Land Transactions

In our nearly 30 years, we’ve worked with communities around Washington State to permanently protect 250,000 acres of wilderness, working lands, forests, rivers and streams, urban green space, parks and community gardens.

Lands that were at risk are now secure for a sustainable future.

Teanaway Valley view through the trees

Photo by Briena Sash

Land conservation

As a nationally accredited land trust, Forterra has worked with landowners to conserve our special places for the past 25 years. We seek permanent conservation, either through outright acquisition (fee simple interest) or partial acquisition (limited interest, conservation easement).

Land conservation
Real estate advisory services

Forterra has worked with tribes and federal, state, and local governments in a variety of capacities to help protect and restore key conservation properties throughout the Pacific Northwest. In the process we’ve developed the relevant skills and experience in land transaction facilitation, land conservation strategy and fundraising and financing.

Real estate advisory services
Community purpose land banking

We seek to capture select real estate opportunities in keystone neighborhood properties that someday will be important assets for the community, by purchasing and holding until a long term buyer can be secured. These include potential economic development, arts or cultural facilities and affordable housing on properties by future transit or town centers whose prices would otherwise be out of reach in the future. There are many potential applications for land banking that positively affect the health and sustainability of our communities, and we are always interested in exploring opportunities.

I learned there's a possibility for everyone to have success and everyone could have a win ... This is one small example of what potentially could happen in our bay, in our home and with our tribe and the reservation. And that makes me hopeful ... We definitely have Forterra to thank for that.

Jeromy Sullivan, Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe regarding the Kitsap Forest and Bay conservation effort

Related Perspectives and News

Development = Conservation

When you walk through South Lake Union, words you might think of include Amazon, Paul Allen, tech, REI, Vulcan, Pink Elephant, growth, MOHAI, development and… conservation? How our innovative program is transforming our region’s landscape.

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Rambling around one corner of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness

Gene Duvernoy’s hike in Alpine Lakes Wilderness serves as a reminder of just how important the Land and Water Conservation Fund is to the wilderness areas in Washington. LWCF protects and supports some our most treasured spaces but it expires in less than 100 days.

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Skykomish River Valley

Stretching from Everett to Stevens Pass, the Great Northern Corridor focuses energy to protect landscapes for recreational access, wildlife habitat, wild lands, working forestland, and scenic views.

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A Proud Partnership

Forterra is working to conserve Little Skookum Inlet, 816 acres of riparian habitat, wetland and forest with two miles of marine shoreline in Mason County. Generations of Native Americans, family foresters and shellfish farmers have tended to this inlet. Protecting this place will prevent the property from being developed while protecting critical habitat for shellfish and salmon. Our project partner, Port Blakely Tree Farms, has stewarded the forest at Little Skookum for over 150 years and was just named Puget Sound Business Journal’s Family Business of the Year.

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