Firm History

1998

Rick Smith founds Forest Systems.

Others from the Hancock Timber Resource Group and Resource Management Service join the firm.

Forest Systems awarded management responsibility for western forest portfolio – 100,000 acres in California, Washington and Oregon – by the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio (Ohio STRS).

1999

Forest Systems acquires
245,000 acres in Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi for
Ohio STRS.

2001

Forest Systems completes conservation easement for the 32,000-acre California Swamp – establishing one of Florida’s largest working forest easements.

Forest Systems collaborates with The Nature Conservancy and Southeast Cave Conservancy to protect Tennessee cave complex that is home to rare and endangered gray bats.

Forest Systems launches IFMS, an integrated forest management system designed to provide field foresters with cutting-edge management technology.

2002

Forest Systems purchases Queset House, a 150-year-old home that is part of a registered historic landmark in North Easton, Massachusetts, to serve as its national office.

2003

Forest Systems assumes
management of 100,000 acres
in Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas for Ohio STRS.

2004

Forest Systems assists Madison Dearborn Partners in the acquisition of the Boise Cascade Corporation, including 2.2 million acres of forestland.

2006

Forest Systems completes the first, large scale conservation easement in the history of the State of California in collaboration with Pacific Forest Trust on 9,100 acres at the base of Mt. Shasta near McCloud, California.

Forest Systems advises The Conservation Fund on the purchase of 36,000 acres of highly productive and highly sensitive working forestland in Mendocino County, California.

2007

Forest Systems initiates and manages the disposition of 440,000 acres of working forests in eight states for a large Portfolio Client.

Forest Systems focuses on becoming the world's pre-eminent developer and provider of forest-based, eco-system investment opportunities, with a particular emphasis on creating businesses and investment vehicles associated with climate change and the capacity of the world's forests to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide.