Our Evergreen Restoration 'Adopt an Acre' Program restores land in multiple phases.

Addressing noxious weeds that harm ecosystems and threaten native plant species.
Forterra’s lands may require additional support before noxious weed removal or planting.

Plant selection based on site conditions, ecosystem types, and climate resilience.
Mulching benefits plant growth and helps in weed suppression and soil quality improvement.

Ongoing invasive removal, mulching, and other maintenance to support native plant growth.
Monitoring in years 3 and 5 with a standardized monitoring protocol allows us to track progress and re-planting if plant survival rates drop below 70%.

Noxious Weed Cover: If the noxious weed cover is greater than 10%, we will re-enroll the site. If class A, or B noxious weeds are present we will re-enroll the site.
Native Species Cover: If the native plant cover is less than 30%, we will re-enroll the site.
As an accredited land trust, Forterra’s committed to monitoring the site locations annually after the program graduates. This allows us to monitor the lands for ecological health and manage evolving environmental conditions.
For more information on the 4 phases of restoration read pages 35-70 of this guide.
Field partners agree to track tree survivor rate after three years and report this information back to Forterra. At the end of the three-year monitoring period, if tree survivorship falls below 50% of the initial tree installation, ERP will provide replacement trees for the Field Partner to meet the 50% survivorship rate. Field Partners can also provide their own replacement trees on the site as needed to meet program or restoration goals before the three-year monitoring period ends. If a Field Partner working on private land loses access to that site and/or the landowner no longer agrees to participate in the Evergreen Restoration program, Evergreen Restoration Program requests that the Field Partner replace the trees lost and establish a new planting site.

What are the benefits of trees?

A mature tree can store 50–100 gallons of water during large storms (Fazio 2010).
Green streets, rain barrels, and tree planting are estimated to be three to six times more effective in managing stormwater per $1,000 invested than conventional methods (Foster et al. 2011)
Each year, an acre of trees absorbs the amount of carbon produced by driving a car for 26,000 miles (Nowak 2011).
The Puget Sound region’s forests provide measurable, valuable services that benefits us every day. In 1998, American Forests, a nonprofit citizens’ conservation organization, analyzed Washington State’s urban forests. Its study revealed that these trees removed 38,990 tons of air pollution — a service that is valued at $261.6 million in 2019.
Conifers, specifically, can remove 50 pounds of particulate pollutants from the air per year (Dwyer et al. 1992), which is correlated with a reduced incidence of asthma in children and other related respiratory health issues in people of all ages (Lovasi et al. 2008).