver Working GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFC participates in the Washington Beaver Working Group, working to make beaver management more effective and streamlined across the state while protecting beavers and their habitats. CFC's Science & Stewardship Manager presented on beaver restoration at the Seas to Summits Annual Conference alongside University of Washington, Vancouver partners.
• Earthrise Law CentercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal counsel representing CFC in court victories against mining proposals near Mount St. Helens, including the 2022 case vacating Forest Service and BLM drilling permits.
• Western Mining Action ProjectcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal partner alongside Earthrise Law Center in CFC's multi-year litigation against mining companies (Ascot Resources, IGMI/General Moly) attempting to develop mines near Mount St. Helens.
• Good Year FarmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the First Annual Washougal Beaver Bash alongside CFC and Washougal Arts & Culture Alliance, a free family-friendly event celebrating beavers and ecosystem engineers.
• Washougal Arts & Culture AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the First Annual Washougal Beaver Bash alongside CFC and Good Year Farms.
• Project BeaverminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibitor/partner at the Washougal Beaver Bash, sharing expertise about beaver ecology and restoration.
• Chinook Indian NationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibitor/partner at the Washougal Beaver Bash, representing Indigenous communities with cultural connections to beaver-influenced ecosystems.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club: National grassroots environmental organization with active chapters across the Pacific Northwest. Overlaps on forest protection, public lands advocacy, and member mobilization, but operates at far broader scale and across many issue areas.
• National Wildlife Federation: National wildlife advocacy and conservation organization with regional offices in the Pacific Northwest. Comparable focus on public lands, wildlife habitat, and federal forest policy, but as a much larger incumbent with diversified programming.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global conservation organization with major Washington state operations including forest and freshwater work. Overlaps with CFC on watershed protection, climate resilience, and partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, but at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Pacific Rivers Council: Pacific Northwest nonprofit dedicated to protecting rivers, streams, and watersheds. Closely aligned with CFC's water and aquatic habitat programs, including instream flow advocacy and salmon recovery.
• The Lands Council: Inland Northwest conservation nonprofit focused on forests, rivers, and wildlife in eastern Washington and northern Idaho. Comparable member-supported nonprofit structure with strong emphasis on federal forest policy and restoration.
• Washington Wild: Statewide wilderness advocacy organization protecting Washington's wild places. A coalition partner in the Green River Valley Alliance, sharing CFC's advocacy, public lands protection, and member-based organizing model.
• Washington Environmental Council: Statewide environmental advocacy organization working on climate, salmon recovery, and land protection in Washington. Comparable policy advocacy orientation and Olympia-focused legislative engagement.
• WildEarth Guardians: Wildlife and wild places advocacy organization with a heavy emphasis on administrative petitions and litigation. Overlaps directly with CFC's litigation-driven approach to protecting species and habitat in the Pacific Northwest.
• Oregon Wild: Oregon-based forest and wildlife conservation nonprofit with a near-identical operating model of forest advocacy, federal forest policy engagement, and field-based restoration. Highly comparable on regional geography and program mix.
• Conservation Northwest: Regional Pacific Northwest conservation nonprofit protecting wild places and wildlife across Washington and Northwest Oregon. A named member of CFC's Green River Valley Alliance coalition, with directly overlapping geographies, advocacy targets, and donor constituencies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cascadeforest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Cascade Forest Conservancy