Cascade Forest Conservancy

IT'S UP TO US TO SPEAK FOR WASHINGTON'S 
FORESTS, WILDLIFE & COMMUNITIES.

During GIVE♡BIG 2026, help ensure decision makers in D.C. hear from local conservation experts before making choices impacting your public lands.   

Cascade Forest Conservancy (CFC) is the only non-profit organization focused entirely on defending and sustaining forests, streams, wildlife, and communities in the southern Washington Cascades. For over four decades, CFC has been protecting old-growth, restoring damaged habitats, and speaking as a strong voice for conservation on behalf of an incredible community of partners, volunteers, and supporters.

Fulfilling our mission often takes us deep into the field. At other times, our role as protectors of SW Washington's ecosystems takes us to the places where decisions impacting our region are being made.

Today, our public lands (and many of the laws and rules protecting them) are under attack. It's Up to Us to stand up for the wildlife, wild places, and communities that now face ever-increasing risk. During GIVE♡BIG 2026, help protect your public lands by supporting CFC as they take local expertise and perspectives to the nation's capital this May.

Why being in D.C. matters for ecosystems and communities in the southern Washington Cascades

Next month, Cascade Forest Conservancy's Executive Director, Director of Programs, and Policy Manager will travel to Washington, D.C. to hold a series of meetings with the offices of lawmakers from the WA and OR delegations, members of the natural resource committee, and agency officials. 

For a small-but-mighty, locally-focused conservation nonprofit like CFC, traveling to D.C. is a considerable expense, but it is an investment that can make a real impact. Federal decisions shape our local forests. Timber policy, funding for wildfire management, recreation access, and habitat protections for public lands are decided in D.C. 

"Whether we like it or not, the reality of effective environmental advocacy is that relationships matter. There is so much to handle in Congress that things can slip through the cracks. In my experience, meeting with busy staffers and officials on Zoom or on the phone doesn't have the same impact as talking face to face, when you really have to authentically engage. That's a big part of why being in D.C. makes a difference for your public lands in the southern Washington Cascades. 

The discussions we have allow us to build relationships and to bring our region's priorities to the forefront. CFC can explain what’s actually happening on the ground... what we see happening in the forest, with Forest Service staffing, in rural economies, etc. As we strengthen relationships year after year, we see staffers coming to recognize CFC as a reliable, consistent, and informed voice they can rely on for input about how their choices will impact our local landscapes and communities."

- Molly Whitney | Executive Director 

Your generosity is a large part of what makes it possible for a small-but-mighty conservation nonprofit to keep showing up and making a positive impact for decisions impacting our region. 

Learn more at www.cascadeforest.org