What SUGAR PINE FOUNDATION does

Sugar Pine Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization (Tax ID 25-1909869) founded in 2004 in South Lake Tahoe, California, by U.S. Forest Service forestry technician John Pickett to restore sugar pines and other white pines decimated by white pine blister rust, a non-native fungus. The foundation identifies trees carrying major gene resistance to the disease (only 3-5% of sugar pines have this trait), collects their cones, propagates seedlings with partner nurseries, and plants them in burn scars and restoration areas across the Lake Tahoe Basin. Since 2008 it has run biannual community planting seasons (spring and fall), and it has planted more than 260,000 trees across 4,300+ acres and engaged more than 17,000 volunteers in the process.

The organization generates revenue through a diversified portfolio of small-dollar streams: tax-deductible donations in unit-priced tiers ($10 seedling, $50 tree adoption, $250 acre adoption), a $50/year membership program with monthly newsletter, a global e-commerce shop selling seedlings, seeds, cones, and organic cotton apparel, and corporate sponsorships supporting employee volunteer events. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, anchored by partnerships with the USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Eldorado National Forest, California State Parks, Lake Tahoe Community College, Patagonia, Vail Resorts, REI, and Wells Fargo. Distribution combines on-the-ground field operations across South Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and Meyers with an online storefront shipping merchandise globally.

Operations are run by a lean team of approximately seven staff led by Executive Director Maria Mircheva (since 2007), supported by a Board of Directors featuring former FICO and California Energy Commission executives, a PhD science advisor specializing in white pine blister rust, and advisors for champion-tree identification. The organization has no proprietary technology platform, no software product surface, and no AI capabilities; its core intellectual property is its multi-year inventory of genetically resistant seed trees and the operational data from its planting and survival programs.

Name

SUGAR PINE FOUNDATION

Legal name

Sugar Pine Foundation

Website

https://sugarpinefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sugar Pine Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2004 in South Lake Tahoe that restores white pines by identifying blister rust-resistant trees, collecting seeds, and planting seedlings across the Lake Tahoe Basin through a network of 17,000+ volunteers and government, corporate, and academic partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation and Reforestation

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (1132)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tree Planting & Establishment Services (Manual/Mechanized) (AFAMACAE), Regeneration & Reforestation Operations (Site Prep, Planting, Seeding) (AFAMAAAC), Post-Planting Maintenance (Weeding, Mulching, Fertilization, Irrigation) (AFAMACAG)

Keywords

• Forest restoration services
• Community reforestation programs
• White pine conservation
• Environmental education programs
• Blister rust research

Headquarters

HQ city

South Lake Tahoe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting forest restoration work. Membership program at $50/year includes monthly e-newsletter and planting support.
2. Merchandise and Product Sales: Online shop selling seedlings, seeds, cones, shirts, ornaments, and adoption certificates. Products include sugar pine seedlings ($10), seeds ($10), cones ($15), apparel ($25), and adoption programs ($50-$250).
3. Corporate Sponsorships and Partnerships: Business sponsorships for plantings, employee volunteer events, and retail partnerships. Includes Adopt-an-Acre program and general sponsorship opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Sugar Pine Foundation restores white pine populations in the Lake Tahoe Basin by identifying blister rust-resistant sugar pines, collecting their seeds, growing seedlings, and planting them in burn scars and restoration areas. The foundation runs community volunteer planting events, sells seedlings and merchandise through an online shop, offers corporate sponsorship programs (Adopt-an-Acre, Adopt-a-Tree), and delivers K-12 environmental education programs. Operations are supported by tax-deductible donations, memberships, grants, and product sales.

Product overview

Sugar Pine Foundation operates as a non-profit conservation organization offering a portfolio of tree products, donation programs, and merchandise. The core offerings include sugar pine seedlings ($10) and native plant seeds ($10) for individuals to plant their own trees, as well as adoption programs including Adopt an Acre ($250) and Adopt a Tree ($50) for conservation sponsorship. The organization also sells merchandise including t-shirts and pine cone ornaments/key chains. All products and programs support the Foundation's mission of restoring sugar pines and white pines in the Lake Tahoe region through identifying blister rust-resistant trees, collecting seeds, and planting seedlings in fire scars and restoration areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sugar Pine Seedlings Year-old sugar pine seedlings available for purchase ($10 each) for individuals who want to plant their own trees and support white pine restoration.
• Native Plant Seeds Sugar pine seeds sold at $10 per packet for individuals to grow their own seedlings and support forest restoration.
• Adopt an Acre Donation/sponsorship program at $250 where donors fund reforestation of one acre of forest land, receiving a certificate with GPS coordinates and a photo of the adopted acre.
• Adopt a Tree Donation program at $50 sponsoring the planting of a blister rust-resistant sugar pine tree, with a certificate for the adopted tree.
• Annual Membership Annual membership subscription at $50/year that includes a monthly e-newsletter and access to support the foundation's planting efforts.
• Corporate Sponsorship and Employee Volunteer Programs Corporate-sponsored planting events, employee volunteer team-building programs, and Adopt-an-Acre certificates for businesses seeking CSR and employee engagement opportunities.
• Volunteer Planting Events Public and private community tree planting events held every spring and fall in the Lake Tahoe Basin, where volunteers help plant blister rust-resistant sugar pine and white pine seedlings in fire burn scars and restoration areas.
• Environmental Education Programs Educational hikes, snowshoe treks, Children's Forest program for K-12 students, and outdoor classroom experiences teaching tree identification, forest ecology, and conservation in the Lake Tahoe area.
• Sugar Pine Foundation Merchandise Branded merchandise including organic cotton t-shirts ($25 women's and unisex) and pine cone ornaments/key chains ($12) sold through the online shop to support the foundation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 260,000+ trees planted since 2005
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PatagoniacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner with employee volunteer program. Patagonia Reno team led by Lloyd Straley participated in plantings and Adopt-an-Acre programs. Employees contribute through Patagonia's environmental internship program.
• Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForestry Education and Job Placement Program partnership. SPF hosts interns from LTCC's Associate of Science in Forestry program. Program offers certificates and transfer pathways. Funded by U.S. Economic Development Administration's Good Jobs Challenge.
• El Dorado National ForestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative reforestation in burn scars following Caldor Fire and other wildfires. USFS provides access to national forest lands and coordinates restoration efforts with SPF.
• California State ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReplanting projects in State Parks including Burton Creek State Park and Martin Meadows. Partnership includes prescribed burn site restoration and ongoing site maintenance.
• Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (USFS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on blister rust resistance testing and forest restoration in the Lake Tahoe Basin. USFS tests cones collected by SPF for major gene resistance.
• South Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition (STEEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative network of 25+ agencies and nonprofits delivering environmental education programs for all grade levels in South Lake Tahoe schools. SPF contributes forestry education through Children's Forest and other programs.
• Vail ResortsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting forest restoration efforts in the Lake Tahoe region.
• Truckee Donner Land TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLand conservation partner for reforestation projects on protected lands in the Truckee area.
• California Tahoe ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner for forest conservation and restoration on California Tahoe lands.
• Sierra Watershed Education Partnership (SWEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing educational nonprofit partner for watershed and environmental education programs.
• Patagonia RenocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional Patagonia store with employee volunteer program. FedEx Patagonia Team sponsored an acre in Galena Creek State Park in memory of Lloyd Straley.
• REIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOutdoor retailer partner supporting forest restoration through marketing and potentially employee volunteer programs.
• Wells FargominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate volunteer team from Bay Area participated in planting events at Mule Deer Circle on Earth Day.
• Kirkwood EmployeesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSki resort employees participate in reforestation efforts in burn scars near Kirkwood.
• University of Nevada, Reno (UNR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for research including UNR study confirming Washoe understanding of sage brush as nurse plants.
• The Nature ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUses glyphosate for invasive species control in land management, providing context for SPF's approach to brush management.
• Placerville NurserycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner nursery for seed extraction and seedling propagation. Cones collected by SPF are sent to Placerville for processing and growing into seedlings for restoration plantings.
• Backcountry PressminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublishes books and educational content for nature enthusiasts, created conifer educational materials.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Arbor Day Foundation: One of the largest tree-planting nonprofits in the U.S., running national reforestation campaigns and membership programs. Directly comparable to SPF on mission (mass community tree planting) and donation/membership revenue model, but at vastly greater national scale.
• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest environmental nonprofits with active forest restoration programs in California and globally. Overlaps with SPF on reforestation science and USFS collaboration (TNC is explicitly listed as an SPF partner), but operates across broader conservation domains.
• Sierra Club: One of the oldest and largest U.S. environmental organizations, with active Sierra Nevada forest advocacy and volunteer-driven outings. Overlaps with SPF on volunteer engagement and Sierra forest conservation messaging, but operates at vastly larger national scale.

Regional players

• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that acquires and conserves land, with active Sierra Nevada and California wildfire restoration projects. Comparable as a land-focused conservation nonprofit with relevant expertise in Tahoe-adjacent geographies and government partnership models.
• Pacific Forest Trust: California-based nonprofit focused on forest conservation easements and climate-resilient forestry on private timberlands. Comparable as a Sierra-focused forest conservation nonprofit, though its primary mechanism is land/carbon markets rather than volunteer plantings.
• California Native Plant Society: California-focused nonprofit promoting native plant conservation, including seed collection and propagation relevant to Sierra reforestation. Comparable mission in native species restoration and similar grassroots/educational operating model.

Direct peers

• National Forest Foundation: Chartered partner of the U.S. Forest Service that channels corporate and individual funding into National Forest restoration projects. Closely comparable to SPF's USFS partnership model and community volunteer plantings in federal lands.
• Truckee Donner Land Trust: Regional land conservation nonprofit operating in the Truckee/North Tahoe area, an explicit SPF partner for reforestation on protected lands. Directly comparable as a small, locally focused conservation nonprofit with overlapping geography and partnership-driven operating model.
• American Forests: National nonprofit focused on forest conservation and reforestation, including wildfire restoration and policy advocacy. Directly comparable mission to SPF, with overlapping focus on post-fire replanting and climate-resilient species selection, though operating at a larger national scale.
• Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships: Long-standing SPF educational partner delivering watershed and forestry education in the Tahoe region. Comparable as a small environmental education nonprofit with overlapping K-12 programming and government/agency funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/sugarpinefoundation2
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sugar-pine-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 SUGAR PINE FOUNDATION