United States & Canada Landscape Restoration

The American Southwest is a landscape of extreme climate and ecological sensitivity, where hardy forests play a critical role—not just in providing shelter for uniquely American species—but in securing water resources for millions of people, including those living in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Frequent wildfires, prolonged droughts, and insect outbreaks, intensified by climate change and historic land management practices, have severely degraded the health of forests and watersheds. Without timely action, the  world’s remaining ancient redwood forests will continue to disappear, along with the species that depend on them—just as the Monarch Butterfly, a critical pollinator, faces extinction. The Central Valley’s agricultural system, one of the nation’s largest, also depends on the region’s key watersheds.

One Tree Planted’s work prioritizes riparian restoration of vital water sources like the Colorado River and the Sierra Nevada snowpack, which supply much of California and Northern Nevada.

Home to the endangered Eastern Hemlock and functionally extinct American Chestnut tree, Appalachia is a critical biodiversity corridor. Despite this, Appalachian forests have historically been impacted by logging, mining, and land conversion.

Mountaintop removal for coal mining on private and public lands has destabilized ecosystems, degraded soil and water quality, and put vulnerable species such as the Appalachian Cottontail and Indiana Bat at risk, while increasing challenges faced by migratory Cerulean Warblers and Broadwinged Hawks.

One Tree Planted’s work in this region is centered on reforesting watersheds, including former mine sites, to reduce erosion and restore critical habitat. Our partnerships include both U.S. and Canadian Indigenous communities, allowing us to integrate restoration science with indigenous knowledge.

The Pacific Northwest is one of North America’s most ecologically diverse and culturally rich forested landscapes. Prior to European settlement, old-growth forest covered two-thirds of the Pacific Northwest; by the early 2000s, approximately 72% of that had been lost.

These ecosystems support iconic wildlife such as Grizzly Bears, American Bald Eagles, and Grey Wolves. The region hosts world-renowned Chinook Salmon runs, which nurture the endangered Southern Resident Orca. In addition, Pacific forests store substantial amounts of carbon, helping to mitigate climate change. Yet decades of logging, increasing severity and frequency of wildfires, and watershed degradation have placed critical ecosystems under mounting pressure.

Our efforts focus on interconnected ecosystem recovery via riparian restoration and wildfire recovery. One Tree Planted works closely with tribal nations, watershed councils, and regional alliances to ensure restoration is informed by traditional ecological knowledge and long-term landscape planning.