Redwood Forest Foundation

What Redwood Forest Foundation does

Redwood Forest Foundation, Inc. is a California-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2007 that manages the 50,000-acre Usal Redwood Forest on California's Mendocino Coast, with the property currently expanding toward 57,000 acres. The foundation serves multiple stakeholder groups: individual conservation donors and tour participants, government agencies funding forest health and fire resilience (CAL FIRE, USDA), partner environmental organizations (Trout Unlimited, Save the Redwoods League, Mendocino Land Trust), and Native American communities (Wailaki, Cahto, Sinkiyone, Coast Yuki) engaged through cultural fire and land stewardship partnerships. Its operations center on large-scale redwood restoration, salmon habitat recovery, wildfire risk reduction, and biodiversity protection, with verifiable outcomes including 250,000 native redwoods planted, 46 miles of legacy roads decommissioned, 162,390 cubic yards of sediment prevented from reaching rivers, and confirmed coho salmon fry in South Fork Usal Creek in April 2025 for the first time since 2013.

The foundation's core technical platform is the Smart Forest monitoring system, an integrated infrastructure combining AI-enabled wildlife cameras (23 deployed), bioacoustic recorders with automated species-by-acoustic-fingerprint identification, eDNA collection kits for molecular-scale species detection, soil moisture and temperature probes, thermal imaging units for fire risk detection, Motus wildlife telemetry receivers participating in a Pacific Flyway network, and drone/GIS aerial mapping — all linked through a solar-powered telecommunications tower network providing off-grid telemetry. Biodiversity data is processed through NatureMetrics' accredited science platform to produce verified reporting that meets standards required for carbon markets and conservation funders. The foundation holds 4.8 million metric tons of verified CO2e carbon stock and 35 million+ trees on the property, and operates under FSC-certified sustainable timber management.

The revenue model is multi-stream and characteristic of a conservation nonprofit: tax-deductible individual donations (including one-time, recurring, sponsored acres, plant-a-redwood, and legacy giving programs), fee-based Guided ATV Tours at $250 per person with a two-person minimum, public grants from agencies such as CAL FIRE and USDA, emerging carbon credit revenue tied to verified forest carbon, FSC-certified sustainable timber revenue, and partner-funded project work. The organization is governed by a 12-member board and led by CEO Matt Hill, founder of One Tree Planted, supported by a 13-person core staff of biologists, foresters, technicians, and community engagement personnel, supplemented by project-based local crews.

Name

Redwood Forest Foundation

Legal name

Redwood Forest Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://redwoodforests.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Redwood Forest Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit managing the 50,000-acre Usal Redwood Forest on California's Mendocino Coast. It deploys an AI-enabled Smart Forest monitoring system for biodiversity, watershed, and carbon tracking, funded by donations, government grants, tours, carbon credits, and sustainable timber.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forest Conservation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Forestry and Logging (113)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forest Carbon Projects & Ecosystem Services (Carbon Credits, Biodiversity) (IMAMAAAJ), Forest Health & Protection Services (Pest/Disease, Invasive Species) (IMAMAJAF), Forestry & Ecosystem Carbon Removal (Afforestation/Reforestation, Improved Forest Management) (EUABAFAH), Forestry & Public Lands Administration (State/National Forests) (BPAIAMAF)

Keywords

• Forest conservation services
• Watershed restoration programs
• Biodiversity monitoring systems
• Carbon offset projects
• Sustainable timber management

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Bragg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting forest conservation work, including one-time and recurring donations, sponsored acres, and plant-a-redwood programs
2. ATV Tour Revenue: Fee-based guided ATV tours at $250 per person with two-person minimum, generating revenue while providing conservation education and building supporter constituency
3. Government Grants: Public funding from CAL FIRE Forest Health program ($2.4 million for Indian Creek project) and USDA Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program ($2.8 million for Leggett fire mitigation)
4. Carbon Credit Program: Verified carbon stock of 4.8 million metric tons CO2e supporting carbon credit revenue through keeping forest standing and healthy over long term
5. FSC-Certified Sustainable Timber: FSC-certified sustainable timber operations generating revenue that funds conservation work and makes permanent land protection financially sustainable
6. Legacy Giving: Planned giving and bequest programs for long-term supporter commitment to forest conservation

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Redwood Forest Foundation manages a 50,000-acre working community forest on the Mendocino Coast, delivering forest conservation, watershed restoration, and biodiversity monitoring services. Its core operations combine on-the-ground restoration (reforestation, road decommissioning, salmon habitat recovery) with the proprietary Smart Forest monitoring system that uses AI-enabled wildlife cameras, bioacoustic recorders, soil sensors, and solar-powered telemetry to track ecosystem health. Public-facing offerings include a guided ATV tour, donation programs (Sponsor an Acre, Plant a Redwood), and FSC-certified sustainable timber operations that fund permanent land protection.

Product overview

Redwood Forest Foundation manages a 50,000-acre working community forest on the Mendocino Coast through a portfolio of interconnected programs and offerings. The core operational system is the Smart Forest Monitoring System, an intelligent infrastructure combining AI-enabled wildlife cameras, bioacoustic recorders, soil sensors, thermal imaging, drone/GIS mapping, and a real-time solar-powered telemetry network that tracks biodiversity, watershed health, and carbon across the property. The public-facing Guided ATV Tour offers access to the forest and restoration sites. Complementary programs include Watershed Restoration services, eDNA Biodiversity Mapping for molecular-scale species detection, and donation programs (Sponsor an Acre and Plant a Redwood). The working forest model uses revenue from sustainable operations to fund conservation, making permanent land protection financially sustainable alongside public grants and carbon markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Usal Redwood Forest: The 50,000-acre working conservation forest on the Mendocino Coast managed by the foundation.
• Smart Forest

Products and services

• Guided ATV Tour A full-day guided ATV tour through 50,000 acres of Usal Redwood Forest on California's Lost Coast, covering old-growth canopy, ridgeline overlooks, active restoration zones, and creek corridors. Costs $250 per person with a two-person minimum, includes a catered lunch and transport from Fort Bragg, and runs approximately 2.5 hours of riding within a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. day. Designed for conservation-minded visitors seeking accessible old-growth redwood experiences.
• Smart Forest Monitoring System An intelligent monitoring and communications infrastructure combining AI-enabled wildlife cameras, bioacoustic recorders, Song Meter devices, Motus wildlife telemetry receivers, soil moisture sensors, thermal imaging units, drone/GIS aerial mapping, and a real-time solar-powered telemetry network. The system transforms environmental data from across the 50,000-acre property into actionable insights for restoration and forest management decisions and supports accredited biodiversity reporting.
• Watershed Restoration Watershed restoration services targeting salmon habitat recovery, including large woody debris installation, riparian replanting, road decommissioning, and stream bank stabilization. Efforts have improved 14 miles of salmon habitat and prevented 162,390 cubic yards of sediment from entering rivers.
• Sponsor an Acre A conservation sponsorship program allowing individuals to sponsor an acre of Usal Redwood Forest to support protection and restoration efforts. Tax-deductible under 501(c)(3) status.
• Plant a Redwood A reforestation donation program enabling individuals to contribute to tree planting efforts at Usal Redwood Forest, supporting the 250,000 native redwoods planted from locally collected seed since 2007.
• Legacy Giving Program Planned giving and bequest programs enabling long-term supporter commitment to forest conservation through estate gifts and other planned giving vehicles.

Quantifiable outcome

• Coho salmon fry confirmed in South Fork Usal Creek April 2025 — first presence since 2013
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Integration5 records

AI capability7 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• NatureMetricscoreTechnology or IntegrationBiodiversity analytics company processing wildlife camera and acoustic data collected at Usal to produce accredited scientific reporting meeting standards for carbon markets and conservation funders
• Trout UnlimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for salmon habitat restoration: 2014 collaboration installed approximately 90 large woody debris structures along 1.9 miles of South Fork Usal Creek for juvenile coho salmon habitat
• Wailaki Cultural Burn PractitionerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural fire partnerships reintroducing traditional burning practices at sites like Parker Flat, working to restore forest fire cycles in partnership with indigenous practitioners who have stewarded this land for generations
• California Department of Fish and WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDFW biologists confirmed coho salmon fry in South Fork Usal Creek in April 2025 for the first time since 2013, providing official verification of species return
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManages Usal Beach at southern boundary of Usal Redwood Forest; BLM campground on site for overnight stays
• Save the Redwoods League, Mendocino Land Trust, California Coastal ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative land management for Peter Douglas Coastal Trail at Shady Dell property north of Fort Bragg
• Local Volunteer Fire DepartmentssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport for cultural burn operations at Usal including Parker Flat burn in March 2026
• Prescribed Burn AssociationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport for cultural burn operations and practitioner training for prescribed fire at Usal Redwood Forest

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Trout Unlimited: A national nonprofit focused on coldwater fisheries and watershed restoration, and an explicit RFF partner on South Fork Usal Creek coho salmon habitat work. Comparable in stream restoration, salmon recovery, and public-grant funding approach.
• Save the Redwoods League: A nonprofit conservation organization explicitly partnered with RFF on the Peter Douglas Coastal Trail. Both acquire, restore, and provide public access to redwood forests in Northern California, making them the closest direct peer in mission, geography, and constituency.
• Pacific Forest Trust: A nonprofit that works with private and public forest landowners to develop working forest conservation easements and forest carbon projects in California and the Pacific Northwest. Closely comparable to RFF on the forest-carbon and FSC-timber revenue model.

Broad incumbents

• American Forests: A national nonprofit focused on forest restoration, reforestation, and urban forestry. Comparable in mission (reforestation and forest health), scope, and reliance on donations and corporate partnerships, though broader in geographic focus than RFF.
• Trust for Public Land: A national nonprofit that acquires and conserves land for public benefit, including forests, parks, and working landscapes. Overlaps with RFF in funding mechanisms (grants, donations, conservation finance) and conservation real-estate strategy.
• Sierra Club: A large environmental nonprofit with a California forestry and salmon-recovery agenda; RFF board member Richard Gienger has represented Sierra Club on the California Coho Recovery Team. Comparable on policy engagement and salmon recovery but much broader in scope.
• The Nature Conservancy (California / North America): One of the largest global environmental nonprofits, operating large-scale land conservation projects including working forests, carbon projects, and biodiversity monitoring. Comparable to RFF in mission and operating model, but vastly larger and more diversified across geographies and programs.

Others

• Sustainable Forestry Initiative: A sustainable-forestry standards and certification organization (alongside FSC). Comparable to RFF in the certification ecosystem that underpins FSC-timber revenue, but operates as a standards body rather than a forest landowner.

Emerging players

• One Tree Planted: A global reforestation nonprofit previously founded by RFF's CEO Matt Hill. Comparable in mission (reforestation and donor-funded tree planting), digital fundraising model, and leadership DNA, though it operates as a planting program rather than a land manager.

Regional players

• Mendocino Land Trust: A regional land trust on the Mendocino Coast that is an explicit RFF partner on the Peter Douglas Coastal Trail. Comparable in regional scope and conservation real-estate model, but smaller in acreage and without RFF's working-forest and monitoring infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/61577678383044
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/redwoodforestfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/redwoodforestfoundation?igsh=MTZscmcwYXpvMDlueQ==

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 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 Redwood Forest Foundation