Connie Best

A conservationist, successful entrepreneur, and forest owner, Ms. Best is a recognized leader in advancing strategies that harness the power of commerce to accomplish conservation objectives.  At Pacific Forest Trust she has led the conservation of over 100,000 acres of managed forestland in partnership with families, tribes, major timberland owners and communities to secure lasting climate, watershed and biodiversity benefits. For her work in developing rigorous accounting methodologies for forest-based carbon credits she won the EPA Climate Protection Award. Ms. Best is the principal author of  America’s Private Forests: Status and Stewardship  and “Capital Markets and Sustainable Forestry: Opportunities for Investment.” She is a past board member of the American Forest Foundation, the Land Trust Alliance, and Ecotrust, among others.