###

Press release from Green Diamond:

Green Diamond Resource Company (Green Diamond) announced the completion of the Lindsay Creek Conservation Easement, a significant conservation project in partnership with the Northcoast Regional Land Trust (NRLT) and with funding support from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Forest Legacy Program. This project ensures sustainable forest management, the protection of wildlife habitat and provides lasting public benefits to the surrounding communities.

The 2,815-acre Lindsay Creek Conservation Easement permanently conserves working forestlands and a critical watershed in Humboldt County. Lindsay Creek serves as an important spawning tributary to the Mad River (Baduwa’t), supporting Coho and Chinook salmon, summer and winter run steelhead, and coastal cutthroat trout. With the adjacent Van-Eck Forest Conservation Easement and McKinleyville Community Forest, this easement creates a 5,200- acre expanse of protected lands, which provides important habitat for these vulnerable species and a corridor for many more. Thanks to all project partners, the wild, working and scenic values of the Lindsay Creek Conservation Easement will remain protected for future generations.

“This project reflects our long-term commitment to balancing sustainable forest management with conservation and community benefit,” said Pete Jackson, Vice President and General Manager, Green Diamond. “The Lindsay Creek Conservation Easement completes a broader conservation strategy for Green Diamond’s McKinleyville property which included the transfer of roughly 600 acres to the McKinleyville Community Services District in 2023 for the establishment of the McKinleyville Community Forest”.

The vision for the McKinleyville Community Forest and the Lindsay Creek Conservation Easement originated in the 2002 McKinleyville Community Plan, reflecting the community’s commitment to preserving the forested corridor between McKinleyville and Fieldbrook and preventing future development. As the fastest growing population center in Humboldt —having expanded nearly 20% since 2000 — McKinleyville faces increasing development pressure. The Lindsay Creek Conservation Easement ensures that the property will remain a productive forestland and critical wildlife corridor by protecting it from subdivision and residential development.

The Northcoast Regional Land Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving wild and working lands across northwestern California, will hold and monitor the easement in perpetuity. The easement ensures that the property will remain a productive forestland and critical wildlife corridor by protecting it from subdivision and residential development.

“The Lindsay Creek Conservation Easement represents a collaborative approach to conservation that supports both the environment and local economies,” said Daniel Ehresman, NRLT Executive Director. “Through the Forest Legacy Program and partnerships with landowners like Green Diamond, we can protect landscapes that matter most to our region.”

Funding for the project was provided through the CAL FIRE Forest Legacy Program, which is supported by California Climate Investments, a state initiative that supports conservation ofprivate forestlands threatened by conversion to non-forest uses. The program helps preserve

California’s forest heritage while promoting sustainable forestry and enhancing public values such as clean water, carbon storage, and wildlife habitat.

The Lindsay Creek Conservation Easement is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Invest, formerly known as Cap-and-Trade, dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities.

The Lindsay Creek Conservation Easement adds to a growing network of conserved forestlands across Northern California that together support resilient ecosystems, local communities, and the long-term sustainability of California’s natural resources.

About Green Diamond Resource Company

Green Diamond Resource Company is a sixth-generation, family-owned forest products company that owns and manages working forests in California, Oregon, Washington, Montana and the southeastern United States. The company is committed to environmental stewardship, sustainable forestry, and community engagement. Learn more at www.greendiamond.com

About Northcoast Regional Land Trust

The Northcoast Regional Land Trust is a nonprofit organization which conserves wild and working lands across northwestern California for the benefit of the region’s farms, forests, watersheds, wildlife, and people. Since 2000, NRLT has protected over 68,000 acres through voluntary partnerships with landowners, tribes, public agencies, and community support. Learn more at https://ncrlt.org/.

About CAL FIRE’s Forest Legacy Program

The CAL FIRE Forest Legacy Program partners with landowners, conservation organizations, and local communities to protect privately owned forestlands through conservation easements and other voluntary measures that prevent forestland conversion and maintain ecological and public benefits.