Restoring Forests,
Reviving Communities
Reviving Communities
Sierra Institute works with rural communities to foster
healthy forests, watersheds, and thriving economies.
Rooted in Place, Driven by People
Sierra Institute works alongside rural and tribal communities to restore landscapes, strengthen local economies, and support leadership grounded in place and culture. For over 25 years, we’ve bridged the gap between people, policy, and the land—building solutions that are community-led, resilient, and rooted in lived experience.
The challenges are real. The solutions should be, too.
Many rural communities face the compounding pressures of wildfire risk, limited economic opportunity, and disconnected decision-making. Without community-driven solutions, these challenges persist—and people and local knowledge are left out of the process.
Partnership makes progress possible
How you can engage
What success looks like
Communities with active and engaged voices.
Landscapes that are healthier and more resilient.
Innovative leadership, meaningful jobs, and renewed pride in place
We envision a future where rural places are engaged, supported, adaptive, and thriving
Why it matters
Without community involvement, restoration efforts can fall short, economic hardship deepens, and critical local knowledge is overlooked. Rural people deserve a central role in shaping what comes next.
Stories from the land
What Is a Collaborative, and Why Does It Matter for Land Management?
Many thinned forests and restored meadows you drive past in Lassen, Plumas, or Butte County have a backstory: years of…
Lake Almanor’s Recovery After the Dixie Fire: What the Water Is Telling Us
If you've spent time around Lake Almanor over the last few years, you've probably noticed how much the landscape has…
Conserving Mount Lassen Paintbrush at Swain Meadow
This month, staff from Sierra Institute, the Lassen National Forest, and the Institute of Applied Ecology gathered at Swain Meadow…
SCALE 2026
Sierra Institute is excited to announce that registration for SCALE 2026 is now open! SCALE is a network of collaboratives…
International Mass Timber Conference 2026
In late March, Sierra Institute staff and the Mosaic Timber team joined thousands of architects, engineers, manufacturers, and forest professionals…
Assessing Brownfields Throughout California’s North State
Learn how Sierra Institute uses US EPA Community-Wide Assessment Grants to identify and remediate contaminated sites across Plumas, Lassen, and…
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We’re hard at work in our local forests and communities and we’re excited to share important updates with you via our monthly newsletter. Thank you for your interest in our work and being part of our community!
