Restoring America’s Working Landscapes

Restore the Earth Foundation is leading one of the largest forest restoration efforts in the United States. Our long-term vision is to restore up to one million acres across the Mississippi River Basin, a region often called “North America’s Amazon.”

These working landscapes sustain agriculture, protect water resources, provide wildlife habitat, and support rural communities. Restoring them at scale strengthens both natural systems and the economies that depend on them.

Measured, Outcome-Based Stewardship

REF designs restoration projects using whole-landscape planning and outcome-based management.
Across our initiatives we:

• Establish baseline conditions before restoration
• Monitor forest growth, soil health, and water outcomes
• Combine field data with remote sensing technologies
• Implement long-term management and risk-mitigation strategies

These practices ensure outcomes remain measurable, transparent, and durable.

Permanence and Long-Term Management

REF restoration projects are secured through long-term conservation easements and stewardship agreements, ensuring restored lands remain protected and responsibly managed.

Sustainable forest management plans address:

• Natural disturbance risks
• Invasive species control
• Forest health and resilience
• Long-term productivity of working lands

This long-term stewardship is central to REF’s approach.

Partnerships That Make Scale Possible

Large-scale restoration depends on collaboration.
REF works with:

• Landowners and producers adopting voluntary regenerative land management
• State and federal agencies advancing conservation and watershed priorities
• Conservation organizations and technical partners providing science and expertise
• Private and institutional partners supporting restoration at scale

Together, these partnerships align public conservation programs with voluntary private engagement to restore more land efficiently and responsibly.

Broad Benefits of Landscape-Scale Restoration

Restoring forests at scale delivers lasting environmental and community benefits.

Across the Mississippi River Basin, restoration helps:

Improve soil health and water retention
Reduce flood risks and downstream impacts
Expand biodiversity and strengthen wildlife habitat
Support rural economies and local employment
Increase the resilience of agricultural and natural systems

These outcomes are tracked, documented, and reported as part of REF’s commitment to transparency and accountability.

Join the Effort to Restore America’s Working Landscapes

Across the Mississippi River Basin, large-scale restoration is already underway – improving soil health, strengthening water systems, expanding wildlife habitat, and supporting rural communities.