Ecotrust has sold its ownership in EFM, the innovative forestland investment management company that nonprofit Ecotrust established in 2004, to the company’s management team. Both Ecotrust and EFM are celebrating the transition of the investment company that has been innovating in economic, social, and environmental impact for nearly two decades.

Read more from EFM about the sale here.

Ecotrust established EFM in 2004 to provide investors an opportunity to invest in forests to create long-term financial value and enduring environmental and social impact. The model has proved a success. Since 2004, EFM has built three funds with approximately $219M in capital under management and advisement; practiced climate-smart management across 130,000 acres; and restored significant properties to tribal ownership, among other notable impacts.

Ecotrust remains an investor in all three EFM funds, continuing to support shared goals of climate-resilience in partnership with frontline communities, building intergenerational wealth, and fostering lands and waters stewardship across the Northwest. To date the funds have achieved the following impacts:

• 6.6 million tons of CO2 stored by fund owned forestland, equivalent to the annual emissions from over 1.4 million cars
• 113,745 acres open to the public for non-motorized recreation and hunting
• 3,200 acres of forestland transitioned to tribes to date
• 57,038 acres transitioned to permanent long-term owners, or with permanently protected land status
• 9,206 acres managed to improve drinking water for local communities
• 683 miles of streams protected with enhanced riparian buffers
• 48 species of mammal, fish, and amphibians are supported