Summer 2019 ForestLife

Donor Profile: Ivan Samuels

Ivan Samuels is the Executive Director of March Conservation Fund (MCF) and the chair of the Pacific Forest Trust Board of Directors. Ivan’s expertise spans the fields of ecology, ornithology, forestry, and land management. We asked him about why he’s a dedicated supporter of PFT’s work, both as an individual and through MCF.

Why are forests important to you?

Forests, and healthy forest ecosystems, achieve three immense goals of the conservation community: water, wildlife, and carbon sequestration. Intact forest ecosystems simultaneously determine the function of our watersheds, provide critical habitat for countless species, and suck huge quantities of carbon out of the air. Forests are important to me for these reasons, but at a personal level they are critical for stress release and recreation such as hiking, camping, and birding.

How does supporting PFT help accomplish the goals of the March Conservation Fund?

Biodiversity conservation is the core of our work, but actually achieving that requires action at many levels. PFT helps accomplish this goal by working with private landowners to make working forests more resilient, improving understanding of watershed function, and directly influencing policies that keep forests front and center in the climate change crisis.

What do you think are some of the greatest challenges for conservation now and in the coming years?

The increase in political polarization is of course a increasing challenge. But the larger challenge for the conservation community now and into the future comes from the sheer momentum of population growth and economic expansion when we only have one planet. We still are not on a pathway to sustainability; despite high levels of apathy and an increasing distrust of science, the next generation must be educated, energized, and engaged to turn things around.

What is most rewarding to you about contributing to PFT?

Aside from the obvious reward of seeing PFT’s portfolio of easements grow, it’s very rewarding to see our donations contribute to a broad-based collaborative working environment. PFT has taken on the challenge of bringing small and large private forest landowners, timber companies, local and state legislators, and government agencies to the table—and over time, we are seeing tremendous results for our forests.