ForestWatch was founded in 2004 and has expanded into a powerful advocate for our public lands. Today, we're leading the charge to protect and restore the forests, grasslands, rivers, wildlife, and wilderness along California's Central Coast. We've quickly established ourselves as one of the region’s premier conservation forces, combining organizing, advocacy, and science skills with innovative strategy and field work.

We're an alliance of outdoor enthusiasts, hikers, mountain bikers, biologists, horseback riders, river runners, backcountry travelers, weekend campers, anglers, hunters, bird watchers, farmers, writers, photographers, rock climbers, hang gliders, local business leaders, and others who depend on a healthy forest and want to see it protected for generations to come.

Whether you care about wild forests, free-flowing rivers, untrammeled chaparral, or the creatures that inhabit these beautiful places, ForestWatch is here to ensure that they have a voice.

With headquarters in Santa Barbara, our work extends across the vast network of public lands along California's Central Coast. We focus on the Los Padres National Forest and nearby public lands, including the Carrizo Plain National Monument, Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex, the Fort Hunter-Liggett Widlands, the California Coast National Monument, Carrizo Plain Ecological Reserve, and lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management.

Click here to read more about our region's public lands.

ForestWatch is the only local organization working to protect the entire Los Padres National Forest - from the Big Sur coast to the Sespe wildlands - from damage caused by oil drilling, illegal off-road vehicle abuse, unmanaged livestock grazing, and uncontrolled development.

• We're local. Our headquarters are right here on the Central Coast, just ten minutes away from the forest we work to protect. We live, work, and play here every day, giving us a unique understanding of the many ways our communities value these public lands. 

• We're effective. Our bottom line is simple - every action we take must result in direct, on-the-ground protection for our public lands. We focus our work where it counts. We have a proven track record of achieving meaningful protection.

• We're efficient. We operate on a lean budget with low overhead, so we can direct nearly all of our funds towards our on-the-ground efforts to protect the forest. Our staff work long hours for little pay, stretching every dollar to its limit.

• We tell it like it is. Our efforts are based on the best science so that we can focus on what really matters - protecting the forest. Our scientific advisory committee ensures that our positions are supported by hard evidence.

• We're inclusive. We work with a variety of folks from all walks of life who share a common goal - protecting and restoring the forest. By forging alliances with unconventional allies like local businesses, rural communities, and other forest users, we increase our effectiveness and secure lasting protection for our public lands.

Our strategy is simple yet effective:

ü We conduct on-the-ground restoration projects that improve forest conditions and repair degraded areas.

ü We review and comment on projects proposed by public land management agencies to ensure consistency with scientific principles and environmental laws.

ü We monitor forest conditions and activities on public lands to reduce or eliminate impacts to forest resources.

ü We consult with leading scientists and experts to ensure that public land management agencies are using the best available science.

ü We file appeals and, if necessary, lawsuits to compel public land management agencies to comply with our nation's longstanding environmental laws.

ü We collaborate with other organizations and citizens committed to forest protection, and catalyze them into action to halt forest threats and restore damaged areas.

ü We increase the public's understanding of the important role that our region's public lands play in maintaining the local economy, quality of life, and environment of our communities.