Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission

What Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission does

The Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission (SEEC) is a transboundary, non-profit endowment commission established in 1984 by the High Ross Treaty between Canada and the United States. Its mandate is to support the preservation and protection of the natural environment, cultural resources, and compatible recreational opportunities within the Upper Skagit Watershed—an ecologically important area spanning British Columbia (Manning Provincial Park, Skagit Valley Provincial Park, and the Silverdaisy watershed) and Washington State (most of the North Cascades National Park Complex). SEEC operates as a grant-making and convening body rather than a technology product company; its primary activities are ecosystem-science funding, Indigenous engagement, environmental education, watershed integrity work, and recreation programming.

SEEC is jointly governed by 16 commissioners—an eight-person Canadian delegation appointed by the Premier of British Columbia and an eight-person U.S. delegation appointed by the Mayor of Seattle—each comprising four Commissioners and four Alternate Commissioners on four-year staggered terms. Operational staffing consists of approximately 7 personnel, with administrative support provided in-kind by the two treaty signatory organizations: Seattle City Light (USA Secretary Kate Engel, Science Policy Manager) and the BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (Canada Secretary Ann Eastman, Manager of Intergovernmental Relations). The Commission's budget is approved by the Province of British Columbia and Seattle City Council, and governance is supported by a Co-Chair on each side (Rob Smith and Shannon Bentley) plus a contract Communications & Outreach Consultant (Rudy Kehler). Its primary outputs include the online funding application program, the Strategic Plan (most recent: 2024-2028), the Skagit Maps platform (including an ArcGIS StoryMap on historic mining), funded project reports, and educational resources about the Upper Skagit Watershed.

SEEC does not generate commercial revenue. Its funding flows from an endowment established under the 1984 High Ross Treaty, in which Seattle City Light agreed not to raise Ross Dam for 80 years in exchange for power purchased at rates equivalent to a hypothetical dam-raising scenario. SEEC disburses grants through a structured online application process reviewed by staff and Commissioners against Strategic Plan goals. Eligible applicants include First Nations and Tribes (Nlaka'pamux, Stó:lō, Syilx, Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe, Swinomish Tribal Community, Lummi Nation), government agencies (BC Parks, U.S. National Park Service), and registered conservation non-profits (North Cascades Institute, Hope Mountain Centre for Outdoor Learning, Nature Conservancy of Canada). The organization's mandate extends through 2065.

Name

Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission

Legal name

Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission

Website

https://skagiteec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SEEC is a non-profit endowment commission established by the 1984 High Ross Treaty to preserve the Upper Skagit Watershed. It disburses conservation grants to First Nations, government agencies, and non-profits across the BC–Washington border through 2065.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Funding

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Endowments (Universities, Foundations, Nonprofits) (FSAAAGAC)

Keywords

• Watershed conservation funding
• Environmental grant programs
• Transboundary stewardship
• Indigenous engagement
• Endowment management

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver, BC

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Endowment Fund Management: SEEC manages an endowment fund established under the 1984 High Ross Treaty to preserve wilderness, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities in the Upper Skagit Watershed. The endowment operates until 2065. Seattle City Light provides power purchased at rates equivalent to what would have resulted from raising the dam, which funds the endowment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SEEC manages an endowment fund established under the 1984 High Ross Treaty between Canada and the United States to preserve wilderness, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities in the Upper Skagit Watershed. The organization provides grant funding to eligible organizations for environmental conservation, ecosystem science, Indigenous engagement, recreation, and education projects. The endowment operates until 2065, funded by Seattle City Light's equivalent power purchase payments.

Product overview

The Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission (SEEC) is a transboundary funding organization established by the 1984 High Ross Treaty between the USA and Canada. It is not a technology product company but rather a conservation-focused endowment commission. SEEC's core offering is its grant funding program that supports environmental preservation, research, and recreation projects in the Upper Skagit Watershed. The organization also provides educational resources, maintains a collection of funded project reports, publishes strategic plans, and offers mapping resources about the watershed. SEEC does not operate a software product or platform — its primary activities are grant-making, watershed stewardship, and public education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SEEC Funding Program A grant funding program providing financial support to incorporated non-profit organizations, registered charities, government agencies, and First Nations/Tribes for environmental conservation, ecosystem science, recreation, environmental education, and Indigenous engagement projects in the Upper Skagit Watershed. Applications are reviewed by SEEC staff and Commissioners against Strategic Plan goals.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Seattle City LightcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1984Seattle City Light is a key signatory to the 1984 High Ross Treaty. Under the treaty, Seattle City Light agreed not to raise Ross Dam for 80 years in exchange for power purchased at rates equivalent to what would have resulted from raising the dam. Seattle City Light also provides staff support (USA Secretary) to SEEC.
• Province of British ColumbiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1984The Province of BC is a signatory to the 1984 High Ross Treaty that created SEEC. The BC Government, through the Ministry of Water, Land & Resource Stewardship, provides staff support (Canada Secretary) to SEEC. The Commission's budget is approved by the Province of British Columbia.
• BC ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEEC collaborates with BC Parks on conservation and recreation projects in Skagit Valley Provincial Park. BC Parks is responsible for administering publicly owned park land in British Columbia portion of the watershed.
• National Park Service (US)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEEC collaborates with the National Park Service on conservation and environmental programs in the North Cascades National Park Complex in Washington State, which covers most of the US portion of the Upper Skagit Watershed.
• Nature Conservancy of CanadamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Nature Conservancy of Canada collaborated in the achievement of extinguishing mineral tenures on Silverdaisy Mountain, a major milestone in watershed protection.
• First Nations and TribescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEEC works with multiple First Nations and Tribes including Nlaka'pamux, Stó:lō, Syilx, Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe, Swinomish Tribal Community, and Lummi Nation. The Commission prioritizes building relationships with Indigenous Peoples and integrating Indigenous Knowledge Systems.
• North Cascades InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEEC is a major funder of programs developed and delivered by NCI in the Upper Skagit Watershed. NCI focuses on transformative learning experiences in nature, environmental education, outdoor recreation, and conservation.
• Hope Mountain Centre for Outdoor LearningmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEEC supports educational programming at Hope Mountain Centre, which provides outdoor learning experiences in the Upper Skagit region. Kelly Pearce, the program director, received the Canada Volunteer Award for Community Leadership.
• Union of British Columbia Indian ChiefsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUBCIC collaborated in the successful effort to extinguish mineral tenures on Silverdaisy Mountain and has been involved in broader transboundary watershed protection efforts.
• Western Washington University - Spatial InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Spatial Institute at Western Washington University developed a StoryMap of historic mining in the Upper Skagit Valley to help implement SEEC's Strategic Plan.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: Global environmental nonprofit operating across habitat protection, climate, and water. While not treaty-based like SEEC, it works on the US portion of the Upper Skagit Watershed through partnerships and offers a benchmark for large-scale environmental land protection.

Direct peers

• Wilburforce Foundation: Private foundation funding conservation in western North America, including BC and the Pacific Northwest. Comparable grantmaking model targeting ecosystem integrity, Indigenous-led conservation, and protected area connectivity.
• Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative: Transboundary conservation initiative connecting and protecting habitat from Yellowstone to Yukon across the US-Canada border. Directly comparable to SEEC in convening cross-border conservation efforts and integrating Indigenous-led stewardship.
• Pacific Salmon Foundation: BC-based nonprofit that funds salmon habitat restoration, conservation research, and education across the Pacific Northwest. Overlapping regional mandate and similar grantmaking/convener model anchored in BC government support.
• Sitka Foundation: BC-based environmental grantmaking foundation supporting conservation, climate solutions, and Indigenous-led stewardship. Operates in the same geography and addresses many of the same watershed/ecosystem themes as SEEC.
• MakeWay (Make Way on Earth Foundation): Canadian nonprofit platform that hosts and supports environmental, conservation, and Indigenous-led initiatives across Canada, including BC. Operates a comparable grant-pass-through and charitable program model for watershed and land stewardship projects.
• Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia: BC-based grantmaking foundation that funds projects linking land use, real estate, and the built environment to sustainable communities. Shares SEEC's BC government anchoring and grantmaking approach to land stewardship.
• Nature Conservancy of Canada: Canada's largest land conservation charity, focused on securing and stewarding natural areas. NCC directly collaborated with SEEC on the Silverdaisy Mountain mineral tenure extinguishment and operates comparable land-protection grantmaking programs.
• The Freshwater Trust: North American nonprofit focused on stream and watershed restoration through project finance, grants, and partnerships. Directly comparable mission around freshwater habitat protection and watershed-scale conservation.
• BC Parks Foundation: BC-based charitable foundation that raises and deploys funds to enhance BC Parks, including transboundary parks like Skagit Valley. Operates a similar endowment/grantmaking model and works with the same BC government partners as SEEC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/skagitwatershed
• Facebookfacebook.com/skagiteec
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skagit-environmental-endowment-commission
• Instagraminstagram.com/skagitwatershed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission