Mission:
To promote economic development and environmental protection, and, using market-based approaches, to work with the private sector to provide comprehensive real estate solutions and sustainable technologies to meet this goal.

Background:
The Conservation Fund works with public, private, and nonprofit organizations to advance the nation's top conservation priorities and implement effective long-term strategies such as land acquisition, community- and economic-development initiatives, and leadership training. Since its founding in 1985, the fund and its partners have protected 5.6 million acres of wildlife habitat, watersheds, and waterways, historic sites, and recreation areas — from national parks and wildlife refuges to state forests and wildlife management areas to community-protected open space. The fund also seeks to prepare the next generation to be good stewards of the environment.

Outstanding Web Features:
In addition to the striking photography that adorns every page, the CF Web site features a Carbon Zero Calculator, a form-driven tool that enables visitors to the site to calculate their carbon footprint for a year — along with the number of new trees needed to neutralize their personal impact on climate change. The calculator is part of a larger program, Go Zero, designed to involve individuals, communities, and businesses in offsetting their carbon dioxide emissions. The carbon footprint number provided to each visitor by the calculator is accompanied by an appeal for a suggested donation, allowing the fund to plant the appropriate number of native trees on the donor's behalf.