Yuba Forest Restoration

What Yuba Forest Restoration does

YFR Tree & Land Management, Inc. (operating as Yuba Forest Restoration) is a Grass Valley, California-based tree care and vegetation management company founded in 2019. The firm provides tree pruning, tree removal, stump grinding, mastication (forestry mulching), defensible space and fuels reduction, emergency storm damage cleanup, and small-scale timber harvesting services to residential, commercial, and municipal property owners across the Sierra Nevada region — specifically Yuba, Nevada, Sierra, and Placer Counties.

Service delivery is built around specialized heavy equipment rather than software. The fleet centers on a Bandit 19XPC track-driven chipper (nicknamed "Homer") with a 173 HP John Deere diesel motor, CAT undercarriage, and hydraulic winch capable of processing material over 20 inches in diameter and accessing steep or remote terrain where conventional tow-behind chippers cannot operate, plus a Takeuchi TL-12 skid-steer-mounted masticator for vegetation mulching. The team holds ISA Certified Arborist (WE-11927A), ISA Qualified Tree Risk Assessor, and TCIA Academy climber and ground operations certifications, along with a California CSLB C-61/D-49 Tree Service Contractor license (#1063119) and a CAL FIRE Licensed Timber Operator designation (A013287). Together these credentials enable legally compliant work across both routine arboriculture and timber-harvesting engagements.

YFR operates as a founder-led, project-based professional services business. Work is acquired through free on-site property evaluations, direct field sales, a $100-off refer-a-friend program, community marketing via the Nevada City Farmers Market, and educational blog content on forest stewardship. Pricing is quote-based per project, with revenue streams concentrated in one-time engagements and premium-priced 24/7 emergency response. The firm also assists landowners with state (CAL FIRE CFIP) and federal (USDA NRCS EQIP) cost-share programs to offset land management costs. Ownership and operations remain with co-founders Matt and Jenn Merrill; no external venture, private equity, or institutional capital is disclosed.

Name

Yuba Forest Restoration

Legal name

YFR Tree & Land Management, Inc.

Website

https://yubaforestrestoration.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

YFR Tree & Land Management (Yuba Forest Restoration) is a Grass Valley, California-based arborist firm founded in 2019. It serves residential, commercial, and municipal clients across the Sierra Nevada with mastication, defensible space, fuels reduction, and tree care services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Grass Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tree Care and Removal Services: Professional tree care including pruning, tree removal, stump grinding. One-time service engagements billed per project based on scope and complexity.
2. Mastication and Forestry Mulching: Vegetation management using specialized equipment for fuel reduction and forest health improvement. Cost-effective alternative to hand crews for larger areas.
3. Defensible Space and Fuels Reduction: Wildfire risk reduction services including vegetation treatments, hazard tree assessments, and compliance with CAL FIRE requirements.
4. Emergency Storm Damage Services: 24-hour emergency response for storm damage cleanup and tree removal. Premium pricing for emergency services.
5. Free Wood Chip Distribution: Free wood chips offered to property owners - byproduct of operations used for customer acquisition and community goodwill.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

YFR Tree & Land Management provides professional arborist and forestry services focused on wildfire resilience and forest health in the Sierra Nevada region of California. Core services include tree care, pruning and removal, mastication/forestry mulching, defensible space and fuels reduction, 24/7 emergency storm damage cleanup, stump grinding, timber harvesting, and free wood chip delivery. The company serves residential, commercial, and municipal/public land clients across Yuba, Nevada, Sierra, and Placer Counties.

Product overview

YFR Tree & Land Management offers a comprehensive suite of professional tree and land management services focused on wildfire resilience and forest health in the Sierra Nevada region. The core service portfolio includes Tree Care/Pruning/Removal, Mastication & Forestry Mulching, Defensible Space & Fuels Reduction, Emergency Tree Removal & Storm Damage Cleanup, Stump Grinding, and Timber Harvesting. Supporting services include Free Wood Chips delivery and Free Property Evaluations. The company operates as a service-based business rather than a software platform, serving residential, commercial, municipal, and public land clients across Yuba, Nevada, Sierra, and Placer Counties in California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tree Care, Tree Pruning & Tree Removal Professional arborist services including pruning, trimming, and complete tree removal for residential, commercial, and municipal clients in the Sierra Nevada region. Includes hazardous tree assessment and dead-wood removal from species such as Lodgepole Pine and Black Oak.
• Mastication & Forestry Mulching
• Defensible Space & Fuels Reduction
• Emergency Tree Removal & Storm Damage Cleanup
• Stump Grinding & Removal
• Timber Harvesting & Small-Scale Logging
• Free Wood Chips Delivery
• Free Property Evaluations
• Arborist Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• Forests that have not been maintained can see near 100% tree loss in fire events due to intensity from high fuel loads
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Yuba Bear Burn CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2023Non-profit cooperative empowering private landowners through education to safely and legally practice prescribed fire. YFR participates in burn events and educational programs. Dario Davidson, a key member, organized prescribed burns and provides expertise in fire ecology.
• Lower Colfax Firewise CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirewise community organization focused on wildfire preparedness. Matt Merrill serves as property owner and organizer. YFR provided mastication services for evacuation route fuel reduction and shaded fuel break projects.
• CAL FIRE California Forest Improvement Program (CFIP)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerState program providing up to 90% reimbursement for forest improvement costs. YFR helps landowners prepare exemptions and assists with permit requirements for timber harvesting under this program.
• USDA NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFederal cost-share program providing 50-75% cost defrayal for conservation practices. NRCS office in Grass Valley provides technical assistance. YFR refers landowners to this program for funding support.
• Nevada County Fire Safe CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal organization offering free defensible space inspections and fire safety resources. YFR refers customers to this resource and works alongside their initiatives.
• Sustainable Energy GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal solar company in Grass Valley. Published guest article about forest stewardship in their newsletter. Cross-promotional relationship with shared customer base.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Wright Tree Service: Large utility vegetation management and tree services company; comparable to YFR in vegetation management, mastication, and emergency storm response, though focused primarily on utility contracts.
• Bartlett Tree Experts: Large, established arborist firm offering scientific tree care, pruning, removals, and plant health care across multiple regions; comparable to YFR on services delivered and ISA-certified arborist model, but with significantly larger scale.
• Asplundh Tree Expert Company: Major utility vegetation management and tree services contractor with national footprint; directly comparable to YFR in defensible-space and fuels-reduction work but operates at much larger scale primarily for utilities and municipalities.
• Davey Tree Expert Company: Employee-owned, national tree-care and utility vegetation management company offering residential, commercial, and utility-scale services; overlaps with YFR on tree care, mastication-style vegetation management, and storm response.

Direct peers

• Arbor Masters: Regional arborist and tree services company offering tree removal, pruning, plant health care, and consulting — closely comparable to YFR's residential and commercial arboriculture service line.
• SavATree: National tree, shrub, and lawn care services company combining arboriculture with broader property services — directly comparable to YFR in offering integrated tree care, defensible-space work, and land management to residential and commercial clients.
• Lucas Tree Experts: Regional tree care, removal, and vegetation management company with comparable residential and commercial service mix to YFR, including storm response and ISA-certified arborist credentials.
• Mountain F. Enterprises: Vegetation management and forestry services contractor operating in the Western U.S., including California; comparable to YFR in fuels reduction, defensible space, mastication, and right-of-way clearing work.

Emerging players

• Rainbow Treecare Scientific Arboriculture: Science-driven arboriculture firm focused on tree health diagnostics and treatments; partially comparable to YFR's arborist consulting and tree health assessment work, but with a different emphasis on diagnostic science.

Others

• Sustainable Energy Group: Local Grass Valley solar and energy company with cross-promotional relationship to YFR; comparable as an adjacent community-rooted small business sharing customer base, rather than a direct services competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/YubaForestRestoration
• Facebookfacebook.com/YubaForestRestoration
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yubaforestrestoration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Yuba Forest Restoration