An investor has transferred ownership of an approximately 4,450-hectare forest in the US to non-profits so it can be protected “forever” with benefits for biodiversity, endangered species, and water.

Australia-headquartered asset manager New Forests transferred ownership of the Trinity Headwaters property to the Pacific Forest Trust and the Watershed Center, the company announced Monday.

“The transfer of Trinity Headwaters to the Pacific Forest Trust and the Watershed Center ensures the permanent protection of the biodiversity, native fish, wildlife habitats, and water resources for California, while providing enhanced access to this property for recreational and learning purposes,” New Forests said in a press release.

“This iconic section of northern California will be protected forever, while we retain the adjacent forest area to sustainably manage for production and carbon outcomes,” it said.

The area was part of New Forests’ approximately 107,240-ha Klamath Forest portfolio in the state. Globally, the investor manages A$8.1 billion ($5.3 bln) across 1 mln ha.

Trinity Headwaters consists of mixed conifers, white and red fir, pine, and is considered a biodiversity hotspot. It supports 44 rare or threatened animal species such as wolverines, Cascades frogs, and Sierra Nevada red foxes.

A river running through Trinity Headwaters is noted for its salmon, recreation, and source of irrigation to California’s Central Valley – which produces about a quarter of the country’s food.

The Trinity River is the main tributary of the Klamath River, which has been home to Indigenous people for thousands of years.

The Watershed Center intends to use the property for delivering youth programmes for local communities and tribes, including cultural and ancestral ecological practices.

In May, Carbon Pulse reported how New Forests was preparing to potentially generate biodiversity credits by gathering nature metrics across 37,800 ha in three African countries.

By Thomas Cox – t.cox@carbon-pulse.com

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