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Mission, vision, & Values
our mission:
the cascade forest conservancy protects and sustains the forests, streams, wildlife, and communities in the heart of the cascades through conservation, education, and advocacy.
our vision:
We are working to see that our region is one where native life–flora, fauna, microbes, and the entire biota–thrive in healthy biodiverse forest and aquatic ecosystems.
We strive for a region made resilient to the effects of climate change–one that is sustainably managed and supports the economies of flourishing rural communities through recreation, tourism, and competent caring use, so that it may continue to inspire and nourish for centuries to come.
our values
honoring the land and its first peoples
The Land we work to protect, now referred to as the southern Washington Cascades, is the home of diverse and unique communities of the Cowlitz, Yakama, Nisqually, Salish, and other peoples, and has been for thousands of years. These lands and their rich resources enabled many peoples to thrive and they stewarded the land with their traditional cultures.
Honoring this place and those who served as stewards of the land before European settlement—and acknowledging the historic and continuing injustices committed against them—is an important part of protecting and caring for the places we love.
Today, we appreciate the resilience and persistence of the Cowlitz, Yakama, Salish, Nisqually, and other Indigenous peoples and the important role they continue to play in our region, as we join in the work of protecting this land for future generations.
justice, equity, inclusion, & diversity
We believe that ecological justice and social justice are two sides of the same coin and that achieving one will require achieving the other. As an organization, we continue to investigate the ways in which the conservation movement, including CFC, has historically fallen short by failing to notice or even perpetuating harmful systems and ideas. We are committed to continued learning, growth, and improvement.
We believe healthy and equitable economies capable of providing opportunity, dignity, and the reasonable expectation of a good future for the next generation are necessary conditions for long-term competent and loving stewardship of the earth. We believe that all people are entitled to enjoy outdoor recreation without fear of harassment regardless of their race, nationality, gender expression, or income. We believe systemic injustices exist and will take intentional sustained work to correct them. We believe Indigenous lives matter. We believe Black lives matter.
preserving biodiversity
Preserving the rich biodiversity found in the Pacific Northwest is vital to the long-term health and survival of our region. In the complex webs of life found in the ecosystems of southern Washington’s Cascades, every species matters. We prioritize work that preserves local biodiversity, protects species in danger of disappearing, and safeguards and restores habitats vital to connectivity and species survival now and throughout the climate change-driven upheaval of the coming years.
supporting communities
We strive to protect and restore ecosystems in our region that also respect the needs of the many communities who care about the health and sustainability of the area, including Indigenous tribes and nations, those who come to enjoy outdoor recreation opportunities, and communities and businesses depending on the tourism and timber the forest provides.
We value collaboration and partnership. We work closely with groups and agencies that represent a broad range of perspectives to achieve solutions that benefit all. We serve as a leader, convener, and partner in conservation efforts alongside researchers, agencies, tribes, and other nonprofits. We prioritize patronizing and working with local contractors and businesses so that resources provided by supporters and foundations stay local and continue to have a positive impact.
respecting science
We believe in fighting to ensure that laws, policies, timber sales, and decisions impacting the health of the region are informed by the latest science and that climate change mitigation must be a core consideration in all projects, laws, and rules impacting the region. We partner with researchers and universities to help gather data and expand our knowledge.
staying hopeful
For those of us who love the landscapes here in the Cascades of the Pacific Northwest, witnessing the consequences of a history of bad resource management practices and the intensifying impacts of our changing climate can be hard to bear. In these unprecedented times, we believe it is important to remember that the natural world is resilient and that life is stubborn, persistent, and adaptable. We are heartened that there are steps we and others who care for the world are taking. That the work is making a difference. This hope is a driving force in all of our work.
"Ecosystems are so similar to human societies—they're built on relationships. The stronger those are, the more resilient the system. And since our world's systems are composed of individual organisms, they have the capacity to change. We creatures adapt, our genes evolve, and we can learn from experience. A system is ever changing because its parts—the trees the fungus and people—are constantly responding to one another and the environment. Our success in coevolution—our success as a productive society—is only as good as the strength of these bonds with other individuals and species. Out of the resulting adaptation and evolution emerge behaviors that help us survive, grow, and thrive."
Dr. Suzanne Simard
Finding The Mother Tree
2021
2021
Our Work
Volunteer Science and Education
Volunteer Science and Education
Providing volunteers one-of-a-kind opportunities to learn and make a lasting impact
The Green River Valley & Mount St. Helens: No Place for a Mine
The Green River Valley & Mount St. Helens: No Place for a Mine
Our ongoing fight to stop a disasterous open-pit mine in the shadow of Mount St. Helens (Lawetlat'la)