What American Forests does for people

Did you know American Forests was founded in 1875? That’s one year before the telephone was invented. It’s hard to imagine life without the technology we take for granted today, but there’s something even more essential we often overlook: trees. Not many people would think to name trees among the things they can’t live without. But without them, humanity wouldn’t last long.

For 150 years, American Forests has stood at the forefront of the conservation movement, working collaboratively and innovatively to ensure that all people have access to the benefits of trees. We’ve put people at the center of our mission — helping city dwellers breathe easier, protecting rural families from wildfires, and helping frontline leaders break barriers to expanding Tree Equity in their communities.  

A legacy of service leadership for forests and for people 

From the southern thornforests of Texas to the neighborhood streets of Rhode Island, our more than 1,000 forest restoration projects across all 50 states have protected forests, people and wildlife from future wildfires; provided clean drinking water; cooled hundreds of neighborhoods; provided employment and enjoyment for millions in the outdoors; plus so much more.

• 1875: American Forests, formerly named the American Forestry Association until 1992, was established.

• 1894: We published the nation’s first conservation periodical, bringing prominent nature writers such as Aldo Leopold, Gifford Pinchot and Ansel Adams into people’s living rooms. American Forests magazine continues that proud tradition 131 years later.  

• 1897: We conceived of, and championed in Congress, the idea of multiple-use reserves managed by the U.S. Forest Service. This led to our National Forest system. Since then, we have never wavered in our support for what is now one of the largest public land systems in the world.

• 1921: Following World War I, we launched a memorial tree planting campaign to plant trees in cities across America — our earliest efforts to expand tree canopy in urban areas.

• 1933: We helped establish the Civilian Conservation Corps, which created half a million jobs for people to have lasting impact, including planting 3 billion trees over 10 years.

• 1982: We launched our urban forests program and convened the first National Urban Forest Conference, highlighting the importance of trees for people in cities, not just large, natural landscapes.

• 1996: We showcased the first satellite tree cover software tool — CITYgreen — that analyzed the economic and ecosystem benefits of urban trees and green spaces. 

• 1999: We partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to bring Rio Reforestation to Texas’ Rio Grande Valley — an annual planting event that fosters local ties to the land and remains our largest community event today. 

• 2016: Our large, natural landscape efforts shifted to focus on landscape-scale restoration across priority regions for a more comprehensive approach to reforestation.

• 2022: The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law. We advocated for a $1.5 billion investment in urban and community forestry that will help 300 cities and states advance their Tree Equity work. 

• 2024: We created the Tree Equity Catalyst Fund to administer the $1.5 billion Inflation Reduction Act funding — awarding $42M in grants to 33 municipalities, 10 faith-based organizations and 12 community-based organizations to help them establish Tree Equity programs.

American Forests’ mission in action 

For 150 years all the way to today, American Forests has been steadfast in its focus on the issues of the times, evolving our work to meet the needs of the moment. Today, we approach our mission uniquely and holistically — by creating innovative, science-based solutions and with a focus on collective action — to ensure a healthy, climate-resilient future for all. 

We relied on our innovative, science-backed approach to develop a technology that could change the trajectory of this deeply rooted issue. We did this for people like Adella Bass, who has lived in the tree-lacking neighborhood of Altgeld Gardens on Chicago’s South Side her entire life and suffers from heart failure.  

“I know what it feels like first-hand having to stay in one space in the basement to try to be cool — and on the hottest days it isn’t cool at all,” she says. People like Adella deserve access to the lifesaving benefits of trees. Through tools like Tree Equity Score, and with collective action, we can help ensure healthy communities for all. 

Batty, along with thousands of other business owners and residents in the region, breathes a little easier these days thanks to American Forests’ focus on collective action. In collaboration with the Forest Service, local Tribes, and other public and private landowners, we developed a landscape-scale reforestation strategy for south central Oregon, including Thom’s hometown of Lakeview. The strategy was created after a devastating 2021 fire season in Lakeview, when the Bootleg Fire alone consumed over 413,000 acres.  

“It’s a groundbreaking way for different landowners, managers and communities to work together and bring damaged forests back to life after severe wildfires, even as the climate changes,” says Dr. Libby Pansing, American Forests’ senior director of forests and restoration science, who helped lead its development. American Forests’ collaborative approach doesn’t just restore landscapes. For people like Thom, it restores lives. 

Through our legacy of leadership, American Forests has stood at the forefront of the conservation movement. As we look ahead to the next 150, continued collective action will be essential to securing a healthy, climate-resilient future for all.