Forest Investment Zones

Launched in 2009 as a five-year initiative, the Forest Investment Zone program tested the concept that regional collaboration would increase local, forest-based economic success in distressed forested communities. The program tested three significant forest-based U.S. geographies:

the Northern Forest, Central Appalachia, and the Dry Forest. Collectively, the three Zones represent

about 10 percent of the nation’s forests. The Endowment committed more than $6 million ($2 million per zone). The zones collectively raised $8.4 million from more than 100 sources to match the Endowment’s investment.