The Congress gathered more than 500 leaders from across the nation to explore partnerships, develop and vote on resolutions geared at addressing the needs of our forests and forest community.  

WASHINGTON, DC | August 5, 2025 – American Forests, the Doris Duke Foundation, and a Steering Committee of 17 national organizations hosted the 9th American Forest Congress from July 15-18, 2025 in Washington, D.C. The interactive Congress convened diverse perspectives – including environmental, scientific, economic, landowner, industry, and community leaders, policy and changemakers, and state, local and Tribal governments – to identify opportunities to help our forests and forest communities thrive.  

The Congress was designed to provide a platform for shared learning, inspiration, and problem solving and to encourage participants to build agreement around shared beliefs and actions as a foundation for future partner engagement and priority setting. The Congress theme, Healthy Forests, Thriving Communities, underscores the objective of building support for new approaches to keeping forests healthy, resilient, and productive in the face of a changing climate and other stressors, and advancing new markets and economic opportunities to strengthen communities.  

“We came together with a bold vision: to call for a transformational, national effort to steward and conserve the nation’s forests, increasing their health, resilience, and productivity,” said Becky Turner, Chief Policy and Partnerships Officer at American Forests. “Our forests face urgent and complex challenges, and the 9th American Forest Congress proved that through collaboration, innovation, and inclusive approaches, we can rise to meet this moment—and build thriving forests and communities for generations to come. This Congress was shaped by the people in the room and participants of pre-Congress workshops—from Tribal leaders and community organizers to scientists and policymakers. The resolutions we developed reflect their voices, their expertise, and their deep commitment to the future of America’s forests.”   

The Congress featured a keynote address from world-renowned ecologist and National Geographic Explorer, Nalini Nadkarni. Plenary sessions were headlined by U.S. Forest Chief Tom Schultz and a bi-partisan congressional panel made up of the Honorable Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), the Honorable Scott Peters (CA-50) and the Honorable Bruce Westerman (AR-4). Speakers noted the need for partnership, collaboration, new policy tools, and an urgent commitment to actions at scale to conserve and sustain American forests and forest economies.  

“It was deeply inspiring to gather with more than 500 leaders from across the forest community, and to discover how much common ground and commitment we share in creating a new era of forest conservation and stewardship for the 21^st century,” said Sacha Spector, Director of Environment, The Doris Duke Foundation. “Together, we have forged a foundation of understanding and agreement, from which we can build new partnerships and new approaches to get the job done.” 

As part of the Congress, participants developed and voted on principles and resolutions. Vote tallies are shared to reflect the relative level of support amongst participants for each principle and resolution. Prevailing themes included:  

• The need to modernize forest stewardship: Resolutions call for new collaborative research models, the adoption of innovative technologies and better data systems, and improved systems to engage landowners, especially small and underserved landowners. 

• Scaling investments and expanding markets: Participants want to build stronger forest investment frameworks, and expand markets for forest products and ecosystem services, and increase market access for underserved landowners. 

• Addressing urgent environmental challenges: Participants called for the development and adoption of strategies to reduce risks of disturbance and improve the integrity, biodiversity, and climate resilience of our forests. 

• Integrating Tribal leadership, Indigenous Knowledge and Co-Stewardship: Participants acknowledged that humans and forests have co-evolved over millennia and identified the opportunity and need to learn from and apply Indigenous Knowledge, co-stewardship and co-management in emerging strategies. 

• Responding to dynamic changes in the federal sector: Participants called for innovative approaches to bolster the conservation and stewardship of federal lands and develop new partnership models to meet future needs. 

• Creating ways to empower communities and the forestry workforce: Participants voted to prioritize policies that recruit and train a diverse and sustainable forestry workforce. 

• Promoting public engagement with our forests: Participants voiced the importance of developing communication strategies to strengthen trust, understanding, and public support for forests. 

The approved principles and resolutions are available on the Congress’ website here: forestcongress.org/resolutions.   

For more information about the 9th American Forest Congress and its historic legacy, visit: www.forestcongress.org  

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ABOUT THE AMERICAN FOREST CONGRESS  

The American Forest Congress is a proud tradition that has influenced the direction of forest conservation and management in America for more than a century. Since the first American Forest Congress in 1882 to the most recent in 2022, these seminal events have led directly to major outcomes in the forestry sector, including the creation of the U.S. Forest Service, the establishment of the eastern National Forests, new community-based and collaborative approaches to forestry, and efforts to advance the leadership of women within the forest community. The 9th American Forest Congress will build on this legacy, providing forestry professionals and leaders an opportunity to gather with over 500 of their peers for three days to collaborate and identify transformative actions for the next century of forest stewardship. 

ABOUT AMERICAN FORESTS  

American Forests is the first national nonprofit conservation organization created in the U.S. Since its founding in 1875, the organization has been the pathfinders for the forest conservation movement. Its mission is to create healthy and resilient forests, from cities to large natural landscapes, that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water and wildlife. The organization advances its mission through forestry, innovation, place-based partnerships to plant and restore forests, and movement building. For more information visit: www.americanforests.org.     

ABOUT THE DORIS DUKE FOUNDATION 

The mission of the Doris Duke Foundation (DDF) is to build a more creative, equitable and sustainable future. The foundation works across three areas: Arts & Culture, Nature, and Health & Well-being. DDF focuses its support to the performing arts on contemporary dance, jazz and theater artists, and the organizations that nurture, present and produce them. The Doris Duke Foundation is one of only two foundations in history to have received the National Medal of the Arts from the National Endowment for the Arts, presented by President Barack Obama, in special recognition of DDF’s support of creative expression across the United States and bold commitment to artistic risk, helping artists, musicians, dancers and actors share their talents and enrich the cultural life of the nation. Visit www.dorisduke.org to learn more. 

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