At A Glance
- Over 100 projects
- At least 24 states
- Win-win outcomes
We’ve partnered with the US Forest Service across more than 100 projects in 24 states to acquire and protect some of the highest-priority conservation and recreation lands within our National Forests. These lands become some of America’s favorite places to hike, ski, explore and more.
Transactions
As a trusted partner with decades of experience, we work closely with the Forest Service and willing landowners to ensure that conservation transactions are planned well, achieving good environmental and economic outcomes at a productive pace.
Funding
We know how to generate public and private funds for key acquisitions within National Forest boundaries. With this skill, we’re able to stretch limited conservation funding, leveraging Forest Service investments for maximum return.
Community Relations
We have significant experience engaging communities to share the details of potential conservation projects, understand any concerns, and forge solutions that benefit both the places and people where conservation happens.
RELATED PROJECTS
A Bright Future For Rocky Fork
Success! After nearly five years of hard work, we were thrilled to convey the final piece of Rocky Fork, the largest tract of unprotected land in the southern Appalachian Mountains, to the U.S. Forest Service in September 2012. Located along… Read More
Connecting Pinhoti And Appalachian Trails
When the Appalachian Trail was mapped in the 1920s, the plan set out by Benton Mackaye called for a trail and associated spurs that stretched from Maine to northern Alabama. While the primary trail was completed in north Georgia in the 1930s,… Read More
Tongass National Forest
Though Alaska is a state of great expanse, small places matter. As the critical first project of The Conservation Fund’s Coastal Alaska Initiative, more than 830 acres of rugged Cape Bingham cliffs and 12 miles of pristine coastline are now… Read More
Gila National Forest
Significant portions of Animas Creek in the heart of Gila National Forest are now protected from potential development, thanks to an agreement that we negotiated between a private landowner and the U.S. Forest Service. More than 520 acres on six inholdings, which… Read More
Pisgah National Forest
Rushing waterfalls and melodious birdcalls lift the deep quiet of Pisgah National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains. In 2009, we conserved more than 750 acres within the forest, preserving rare vegetation and expanding hikers’ access to Raquette Creek’s popular trails… Read More
Oconee National Forest
Did you know that forestry is the largest manufacturing sector in Georgia? Forests are a critical part of the state’s economy. Unfortunately, in recent years across the country, including areas throughout the Southeast, more than 10 million acres of private forest… Read More
Wind River Range
Towering above Jackson Hole, the jagged peaks of the Grand Tetons are a stirring sight. Together with our partners, we work to preserve the incomparable views of the snow-capped mountains and to protect essential wildlife habitat in the region. In… Read More
MEDIA GALLERY
CONTACT
Mark Elsbree
Sun Valley, ID
(208) 726-4419
melsbree@conservationfund.org
(208) 726-4419
melsbree@conservationfund.org
Senior Vice President of Real Estate and Northwest Director Mark Elsbree has been with the Fund since 1998 and currently works in the Sun Valley, Idaho office. Elsbree directs our conservation efforts in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. He holds a B.A. in Government from Dartmouth College.