Together with partners around the world, Forest Trends pioneers innovative finance for conservation, promoting healthy forests, sustainable agriculture, clean water, robust climate action, biodiverse landscapes, and strong communities.
Our programs and initiatives publish timely research, bring together diverse actors, and apply these approaches to make a difference on the ground, often blazing trails for bold and far-reaching policies in the process.
Flagship Work
Forest Trends protects critical ecosystems through creative environmental finance, markets, supply chains, and other incentive mechanisms. We build diverse coalitions with governments, local and indigenous communities, and business to ensure that all stakeholders are engaged and benefit from conservation.
Last week marked our first official communications workshop with the USDA Forest Service and partners.![]()
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The Protect What Matters workshop, developed by Forest Trends as part of our multi-year agreement with the Forest Service, is not traditional media training. It's professional skills development for anyone who communicates, formally or informally, about forest management and wildfire mitigation with external audiences. Our approach is meant to reduce reactive, conflict-driven engagement, strengthen public understanding, and elevate support for these essential forest management practices.![]()
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This first workshop was a success, with many talented practitioners from the Front Range in attendance. We're excited to continue sharing this resource in the coming months with additional partners.![]()
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If you have questions about upcoming workshops or want to learn more about the content, please reach out via the contact info on our workshop page: www.forest-trends.org/wildfire-resilience/?show=workshops
NatureTech is changing what is possible, revolutionizing how we gather evidence, validate Indigenous stewardship, and strengthen accountability from the forest floor to global markets. ![]()
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See our take on how a technological revolution is reshaping how the world measures, values, and protects nature: Menu > Data with a Purpose > NatureTech and the New Era of Conservation: www.forest-trends.org/publications/forest-trends-impact-report-2025/
A few updates we've received this week reinforce why we are committed to providing timely data to decision makers. We worked hard to complete our recent report, How the EUDR Is Already Driving Forest Governance Reform, ahead of the European Commission's talks on EUDR implementation last month.![]()
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We have since learned that this report was one of the primary information sources cited in the Commission's recent justification for continued implementation of the EUDR: Report from the Commission to the Council and Parliament on the EUDR (pg 4). ![]()
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How the EUDR Is Already Driving Forest Governance Reform here: lnkd.in/giEFsmRn![]()
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European Commission Report here: lnkd.in/dndKGJxq
Congratulations to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Environment & Natural Resources Division, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on the recent Lacey Act prosecution involving illegal Myanmar teak imports used in luxury yachts.![]()
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Under the plea agreement, the companies agreed to pay a fine of US$200,000 and implement a detailed compliance plan, among other penalties—a hit to reputation and disruptive to business. The case involved teak imported from Myanmar for use in luxury yachts manufactured by Sunseeker, the UK-based producer of high-end superyachts.![]()
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Notably, this same company had already been prosecuted in the UK under the UK Timber Regulation. While we may never know whether UK and US authorities directly coordinated on this matter, the case underscores the importance of governments learning from each other’s enforcement experience, compliance challenges, investigative approaches, and risk indicators.![]()
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This is precisely why initiatives like Forest Trends’ Timber Regulation Enforcement Exchange (TREE) remain so valuable: creating trusted spaces for government agencies from different jurisdictions to share lessons of experience on tackling environmental crime and related financial and trade crimes.![]()
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Illegal timber supply chains do not stop at borders — and increasingly, enforcement does not either.![]()
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www.justice.gov/opa/pr/luxury-yacht-companies-plead-guilty-violating-lacey-act-using-illegally-ob...
www.justice.gov
Sunseeker International Limited and Sunseeker USA Sales Co. Inc. (Sunseeker) pleaded guilty this week to two violations of the Lacey Act for using illegally obtained Burmese Teak on yachts that it imp...
Together with our partners in Peru, we built not just technical and policy frameworks for the water sector, but the financing mechanisms, science and data, project pipelines, and trust that make systems change possible. We helped catalyze a coalition of government agencies, local communities, NGOs, private companies, and researchers, united by a shared vision to reimagine how Peru manages water. ![]()
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For the full story, visit Stronger Together under Menu > Power in Partnership: www.forest-trends.org/publications/forest-trends-impact-report-2025/
We are honored to work in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, supporting their leadership and ensuring their voices are heard, and their role in climate and conservation finance is recognized. Listen to Beto Borges, Director of our Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative, reflect on our work and ongoing commitment to this issue.
Great to see leaders stepping up in support of active forest management and wildfire mitigation efforts. See below a strong perspective from former Colorado governors Bill Owens and Bill Ritter Jr, on the importance of preparing for when wildfire arrives in Colorado communities. Active management is critical to protecting what matters to Colorado residents, including homes and communities, access to trails and ski areas, clean air and water. All the things that make the Colorado lifestyle unique and special.![]()
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“We know wildfire cannot be eliminated. But we also know the severity of these disasters is not simply something we are powerless to address. There are practical, science-based steps we can take to reduce risk. The problem is that for too long, too many people have treated active forest management as too invasive rather than absolutely necessary. That needs to change”.![]()
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www.denverpost.com/2026/04/28/thinning-forests-wildfire-management-colorado/
Billions are flowing to forest climate finance, but most of it is concentrated in just a few large projects. ![]()
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Over the past 13yrs, the top 140 projects, only 3% of all initiatives, accounted for more than 1/2 of all funding disbursed. Of the $1.34 billion from the Forest Tenure Pledge spent by 2023, just $75 million went directly to Indigenous Peoples & Local Communities (IP&LC) organizations. ![]()
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While this marks progress from only $7 million reaching communities in 2021, most funding still flows through governments, int'l NGOs, and development agencies. Expanding support for smaller, community-driven initiatives will be critical to ensure climate finance reaches those managing forests on the ground. ![]()
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Dig into more findings of our State of Climate and Conservation Finance for Indigenous Peoples & Local Communities Report at bit.ly/StateofIPLCReport
𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀!![]()
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Our Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative (CTGI) is seeking a consultant or specialized team to lead the research, analysis, and authorship of the 2nd edition of the State of Climate and Conservation Finance for Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities and Afro-descendant Peoples (IPs, LCs, & ADPs) Report.![]()
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Please consult the full Terms of Reference at bit.ly/FT-Careers![]()
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𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗵𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗼!![]()
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Nossa Iniciativa Comunidades e Governança Territorial (ICGT) está buscando uma pessoa consultora ou equipe especializada para liderar a pesquisa, a análise e a redação da segunda edição do Relatório sobre o Estado do Financiamento Climático e de Conservação para Povos Indígenas, Comunidades Locais e Povos Afrodescendentes (PIs, CLs e ADs). A função contribuirá para o desenvolvimento de uma base de evidências robusta e recomendações viáveis para orientar políticas públicas, fortalecer esforços de advocacy e promover mecanismos financeiros mais equitativos, transparentes e eficazes que reconheçam os PIs, CLs e ADs como atores centrais no financiamento climático e de conservação.![]()
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Consulte os Termos de Referência em bit.ly/FT-Careers![]()
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¡𝗩𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗷𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗼𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘀!![]()
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Nuestra Iniciativa de Comunidades y Gobernanza Territorial (ICGT) está buscando un(a) consultor(a) o equipo especializado para dirigir la investigación, el análisis y la redacción de la segunda edición del Informe sobre el Estado del Financiamiento Climático y de Conservación para los Pueblos Indígenas, las Comunidades Locales y los Pueblos Afrodescendientes (PPII, CCLL y ADP). La función contribuirá al desarrollo de una base empírica sólida y de recomendaciones viables para orientar las políticas públicas, fortalecer los esfuerzos de incidencia y promover mecanismos financieros más equitativos, transparentes y eficaces que reconozcan a los PPII, CCLL y ADP como actores centrales en la financiación climática y de conservación.![]()
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Consulta los Términos de Referencia en bit.ly/FT-Careers
What does resilience look like where you live?![]()
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The Forest Trends 2026 Photo & Illustration Contest is now open, and we want to see your perspective.![]()
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From forest communities to biodiversity to the impacts shaping our planet, your work can help tell the story of why conservation matters.![]()
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• Win cash prizes + get featured globally![]()
• Open to all, anywhere in the world![]()
• Submit by May 4![]()
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Enter your artwork at bit.ly/photo_illustration_contest_2026
Agriculture
Mar 31, 2026
Forests
Mar 27, 2026
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