Ecotrust was created in 1991 by a small group of diverse people who sought to bring some of the good ideas emerging around sustainability back to the rain forests of home. We set out to characterize this region and articulate a more enduring strategy for its prosperity.

These efforts are predicated on the notion, gaining an ever wider currency, that economic and ecological systems are mutually interdependent. To this relationship Ecotrust and others have sought to add a third "e" — social equity — to ensure that economic development awards benefits to all the region's citizens. Economy, ecology, equity: the triple bottom line.

Five integrated program areas, supported by our sophisticated toolkit, define and guide our efforts to build Salmon Nation:

Native Programs
Continuously strengthening over a decade of close relationships, Ecotrust both draws guidance from and provides assistance to the Native American and First Nation communities of Salmon Nation. Our objective is to support a growing network of leaders, increase outdoor education opportunities for native youth, and broker resources for repatriation and improved management of traditional lands.

Fisheries
Ecotrust seeks full public disclosure of the status of Pacific salmon as well as fundamental institutional changes in the way fisheries, marine ecosystems and watersheds are managed. With our State of the Salmon project, our goal is to create the most credible single source of information about salmon and salmon dependent communities, produce new models for socio-economic and ecological analysis, and protect and restore critical salmon watersheds.

Forestry
Ecotrust is working to develop landscape-scale examples of ecological forest management that sustain biodiversity and provide more reliable opportunities for forest dependent communities. Our objective is to develop new socio-economic models of traditional versus ecological forestry, protect key remaining natural-forest watersheds, and capture market forces to encourage new salmon-friendly forest practices.

Food & Farms
By promoting the seasonal products of local farmers and striving to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture on healthy watersheds, Ecotrust is fostering a regional food system in the Pacific Northwest. Our objectives are to improve public understanding of local agriculture and increase the market share of locally grown food.

Citizenship
Ecotrust works to articulate the idea of Salmon Nation, to promote a sense of place and stewardship among the citizens of the region. We seek to reach a significant percentage of this region's residents, inspiring them to tangibly change the way they think about their relationship to nature and to become more responsible citizens of Salmon Nation.