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Forterra 

Description

Forterra (formerly known as Cascade Land Conservancy) brings an innovative approach to community building and conservation that encourages collaboration across all sectors; balancing environmental and community priorities with economic realities, and underlining the link between vibrant communities and healthy landscapes. Forterra has led efforts to conserve more than 188,000 acres of forests, farms, shorelines, urban parks and natural areas to date. We partner with dozens of communities across the region to restore neighborhoods and help cities make smart and equitable decisions about future growth. Forterra's vision is grounded in the belief that a broad coalition can achieve fundamental change.

Mission Statement
To act with immediacy to protect, enhance and steward our region’s most precious resources – its communities and its landscapes. Forterra helps our region combine vibrant cities with spectacular landscapes, and a thriving economy.
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Forterra
615 2nd Ave Ste 600 
Seattle 
WA
98104-2219 
(206) 292-5907 

Gene Duvernoy 
President 

Programs

Forterra Programs

Green Cities Partnerships
Forterra created public-private partnerships with six Cities, including Seattle, Redmond, Kent, and Kirkland. The first Partnership began in Seattle in 2004 as a response to a report showing that within 20 years, 70% of Seattle’s forests (2,500 acres) would be considered “ecological dead zones” dominated by invasive species, dead or dying trees, and little wildlife habitat. We work with parks departments, public works, utilities, and other government agencies and community groups to develop 20-year strategic plans, achievable goals, and shared visions to care for the valuable forests and natural areas in our urban environments. 

Each Green City Partnership has three core goals:
  • ect people to nature and improve the quality of life in cities by restoring urban forests and natural areas
  • Galvanize an informed, involved, and active community around restoration and stewardship of our shared natural areas
  • Ehance the long-term sustainability of urban natural areas by removing invasive plants and maintaining functional ecosystems
Ecosystem Service Markets (ESM)
Our region's continued growth puts greater strain on our area’s natural resources. ESM help value the public benefits of clean air, water, recreation and economic contributed by these lands, and makes conservation more affordable for private landowners by providing economic incentives. Forterra is working with several other nonprofits and government agencies to foster environmental sustainability and conduct pilot projects that demonstrate the benefits of this market-based conservation tool.

Recent Successes and Current Challenges

Need
Unrestricted funds make it possible for Forterra to continue our work creating community, conserving important land, making our cities and towns better places to live, improving access to healthy food, and so much more.  As more individuals and foundations direct their giving to specific projects, we have a growing need to support the people and infrastructure that make these projects successful.

Success
Forterra launched our Carbon Capturing Companies (C3) program in May 2012 with some of the biggest regional names in music, sports, nonprofit work, and business, including Pearl Jam, the Seattle Sounders, the Seattle Seahawks, the Seattle Mariners, Outdoor Research, Molly Moon’s Ice Cream, Woodland Park Zoo, Cherry Street Coffee, Glassybaby, Stream Real Estate, GLY Construction, CleanScapes, and the Seattle Aquarium. This unique group will voluntarily calculate, reduce, and help mitigate part of their carbon footprints. At present, C3 will plant more than 12,000 conifer trees mitigating 60,000 tons of carbon over a 100-year period. This program is growing in scale with each new partner and we are very excited to see where it will lead.

Evaluation


Forterra (formerly Cascade Land Conservancy) has a unique role within the community. Their work addresses environmental conservation in the context of creating healthy communities that are economically and socially vibrant. Forterra developed The Cascade Agenda, its 100-year vision and action plan whose goals are to conserve 1.3 million acres of land and strengthen our cities by fostering vibrant and livable communities. They brought together a broad constituency made up of the business leaders, farmers, foresters, tribes, scientists, elected officials, and members of the community to work towards developing and achieving the Agenda’s goals.

Use of Best Practices
Their efforts to conserve acres of forests, farms, shorelines, parks and natural areas through cooperative, market-based partnerships and innovative conservation methods have been very effective. They successfully link conservation efforts with economic vitality, and vibrant and livable communities to broaden the support for these conservation efforts. They are doing creative work in urban environments, for example, their Cascade Agenda Cities Program helps cities create healthier urban environments through smart land use planning. Forterra is focused on creating opportunities to leverage their work to have larger scale impact.

Collaboration
Forterra is very effective at collaboration and bringing together other groups to work on common goals. They led the effort to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to create the Cascade Agenda, which gives the entire region a roadmap for success in the conservation arena. Among the partnerships they have coordinated or are involved in are the Green Cities Program, Cascade Agenda Cities Program, Community Stewards Program, Quality Growth Alliance and Creative Crossroads: Capitol Hill.

Proven Success
Forterra employs a variety of tools and programs in its efforts to promote sustainable growth and economic vitality. An example is their Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Program. A typical transfer of development rights program is a market-based mechanism that encourages the voluntary transfer of growth to places where a community would like to shift development from those that the community would prefer remain less developed. Forterra is the leading organization advancing TDR throughout the Puget Sound Region and a leading organization in this area nationwide. In May 2011, Governor Gregoire signed the Landscape Conservation and Local Infrastructure Program into law, a groundbreaking legislation drafted by Forterra that will assist their TDR work.

Grant History with The Seattle Foundation:

Grants Awarded through The Seattle Foundation Grantmaking Program:

DateAmountPurpose
3/10/2012 $20,000.00support general operating expenses.
3/10/2011 $20,000.00support general operating expenses.
9/10/2010 $7,500.00support general operating expenses.
10/1/2008 $75,000.00support general operating expenses.
6/21/2006 $60,000.00support general operating expenses.
12/18/2003 $25,000.00support general operating expenses.

Financials

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