New England Forestry Foundation
Lauren Owens Lambert

About

Our Mission

Through the application of our core expertise in conserving forestland and advancing Exemplary Forestry, New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) helps the people of New England to sustain their way of life, protect forest wildlife habitat and ecosystem services, and mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Core Values
  • Serves the interests of all New England’s citizens by conserving forestlands and promoting the exemplary management of regional forests.
  • Demonstrates continuity of purpose. NEFF was born out of the need to improve forest management and stewardship throughout the region, and the organization remains committed to those goals.
  • Operates with openness, transparency, commitment, competence, and integrity.
  • Innovates and advances practice in both conservation and forest management so as to maximize its own effectiveness and as a service to the conservation and forestry professions.
  • Treats with courtesy and respect all of its constituencies—its benefactors, supporters, collaborators, transaction partners, community partners, peer organizations, government agencies, the news media, vendors and employees.
  • Resolves conflict by fostering mutual understanding, leading to collaborative problem-solving.
  • Maximizes its impact through partnerships with diverse organizations throughout the region to reach shared goals.
  • Seeks double-duty or triple-duty solutions that achieve multiple outcomes from the investment of resources, and thereby leveraging donors’ contributions for the greatest possible impact.
  • Commits to respecting and learning from different perspectives, reflecting the diverse citizens and communities of New England. In hiring, mentoring, and managing staff, the organization seeks to maintain a diverse, supportive, friendly, and discrimination-free workplace.
How does NEFF work to accomplish our mission?
  • We conserve forestland for future generations through purchases, gifts, and bequests of land and easements.
  • We actively manage NEFF-owned lands as demonstration and education forests, applying advanced practices in Exemplary Forestry and modeling tools and techniques that private landowners may wish to adopt.
  • We advocate for policies and incentives that encourage and sustain private forestland ownership, ensuring that landowners have economically viable alternatives to selling their land for development.
  • We keep more than 150 NEFF lands open to the public as Community Forests, with no charge for admission, ensuring New Englanders have access to all the recreational opportunities that forests provide.
  • We are a resource for forestland owners in our region, helping them to achieve their own land management and legacy objectives.
  • We educate landowners and the general public about the importance of forestry through outreach and programming.
  • We steward conservation easements that have been entrusted to us, ensuring that landowners’ conservation intents are sustained in accordance with their expressed wishes.
  • We are future-focused, and committed to innovation and integrity. NEFF helps prepare the region for a future where forestry is increasingly important, not only to keep forests healthy in the face of climate change, but also as a part of a global environmental solution to climate change. We engage in numerous strategic initiatives to expand the region’s land protection capacity, further forest education, and ensure that NEFF fulfills its mission.
  • We endorse and partner with organizations and supporters to work towards the Harvard Forest Wildlands and Woodlands vision to conserve 30 million acres of New England forest.

Charlie Reinertsen