After eight successful years of leading the Redwood Forest Foundation, Inc., President and CEO Mark Welther left the organization, effective July 9.

Under Mark’s leadership, we achieved many important milestones, including:

• Completing URFC’s initial forest management plan, part of achieving Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification as a well-managed forest.
• Transitioning from contracted forest management by Campbell Global to RFFI in-house forest management, beginning with the hiring of respected Forest Manager Linwood Gill.
• Registration of RFFI’s forest carbon offset project with the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the awarding of the Climate Action Reserve Carbon Project Developer of the Year. This project remains the largest project in California and eighth largest in the U.S.
• Participation in the carbon offset market and agreement to permanently sequester of 4,320,190 metric tonnes of Usal Forest carbon through sale of offset carbon credits, the proceeds of which were applied to forest operations and to pay down the forest debt owed Bank of America.
• More than $5 invested in stream and watershed recovery to reduce and eliminate sedimentation and improve stream habitat for listed Salmon & Steelhead, including the completion of six stages in restoration of Standley Creek.
• Development of RFFI’s innovative restoration forestry model, including eight consecutive years of sustainable Timber Harvest Plans producing local jobs.
• A feature in the HBO climate change documentary “Ice on Fire,” garnering world-wide recognition for Usal’s forest management model.
• Negotiating the acquisition of the 95-acre Reist Ranch and securing funding (to be closed in 2021).
• Achievement of the 2020 FSC Leadership Award for innovative forest management.
• Initiation of RFFI’s first strategic plan (to be completed in 2021).

Beginning in June, the Board joined with Mark in discussions about the implementation of RFFI’s strategic plan and the organization’s leadership going forward. After much discussion and thoughtful assessment, Mark and the Board mutually agreed that the strategic plan represented an ideal time for RFFI to transition into this next phase of its growth and development under new leadership.
In Mark’s words,
“RFFI is currently completing a strategic plan and new direction. At this important inflection point in the organization’s development, the RFFI Board and I have agreed that, after eight years leading RFFI’s many achievements, this was a good time for me to step away and for RFFI to bring in new leadership. I will be taking a break and then pursuing other opportunities. At the same time, I plan to stay involved and help RFFI transition to this new leadership and carry the organization to the next level.”
We will miss Mark, and we wish him the best and thank him for all that has been accomplished under his leadership to bring RFFI to where it is today.