Children's Forest Land Acquisition Update
The Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society is excited to share more details about progress on the purchase of the Children’s Forest.
We have entered into an agreement with Mosaic Forest Management to purchase 261 acres of Mosaic’s private lands fronting Carrington Lagoon. The purchase price is $6.8 million. The agreement has a closing date of December 19, 2025 and is conditional on the Society securing the funds needed by November 19, 2025.
The Society has set a fundraising goal of $7.5 million to cover the purchase and closing costs and to set up an endowment for future ownership and maintenance costs.
The board of the Society has been busy over the summer working with institutional donors, philanthropists and private donors able to commit significant sums towards our purchase fund, and we are pleased to announce that to date we have secured pledges for $5.3 million of the $7.5 million total (70%+ of the total). 50% of the purchase price has been pledged by a land trust foundation, and their contribution is subject to the success of a federal funding application, the results of which will be known in the coming weeks.
We are in discussions with foundations and individuals who we are hopeful can help us close the funding gap of $2+ million.
The opportunity to acquire these lands likely won’t come around again, so we are making every effort to spread the word to individuals and groups with an interest in land conservation projects and significant giving capacity.
If you know of a conservation minded foundation or individual who would appreciate the opportunity to contribute significantly to the purchase of the Children’s Forest, please e-mail directors@childrensforest.org or reach out to any board member.
We are in the early planning stages for a community fundraising program in the fall, but before accepting cash donations at a community level, we want to be sure the purchase has every chance of success (we can’t return donations to disappointed donors if the purchase does not go ahead).
At this stage we are accepting pledges for larger donations (of $1,000 or more). To make a pledge, please visit the donation page of our website where you can make an online pledge.
https://www.corteschildrensforesttrust.org/donate/
If you would like to make a donation of less than $1,000 please look out for the announcement of our community fundraising campaign in the fall.
This is the moment for YOU, the Cortes community (near and far) and those interested in these lands, to help support this land acquisition from Mosaic.
Imagine…..a forest in trust to the Children!!
