A Partnership with Apple to Protect Working Forests

Today, we’re proud to announce a new partnership with Apple to protect thousands of acres of working redwood forest on California’s North Coast. Together, we are co-owners of this remarkable landscape — the Gualala River Forest — which, under the management of The Conservation Fund, will continue to provide clean water, sustain local jobs, enhance wildlife habitat, and promote carbon storage long into the future.  

This is not our first time working together. In Maine and North Carolina, The Conservation Fund and Apple have already protected more than 36,000 acres of working forests. Now, by pioneering a new co-ownership model in California, we are proving that large-scale forest conservation can deliver economic, community, and climate benefits all at once. 

Through this model, Apple will receive verified carbon credits to meet its climate goals, while communities surrounding the forest receive the full benefits of a sustainably managed working forest. 

America’s Working Forests Are at Risk 

Our country’s working forests are one of our greatest natural resources. They provide clean drinking water for millions of people, critical habitat for wildlife, and endless opportunities for recreation and connection to nature. They are also economic powerhouses — supporting more than 2 million jobs nationwide and sustaining rural communities across the country.   

Working forests are also critical players in the fight against climate change. Take California’s coastal redwoods, for example. These redwood forests capture and store carbon at a pace few other species can match, while also sustaining local communities and supporting the ecosystems that depend on them.