World Wildlife Fund

WWF combines fieldwork, policy advocacy and business partnerships to conserve the world's forests. Indonesia.
© WWF-Canon / Alain COMPOST

Illegal logging and unsustainable management of forests - driven by the demand for cheap timber and paper products - lead to the loss of nearly 36 million acres of natural forests each year, an area roughly the size of New York state. The world's poorest people often bear the brunt of forest loss, as forest resources sustain most of the world's people living in extreme poverty.

WWF's work with the U.S. government
Our work with the U.S. government includes supporting the reauthorization of the Tropical Forest Conservation Act (HR 2185 in the House of Representatives and S 2020 in the Senate ) that authorizes debt-for-nature swaps and other financial incentives to conserve tropical rainforests, such as the forests of the Amazon. The bill would further expand the program to include coral reefs and associated coastal marine ecosystems, such as those of the Coral Triangle. We are also working to support the Legal Timber Protection Act (HR 1497) which would prohibit imports of illegally harvested plants and timber products into the United States.

• Learn more about our forestry efforts