Ecoforesters Inc

ECOFORESTERS IS A NONPROFIT PROFESSIONAL FORESTRY ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO CONSERVING AND RESTORING OUR APPALACHIAN FORESTS.

ECOFORESTERS IS A NONPROFIT PROFESSIONAL FORESTRY ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO CONSERVING AND RESTORING OUR APPALACHIAN FORESTS THROUGH EDUCATION AND STEWARDSHIP. FORESTS ARE THREATENED BY UNSUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, INVASIVE SPECIES INFESTATIONS, FRAGMENTATION, AND CLIMATE CHANGE. WE PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL FORESTRY CONSULTING SERVICES TO BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC FORESTLAND OWNERS, PARTNER WITH OTHER CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS, AND EDUCATE COMMUNITIES AND THE PUBLIC ABOUT POSITIVE IMPACT FORESTRY. WE ALSO RAISE FUNDS TO HELP STEWARD PERMANENTLY PROTECTED LAND TRUST OR PUBLICLY OWNED FORESTS. AT ECOFORESTERS, WE BELIEVE THAT ECOLOGICALLY BENEFICIAL FORESTRY HAS THE POWER TO RESTORE RESILIENCE AND DIVERSITY TO OUR APPALACHIAN FORESTS. IN RESPONSE TO THE GROWING NEED FOR FUNDING FOREST STEWARDSHIP ACTIVITIES, ECOFORESTERS CREATED AND WITH CORPORATE PARTNERS FULLY FUNDED THE FOREST FUND IN THE AMOUNT OF $60,000. A PORTION OF THESE FUNDS WERE THEN MADE AVAILABLE TO LOCAL LAND TRUSTS AS A COST SHARE MATCH THAT INCLUDED PROFESSIONAL PLANNING

AND FOREST RESTORATION. FOUR PROJECTS WERE COMPLETED IN 2021 ON PERMANENTLY PROTECTED AND ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE FORESTS. WE ALSO CONTINUED OUR SANDY MUSH FOREST RESTORATION PROJECT IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR PARTNERS FROM THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN HIGHLANDS CONSERVANCY AND THE FOREST STEWARDS GUILD, PROVIDING LANDOWNER WORKSHOPS AND TRAINING TO THIS RURAL COMMUNITY. THE COALITION PIVOTED AND PRODUCED A SERIES OF 25 VIDEOS TO HELP VIRTUALLY EDUCATE LANDOWNERS WORLDWIDE ON ECOLOGICAL FOREST STEWARDSHIP, WHICH HAVE BEEN VIEWED OVER 9,000 TIMES. THE COALITION ALSO PUT ON A WEBINAR ON INVASIVE PLANTS. WE HAVE RECEIVED FULL FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT FOR 2022 AS WELL. IN 2021 ECOFORESTERS PROVIDED PROFESSIONAL FORESTRY CONSULTING SERVICES TO OVER 130 FORESTLAND OWNERS COVERING 10,000 ACRES. ACROSS WESTERN NC, ECOFORESTERS' STAFF WROTE 42 COMPREHENSIVE ECOLOGICAL FOREST STEWARDSHIP PLANS COVERING 4,750 ACRES, INCLUDING THOROUGH FOREST STAND IMPROVEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ENHANCING BIODIVERSITY, WILDLIFE HABITAT, CONTROLLING INVASIVE SPECIES, RESTORATIVE

TIMBER MANAGEMENT, RECREATION, AND AESTHETICS. WE DID GENERAL ECOLOGICAL FORESTRY CONSULTING FOR ANOTHER 13 CLIENTS COVERING OVER 1,000-ACRES TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND AND IMPROVE THEIR FORESTS. ECOFORESTERS ALSO CONDUCTED 2 SUSTAINABLE AND EVEN ECOLOGICALLY BENEFICIAL TIMBER HARVESTS - INCLUDING FOR OAK RESTORATION AND GOLDEN WINGED WARBLER HABITAT FOR A REGIONAL LAND TRUST - TO MEET THE LANDOWNERS' GOALS WHILE CONSERVING THE FOREST FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TOO. ECOFORESTERS EXPANDED ITS ON-THE-GROUND IMPACTS AND COMPLETED 60 INVASIVE PLANT TREATMENT PROJECTS COVERING 460-ACRES, INCLUDING WORK FOR THE EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS, THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS HIGHLANDS CONSERVANCY, CONSERVING CAROLINA, THE FOOTHILLS CONSERVANCY, WILDLANDS ENGINEERING, AND NC GAME LANDS. THESE PERMANENTLY PROTECTED FORESTS ARE NOW IN MUCH BETTER HEALTH MOVING FORWARD TO PROVIDE EVEN MORE NATURAL BENEFITS. WE ALSO DID 2 PLANTING PROJECTS TO EXPAND FORESTS AND INCREASE (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)