Cannabis For Conservation

What Cannabis For Conservation does

Cannabis for Conservation (CFC) is a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit organization founded in 2018 and headquartered in McKinleyville, California, providing ecological consulting, restoration implementation, and educational resources for working lands stewardship across Northern California. The organization partners with small-scale cannabis cultivators, ranchers, timberland owners, and rural land stewards to deliver watershed-scale restoration projects — most prominently the Sediment Reduction Project covering the Mattole, South Fork Eel, Eel, Mad, and Trinity salmon-bearing watersheds — including road repairs, culvert upgrades, erosion control, slope stabilization, native revegetation, and habitat enhancement. Its core capabilities include protocol-level biological surveys (Northern Spotted Owl, amphibians, nesting birds, bumble bees, bat acoustic monitoring, botanical surveys), process-based sediment source assessment, and a Wildlife Conscious Certification program positioned as a gold standard for cannabis cultivation practices.

The business model is grant-funded rather than commercial: CFC secures competitive grants from California state agencies (primarily the California Department of Fish & Wildlife's Cannabis Restoration Grant Program, CAL FIRE, and the State Water Resources Control Board) and private foundations, then uses those funds to deliver restoration services to qualifying landowners at no or reduced cost. Supplementary revenue streams include contracted ecological consulting services (fee-for-service biological surveys, GIS mapping, restoration planning), project sponsorship and fiscal administration for partners requiring 501(c)(3) applicant status, donations, merchandise sales, and corporate giving partnerships via 1% for the Planet and Patagonia's Healthy Lands & Waters program. The organization operates with 14 staff members and a five-person board, led by Co-Founder and Executive Director Jackee Riccio and Co-Founder Dane Curry, and has secured at least $2.5 million in direct grant funding to date.

Name

Cannabis For Conservation

Legal name

Cannabis for Conservation

Website

https://cannabisforconservation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cannabis for Conservation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing ecological consulting, watershed restoration, and education for working lands in Northern California, primarily serving small-scale cannabis cultivators and rural landowners through grant-funded and contracted services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting and Ecological Restoration Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Forestry (800)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMAMAJAH

Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Paper & Forest Products/Forest Management, Reforestation & Carbon Forestry Services

SECONDARYAFAMAMAB

Watershed Protection & Water Quality Services

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Forest Ecosystem Services

Keywords

• Ecological restoration services
• Watershed conservation consulting
• Environmental compliance support
• Wildlife habitat restoration
• Cannabis cultivation compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Mckinleyville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grants and Funded Projects: Primary revenue from competitive grants awarded by state agencies including California Department of Fish & Wildlife Cannabis Restoration Grant Program, CAL FIRE, and State Water Resources Control Board, plus private foundation funding
2. Donations: Individual donations, merchandise sales (t-shirts), and 1% for the Planet business partnerships
3. Contracted Environmental Services: Fee-for-service biological surveys, geospatial mapping, restoration science, and project sponsorship/fiscal administration for mission-aligned partners requiring 501(c)(3) applicant status

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cannabis for Conservation is a science-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing ecological consulting, on-the-ground watershed restoration, biological surveys, and environmental compliance support for cannabis cultivators and rural landowners in Northern California. Core services include the Sediment Reduction Project for salmon-bearing watersheds, the Wildlife Conscious Certification Program, contracted ecological consulting (biological surveys, GIS mapping, wetland delineations), restoration implementation (road repairs, culvert upgrades, native revegetation), and nonprofit project sponsorship and fiscal administration for partners requiring 501(c)(3) status.

Product overview

Cannabis for Conservation is a science-based 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit offering a portfolio of conservation services rather than a single product. The core offerings include the Wildlife Conscious Certification Program for cannabis farmers, the Sediment Reduction Project for watershed restoration, and Contracted Ecological Consulting Services encompassing biological surveys, geospatial mapping, and restoration science. Additional services include Project Sponsorship & Fiscal Administration for nonprofits requiring 501(c)(3) sponsorship, a Native Plant Nursery for revegetation, and a Bullfrog Management Project for invasive species control. The organization also provides free Educational Resources including winterization guides, native plant recommendations, and wildlife habitat enhancement materials for land stewards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wildlife Conscious Certification Program A certification program for cannabis farmers demonstrating wildlife-conscious cultivation practices, recognized as a 'gold standard' for wildlife-friendly cannabis in cannabis industry publications. Designed for cultivators seeking differentiation and verifiable environmental credentials.
• Sediment Reduction on Cannabis Farms in Priority Northern Watersheds Project A watershed restoration initiative focused on reducing sediment pollution from cannabis farms in Northern California's salmon-bearing rivers (Mattole, South Fork Eel, Eel, Mad, and Trinity Rivers) through road upgrades, stream crossing improvements, and slope stabilization. Goals include partnering with 40+ landowners and implementing restoration at 100 of the highest-priority sediment sites.
• Contracted Ecological Consulting Services Fee-for-service scientific ecological surveys, mapping, and monitoring services including special-status species surveys, bat acoustic monitoring, botanical surveys, wetland delineations, GIS mapping, watershed analysis, and restoration planning for landowners, nonprofits, and public agencies.
• Restoration Implementation Services On-the-ground restoration implementation including road repairs, culvert upgrades, slope stabilization, pond decommissioning, stream restoration, and native vegetation planting, overseen by licensed contractors and biologists.
• Project Sponsorship & Fiscal Administration Nonprofit project sponsorship and fiscal administration services allowing CFC to serve as a 501(c)(3) applicant for conservation initiatives requiring nonprofit sponsorship, providing fiscal management and grant administration.
• Native Plant Nursery & Revegetation A native plant nursery developing genetically appropriate local plants for revegetation of disturbed sites, habitat restoration, and soil stabilization in Northern California ecosystems.
• Bullfrog Management Project A pilot project to manage American Bullfrog populations across the South Fork Trinity watershed, addressing an invasive species that preys on native wildlife.

Quantifiable outcome

• Goal to partner with 40+ landowners and implement restoration at 100 highest-priority sediment sites across Mattole, South Fork Eel, Eel, Mad, and Trinity Rivers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FlowracoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContracted partner for the Sediment Reduction Project, providing technical expertise in restoration implementation across priority Northern California watersheds.
• Northpoint Consulting GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner consultant for the Sediment Reduction Project bringing expertise in watershed restoration and environmental consulting services.
• Native Ecosystems Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for restoration implementation providing native plant and ecosystem restoration expertise for sediment reduction efforts.
• Margro AdvisorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic advisory partner for the Sediment Reduction Project supporting project design and implementation planning.
• 1% for the PlanetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCFC is a nonprofit partner member, allowing businesses to donate 1% of sales to support conservation work. Businesses can commit annual donations directed to CFC.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (California): One of the largest global conservation organizations, with active California programs in forest health, watershed restoration, and salmonid habitat. Comparable as a major nonprofit conservation organization with overlapping watershed and forest health objectives across Northern California, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• North Coast Resource Conservation District: A government subdivision providing conservation technical assistance and project implementation across Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, and Trinity counties. Comparable as a regional conservation services organization serving rural landowners with erosion control, watershed health, and habitat restoration across overlapping geographies.
• Trout Unlimited: A national coldwater conservation nonprofit with active California chapters restoring salmonid habitat across the state. Comparable as a larger, established salmonid and watershed restoration organization operating with both volunteer and professional staff capacity in many of the same river systems as CFC.

Direct peers

• California Trout: A California-based nonprofit focused on wild fish and watershed restoration, particularly trout and salmonids. Directly comparable as a nonprofit specializing in salmonid habitat restoration and policy advocacy across California watersheds.
• Friends of the Eel River: A Northern California nonprofit focused on restoration and protection of the Eel River watershed, including salmonid habitat recovery. Directly comparable as a regional watershed restoration nonprofit working on the same river systems (Eel, South Fork Eel) that CFC targets, with similar land-stewardship partnerships and salmon-bearing habitat focus.
• Salmon Restoration Federation: A California nonprofit dedicated to restoring wild salmon populations through community-based watershed restoration. Directly comparable as a California-focused salmonid restoration nonprofit with similar grant-funded project delivery and landowner/stakeholder coordination.
• Sanctuary Forest: A Mattole watershed nonprofit doing land conservation, water storage, and streamflow restoration in Humboldt/Mendocino counties. Directly comparable as a regional conservation nonprofit working in the same Mattole watershed that CFC targets, with overlapping rural landowner engagement and salmonid habitat goals.
• Eel River Recovery Project: A Mendocino/Humboldt nonprofit focused on Eel River salmonid recovery and watershed restoration. Directly comparable as a regional nonprofit operating on the same Eel River watershed with similar sediment reduction, fish passage, and landowner engagement work.
• Mattole Restoration Council: A small Mattole River watershed nonprofit focused on salmonid habitat, road repair, and erosion control in Humboldt/Mendocino counties. Directly comparable as a regional nonprofit doing process-based restoration, rural road decommissioning, and sediment reduction in the same Mattole watershed that CFC targets.

Emerging players

• EPIC (Environmental Protection Information Center): A Humboldt-based environmental advocacy nonprofit working on forestry, cannabis, and public lands issues in Northern California. Comparable as a Northern California environmental nonprofit addressing cannabis-related environmental impacts and rural land policy, though more focused on advocacy and litigation than direct restoration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/cannabisforconservation
• Facebookfacebook.com/cannaforconservation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Cannabis For Conservation