Forterra
Corporate brand
UnclaimedForterra is a Washington-based land conservation, stewardship, and community-building organization.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Forterra is a nonprofit conservation organization headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with additional principal offices in Roslyn and Tacoma. Formerly known as Cascade Land Conservancy, it works across Washington State to conserve and steward working farms, forestlands, natural areas, and urban green spaces. Its activities combine land acquisition and protection with long-term stewardship, community engagement, and partnerships with public agencies, cities, tribes, and local communities. The organization changed its name to Forterra on November 2, 2011. The rebranding reflected an expansion beyond the geographic and organizational implications of the former name: the word “Cascade” no longer represented the full statewide scope of its work, while “Land Conservancy” did not capture its broader emphasis on stewardship and community building. The new name was intended to express an orientation toward protecting the earth. Forterra’s conservation portfolio includes working farms, forestlands, marine and terrestrial natural areas, and urban forests. The organization reports having conserved approximately 275,000 acres to date. Highlighted projects include the 118-acre Saddle Swamp, the 300-acre Maury Island Marine Park, and the 90,000-acre Snoqualmie Tree Farm. In December 2016, Forterra worked with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to acquire 376 acres of forestland near the North and Middle Forks of the Snoqualmie River. A major part of Forterra’s public-facing work involves urban forestry and ecological restoration. Through partnerships with Everett, Kent, Kirkland, Redmond, Seattle, and Tacoma, it supports stewardship projects in city parks and urban forests. Volunteers and trained Forest Stewards assist with invasive-plant removal and other restoration activities under long-term plans intended to protect and improve urban forest systems. The Green Seattle Partnership, a collaboration between Forterra and the City of Seattle, is one prominent example of this model. Forterra’s work sits at the intersection of conservation real estate, environmental stewardship, public-private partnership, and community participation. Its projects frequently require coordination among landowners, municipalities, state agencies, volunteers, funders, and community or tribal representatives. Public reporting in 2022 also brought scrutiny to the organization’s leadership and its relationship with the Snoqualmie Tribe in connection with a proposed United States Department of Agriculture grant application. These allegations and the subsequent dismissal of a senior real-estate executive became a significant reputational issue for the organization, although the available reference material does not establish a final legal or regulatory finding against Forterra.
History
Forterra developed from Cascade Land Conservancy, a Washington land-conservation organization whose work expanded over time from a narrower regional identity toward a statewide conservation and stewardship role. The organization’s modern identity was formalized on November 2, 2011, when Cascade Land Conservancy adopted the name Forterra. The change was intended to communicate that the organization operated beyond the Cascade region and that its mission extended beyond the legal protection of land to include stewardship and community building. Under the Forterra name, the organization has worked to conserve and manage a broad range of Washington landscapes, including working farms, forestlands, natural areas, and urban forests. It reports conserving approximately 275,000 acres. Its cited projects include Saddle Swamp, a 118-acre conservation area; the 300-acre Maury Island Marine Park; and the 90,000-acre Snoqualmie Tree Farm. These projects illustrate the organization’s use of conservation transactions and partnerships to protect working and natural landscapes at substantial scale. Forterra has also pursued projects in the Snoqualmie watershed and surrounding forestlands. In December 2016, it acquired 376 acres near the North and Middle Forks of the Snoqualmie River jointly with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Such work places Forterra within a partnership-based conservation model in which nonprofit organizations collaborate with state agencies and other stakeholders to secure land with ecological, recreational, watershed, or community value. Urban stewardship became another important dimension of the organization’s activities. Forterra maintains official partnerships with Everett, Kent, Kirkland, Redmond, Seattle, and Tacoma for projects involving city parks and urban forests. Volunteers and Forest Stewards participate in restoration work, particularly the control of invasive plants, under long-term plans designed to protect urban forest systems. The Green Seattle Partnership, formed with the City of Seattle, is a prominent example. Its purpose is to preserve and restore Seattle parklands through coordinated public and volunteer action. The organization’s partnership-oriented approach also creates governance and accountability obligations. In 2022, Forterra dismissed Tobias Levey, then its director of real-estate transactions, after citing concerns about his ability to serve its mission. The dismissal followed public criticism by Snoqualmie Tribe officials concerning Forterra’s handling of a proposed $20 million USDA grant application. The tribe alleged that Forterra had misled tribal leaders and sought a nondisclosure agreement as a condition of providing the grant application. Reference material also notes that Levey had previously settled a 2017 civil lawsuit involving allegations of fraud and embezzlement in a land transaction. These events generated negative coverage and scrutiny of Forterra’s leadership and partnership practices. The available material does not provide a definitive court or regulatory conclusion resolving all of the allegations. Forterra’s overall identity is therefore defined by conservation real estate, land stewardship, urban ecological restoration, and civic partnerships. Its work is concentrated in Washington State and spans both rural landscapes and metropolitan park systems.
- 2022
Executive dismissal and tribal grant controversy
[1]Forterra dismissed its director of real-estate transactions amid public allegations concerning a proposed USDA grant application involving the Snoqualmie Tribe.
- 2016
Snoqualmie forest acquisition
[1]Forterra and Washington’s Department of Natural Resources jointly acquired 376 acres of forest near the North and Middle Forks of the Snoqualmie River.
- 2011
Cascade Land Conservancy becomes Forterra
[1]The organization changed its name to Forterra to reflect its statewide scope and wider mission in conservation, stewardship, and community building.
Products and positioning
A statewide Washington conservation organization combining land protection, ecological stewardship, urban forestry, and community-based partnerships.
Conservation service
Land conservation
Forterra protects working farms, forestlands, and natural areas through conservation projects and land transactions. Its reported portfolio includes approximately 275,000 acres across Washington State, with projects ranging from large working forests to smaller wetlands and marine parks.
Environmental stewardship
Urban forest stewardship
Through partnerships with Washington cities, Forterra supports long-term management of urban forests and parks. Work includes volunteer coordination, Forest Steward programs, invasive-plant removal, and restoration activities carried out under multi-year stewardship plans.
Community conservation program
Green Seattle Partnership
The Green Seattle Partnership is a collaboration between Forterra and the City of Seattle focused on restoring and preserving Seattle parklands. It relies on organized public participation and ecological stewardship to address invasive species and improve urban natural areas.
Controversies
2022
Snoqualmie Tribe grant-application controversy
Snoqualmie Tribe officials accused Forterra of misleading tribal leaders during work on a proposed $20 million USDA grant application. The tribe also alleged that Forterra’s leadership sought a nondisclosure agreement as a condition of providing the grant. The controversy was followed by Forterra’s dismissal of real-estate transactions director Tobias Levey. The available reference material does not establish a final legal finding resolving the allegations.
Marketing campaigns
- Green Cities
Everett · Kent · Kirkland · Redmond · Seattle · Tacoma
Forterra partners with Washington municipalities on stewardship projects in city parks and urban forests. Volunteers and Forest Stewards help implement long-term plans, including invasive-species control and restoration of urban forest habitats.
Outcome. The initiative established an ongoing partnership model for urban ecological restoration across multiple Washington cities.
- Green Seattle Partnership
Seattle, Washington
Forterra and the City of Seattle collaborate to combat invasive species and preserve Seattle’s parklands through volunteer-supported urban forest stewardship.
Outcome. The partnership became a flagship example of Forterra’s community-based urban conservation work.
Brand decisions
2016
Joint acquisition of Snoqualmie forestlandOtherBackground
Forest near the North and Middle Forks of the Snoqualmie River was identified for conservation in cooperation with Washington’s Department of Natural Resources.
Action taken
Forterra and the state agency jointly acquired 376 acres in December 2016.
Aftermath
The acquisition added protected forestland to Forterra’s conservation portfolio.
2011
Rebrand from Cascade Land Conservancy to ForterraStrategyBackground
The former name was considered too closely associated with the Cascade region and insufficiently broad for an organization working throughout Washington and engaging in stewardship and community building.
Action taken
The organization officially adopted the Forterra name on November 2, 2011.
Aftermath
Forterra continued operating as a statewide conservation and stewardship organization under the new identity.
Recent events
Reported
Forterra and Hypercraft unveil new autonomous ground vehicle at AUSA[2]
At the Association of the United States Army conference, Forterra unveiled a new autonomous ground vehicle created with Hypercraft, integrating Forterra's AutoDrive autonomous software platform to form a machine capable of carrying out high-risk missions without endangering soldiers' lives.
Reported
Forterra debuts OASIS-OneLink platform at AUSA[2]
Defense tech company Forterra introduced OASIS-OneLink on Monday at the Association of the United States Army conference in Washington, a platform that allows service members to control different autonomous systems through one user interface, building on its OASIS-Fabric shared data network. Forterra said the Army's Joint Readiness Training Center has already begun using OASIS-OneLink to pilot unmanned systems.
Weekdays and relative dates follow the original report; their exact calendar dates have not been verified.
Sources2 sources
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