Forterra

901 5th Avenue, Ste. 2200

Seattle WA 98164

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Mission

Forterra is dedicated to regional sustainability in all its dimensions – environmental, social and economic. Since 1989 Forterra has been at the forefront of landscape-scale conservation, restoration, and community-building efforts to help secure a positive future. Forterra secures places – urban, rural and wild-that are critical to a sustainable future for all in support of a healthy environment, community, and economy. Forterra pursues our mission by working with communities to secure the places they value.

Primary Programs/Projects:

Forterra’s programs focus on four interrelated areas:

• Conservation real estate:  permanently protecting farms, forests, open space, and other ands whose conservation is important for the long-terms health of the region.
• Innovation: designing market-based tools that promote growth within our exisiting urban footprint while conserving resoure lands, serving as a regional thought leader, advocating on major land use policy issues, and using community engagement to inform public policy.
• Restoration: enhancing and restoring riparian habitat and urban forested areas, managing a portoflio of lands, and building an extensive network of volunteers to support restoration efforts.
• Community development: acquiring land with valuable public benefit, developing affordable housing using sustainable building materials, with a focus on homeownership, and investing in projects that will lead to a more sustainable community.  All of Forterra’s community development projects are designed with the community after robust engagement.

Reason for joining the Skagit Watershed Council:

Forterra’s vision for Hamilton Center is a beautiful, net zero rural village development that will include housing at a price that is affordable to Hamilton’s residents.  The project will create an opportunity for current residents to move out of the floodplain.  It is also a necessary step in the plan for riparian restoration of the Skagit River, its salmon habitat, and the orca food chain.  Forterra seeks to learn from the experience and accumulated wisdom of the SWC membership as we pursue development and restoration activities.