Foundation for Sustainable Forests

Specific Need

Healthy forests are our lifeline, our livelihoods, and our region's heritage. Your gift to the Foundation for Sustainable Forests will directly support the conservation and care of forested lands across the region that will support a sustainable rural economy while also protecting and enhancing critical wildlife habitat and ecosystem resilience.

Your gift this year will support the conservation of over 1,000 acres of forested land that the public can enjoy, which will also be managed for sustainable ecological and economic outcomes!

Mission

The mission of the Foundation for Sustainable Forests is to protect forested ecosystems and support rural communities through working forests, to raise awareness of the importance of conserving intact forested ecosystems, and to highlight sustainable forestry practices for the benefit of the land.

Profile

In 2004 Troy and Lynn Firth started the Firth Family Foundation to manage and protect their timberlands in perpetuity. In 2009, after realizing that there is broader demand for a conservation entity active in forest management, we became the Foundation for Sustainable Forests and began work with landowners around the region.

Today, the Foundation for Sustainable Forests has conserved over 2,350 acres in northwest PA and western NY. These forests are from the community and for the community - they stay on the tax rolls, provide local jobs and sustainably harvested forest products, and offer opportunities for public recreation such as hiking, hunting, and bird-watching.

In timber-dependent communities, such as those found in Northwest Pennsylvania, it is crucial that land protection efforts do not stifle the local economy. Rather than preserving land untouched, the Foundation for Sustainable Forests is actively managing our timber resource to provide the forest products and ecosystem services that people depend on. By functioning within the local community we are better positioned to educate the public about sustainable forestry and therefore impact a greater area.