The National Association Of State Foresters

What The National Association Of State Foresters does

The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) is a non-profit professional membership association founded in 1920, headquartered at 444 N. Capitol Street NW, Suite 387, Washington, DC. Its membership comprises the directors of state forestry agencies across all 50 U.S. states, five U.S. territories, three nations in compacts of free association with the U.S. (Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands), and the District of Columbia. Members manage and protect state and private forests that encompass nearly two-thirds of all forests nationwide. NASF's primary function is to serve as the unified national voice of state forestry agencies in federal policy, appropriations, and inter-agency coordination.

NASF's product portfolio consists of programs and member services rather than technology products: (1) advocacy and policy coordination across appropriations, Farm Bill, wildfire, and forest management; (2) educational campaigns including the Smokey Bear wildfire prevention campaign (the longest-running public service advertisement in U.S. history), Tree Stories, My Tree—Our Forest, and the Marking a Century of State Forestry centennial initiative; (3) recognition programs including Wildfire Mitigation Awards and Smokey Bear Awards; (4) Forest Action Plans consolidating state-level forest strategies; and (5) operational member services such as a job board and online store for Smokey Bear educational materials. The organization does not offer a software platform, SaaS product, or API-based services.

NASF operates as a subscription/dues-funded trade association with revenue generated primarily through membership dues from state forestry agencies, supplemented by store merchandise sales and unstated grants. Its go-to-market is community-led rather than commercial, with no public pricing for membership and no conventional sales motion. Strategic positioning rests on continual federal engagement, including active coalition work on legislation such as the Fix Our Forests Act (S. 1462) and the Timber Industry Coalition of more than 350 organizations, alongside close coordination with the USDA Forest Service.

Name

The National Association Of State Foresters

Legal name

National Association of State Foresters

Website

https://stateforesters.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National Association of State Foresters is a non-profit membership association founded in 1920 representing directors of state forestry agencies across all 50 U.S. states, five territories, three compact nations, and DC, coordinating federal advocacy, Forest Action Plans, and the Smokey Bear wildfire prevention campaign.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Public Lands Administration (State/National Forests) (BPAIAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Timberland & Forest Asset Management (IMAMAJAA), Forest Health & Protection Services (Pest/Disease, Invasive Species) (IMAMAJAF)

Keywords

• State forestry advocacy
• Wildfire prevention
• Forest management policy
• Professional association
• Public land stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: NASF is funded through membership dues from state forestry agencies and partnerships. As a non-profit organization established in 1920, the association relies on contributions from its member organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The National Association of State Foresters is a non-profit professional membership association composed of directors of forestry agencies in all 50 states, five U.S. territories, three compact of free association nations, and the District of Columbia. It provides advocacy and policy coordination on federal forestry issues, coordinates wildfire prevention and suppression efforts, administers the Smokey Bear public education campaign (the longest-running public service advertisement in U.S. history), delivers awards programs, and supports Forest Action Plans and State Defined Solutions frameworks for member agencies.

Product overview

The National Association of State Foresters offers a unified portfolio of member services and public programs rather than a technology product. The core offerings consist of: (1) advocacy and policy coordination for state forestry agencies, (2) educational campaigns centered on Smokey Bear and forest stewardship, (3) three awards programs recognizing excellence in wildfire mitigation and prevention, (4) Forest Action Plans providing strategic planning frameworks, and (5) operational support services including a job board and online store for educational materials. The organization does not offer a software platform, SaaS product, or API-based services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Smokey Bear Educational Campaign: Wildfire prevention public service advertisement campaign, the longest running in United States history
• Tree Stories
• My Tree—Our Forest
• Marking a Century of State Forestry

Products and services

• Membership in the National Association of State Foresters
• Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention Campaign
• Wildfire Mitigation Awards
• Smokey Bear Awards
• Forest Action Plans Framework
• Online Store for Smokey Bear Materials
• NASF Job Board

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly two-thirds of all forests nationwide managed by NASF member agencies

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and regional.

• USDA Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026NASF works closely with the USDA Forest Service on federal forestry policy, appropriations, and programs affecting state and private forests. The partnership involves coordination on Forest Action Plans, Community Wildfire Defense Grant programs, and Good Neighbor Authority initiatives.
• Wildfire Prevention Partners (Ad Council and others)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026NASF partners with the Ad Council and other organizations to operate the Smokey Bear wildfire prevention campaign, the longest-running public service advertisement in U.S. history.
• Fix Our Forests Act CoalitionmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025NASF joined a coalition of over 21 organizations supporting S. 1462, the Fix Our Forests Act, advocating for bipartisan forest management legislation.
• Timber Industry CoalitionmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025NASF joined over 350 groups urging the Trump Administration to boost timber industry jobs and manufacturing, representing state forestry agency interests in forest products markets.
• International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF)regionalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024IITF State, Private, and Tribal Forestry (SP&TF) Unit works with NASF and local partners on wildfire prevention programs including the Community Wildfire Defense Program Grant in Puerto Rico and Caribbean territories.
• Puerto Rico Firefighter CorpsregionalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration on wildfire prevention education and Smokey Bear birthday celebrations in Puerto Rico.
• Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER)regionalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024DNER manages state forests and collaborates with NASF on forest management and wildfire prevention in Puerto Rico.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Wildlife Federation: Large national conservation advocacy organization. Overlaps with NASF on forest policy and wildlife habitat, but pursues a broader environmental agenda and is not state-agency focused.
• USDA Forest Service: Federal agency that NASF partners with directly. Operates national forests and administers State & Private Forestry programs — the federal counterpart whose funding decisions shape NASF's member programs.
• The Nature Conservancy: Largest global conservation nonprofit with significant U.S. forest conservation portfolio. Operates as both land manager and policy advocate, intersecting with NASF's constituency on private-land forestry issues.

Direct peers

• National Association of Conservation Districts: Membership association representing the nation's 3,000+ conservation districts — analogous structure to NASF but focused on soil and water conservation districts at the local level. Highly comparable member-driven advocacy model.
• Society of American Foresters: National professional association for forestry professionals, credentialing foresters and publishing technical standards. Most direct peer to NASF in mission and constituency, with complementary focus on individual practitioners rather than state agencies.
• National Association of Counties: Represents county governments nationwide. Closely analogous association model to NASF — state/territorial/national membership, federal advocacy, and shared service programs.
• Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies: Represents state fish and wildlife agencies in all 50 states. Closely mirrors NASF's model of convening state agency directors for federal advocacy and coordination, with parallel structure and operations.
• National Governors Association: Bipartisan association of U.S. governors. Highly comparable membership-advocacy structure and federal policy coordination role, with state-government executives as the membership base.
• American Forests: National nonprofit focused on forest conservation and reforestation. Comparable advocacy-driven model with strong programmatic focus on urban forestry and tree planting.

Others

• Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership: Coalition of conservation and hunting/fishing organizations that conducts federal policy advocacy. Operates in adjacent policy space to NASF (forest management, public lands) and frequently co-coalitions with NASF on legislation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/StateForesters
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDuBvUxNVL6CpBumvKBUSlw
• Facebookfacebook.com/StateForesters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-association-of-state-foresters
• Instagraminstagram.com/stateforesters
• Pinterestpinterest.com/StateForesters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The National Association Of State Foresters