Browne Forest Project
Planting a forest one bottle at a time.
Goal: 1 million trees planted
Progress: 256,068 trees planted
Goal: 1 million trees planted Progress: 256,068 trees planted
Winemaking regions – the Pacific Northwest included – have felt the impact of flooding and forest fires in recent years.
We’re honored to partner with One Tree Planted to support reforestation efforts in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. One Tree Planted makes it simple to give back by partnering with local reforestation organizations to directly impact habitats, people, and wildlife.
One Tree Planted projects restore forests in the wake of major wildfires like those in Paradise, California, repair damage caused by industry and resource extraction, and even support the endangered Southern Resident Orca of the Pacific Northwest.
Together we can restore forests, create habitats for biodiversity, and make a positive social impact on the environments where we live, work, and play.
Not just a pretty package.
We designed the Forest Project with our environmental impact in mind.
Our bottles are 31% lighter than standard wine bottles, reducing the energy required for transit and production.
Our shipping cartons are sourced from responsibly managed forests (per the Forest Stewardship Council).
Our label-free design saved just under 1.5 million paper labels in the first year of production, and ensures our bottles are recyclable.
Our current reforestation projects
California Rim Wildfire Reforestation
Reforestation efforts are underway in Stanislaus National Forest located in Tuolumne County California, about 160 miles from Paso Robles where our Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are grown. This project is designed to restore landscape mosaics of both old forest structure and open canopy structure within the footprint of the 2013 Rim Fire. This project is based in the Tuolumne Watershed, a key watershed within California that is a critical supplier of water to the Central Valley and the Bay Area. Restored forests will provide both water supply and water quality benefits. Restoring mixed conifer forests will reduce erosion, increase structure and thermal cover for wildlife species, and lower water temperature in riparian areas, while simultaneously increasing carbon sequestration.
Oregon Fire Reforestation
Our targeted planting locations in Oregon are lands that were burned during a devastating fire event that occurred in September 2020. Multiple large fires burned hundred of thousands of acres in western Oregon, including Archie Creek, Holiday Farm, Beachie Creek and Riverside. This is a multi-year effort to rehabilitate those lands. Lands are managed to primarily benefit resources such as Wildlife, Fisheries, Water, Wilderness, Botany, Recreation and Late Successional Ecosystems.
The new plantings will represent that which was historically present, and will be maintained to prevent invasive species establishment.
The Orca Initiative
Pacific Northwest Watersheds
Endangered Southern Resident Orcas have called the stretch of the Pacific Ocean from Northern California to British Columbia home for millennia. Every year, as the orcas migrate north to south and back again, they rely on the West Coast Chinook salmon for food (nearly 80% of their diet). However, salmon stocks are diminishing due to the loss of habitat and increasing pollution, ultimately impacting the orcas downstream. Planting trees along rivers and streams of the Pacific Northwest restores habitat for the endangered orcas. Trees help with water quality and therefore improve the orcas’ health and the quantity of salmon to eat.
Colorado: Spring Creek Fire Restoration
Our planting partners are working on a large-scale reforestation effort to address restoration of three of the largest forest fires in the history of Colorado – the Spring Creek Fire, the Troublesome Fire, and the Cameron Peak Fire. Our project is already the largest post-fire reforestation effort in Colorado and this portion of the project will help to increase these efforts by a significant degree. Our post-fire reforestation process includes planting rooted conifer seedlings in mixed conifer forests with low potential for natural regeneration as a result of three of the largest stand-replacing crown fires in Colorado history.
At each reforestation site, a planting plan is developed that includes partitioning the total planting area into 10 to 30 hectare blocks in order to improve logistical efficiency during planting and to establish monitoring plots where growth rate and survival are measured. Crews of 10 to 20 planters will typically plant 7,000 to 10,000 trees per day.
Florida & Georgia: Apalachicola Longleaf Initiative
This initiative aims to restore and manage longleaf pine habitats within the Florida Panhandle and into Southern Georgia, between the Aucilla and Choctawhatchee rivers. Efforts include planting longleaf pine, implementing prescribed fires, and treating invasive species in the Apalachicola National Forest and other public lands, while also providing financial aid to private landowners. These actions will enhance habitats for the eastern indigo snake and Bachman's sparrow. With over a million acres of managed conservation land and a collaborative network of land managers, regional longleaf objectives are highly attainable. Species population monitoring, particularly focusing on Bachman's sparrow, will provide feedback on restoration success. Community benefits include local economic retention through site preparation and hydrological improvements, conservation jobs, and green-collar careers. Additionally, workforce diversity is being improved through a targeted internship program with Florida A&M University and the US Forest Service, aiming to train a diverse new generation of land managers essential for long-term habitat preservation.
Texas: Shortleaf and Longleaf Restoration
This project will restore, enhance, and conserve longleaf pine ecosystems within the Longleaf Ridge and Big Thicket SGAs, two landscapes that have been identified as priority areas within the America’s Longleaf Range Wide Conservation Plan. These geographic areas represent the western extent of longleaf pine’s historic range, and without targeted technical and financial assistance efforts, could be lost potential for restoration and enhancement for the species. Longleaf pine management in this area is consistent with the goals and objectives of the National Forests and Grasslands and many other partners in terms of biodiversity conservation, fire management, wildlife habitat for game, non-game, threatened and endangered species, and forest health and resilience. The proposed work will benefit all native wildlife species within the SGAs, but in particular several key species of interest. This area is home to the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW), the last known populations in Texas of the Louisiana pine snake (listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act), the Bachman’s sparrow, and a host of additional unique species.
Southeast Species Conservation and Longleaf Pine Restoration
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia
This project aims to establish 2,500 acres of new longleaf pine forests and improve 5,500 acres of existing longleaf habitats on private lands within their historical range. It focuses on overcoming challenges to longleaf restoration by fostering collaboration among stakeholders and providing technical and financial support for landowners. The longleaf pine ecosystem is crucial for biodiversity, hosting species like the gopher tortoise, red-cockaded woodpecker, and Eastern indigo snake. Its resilience to fire, drought, and climate change makes it a key habitat for conserving these species.
The large-scale planting and management of longleaf pines on private lands promise significant benefits, unlike smaller restoration efforts. Most landowners involved have forest management plans to ensure sustainability and align with the Longleaf Forests and Rivers Business Plan. This responsible stewardship will further enhance the conservation of priority species, contributing to long-term ecological and habitat improvements.
Drink wine, plant trees.
We’re planting a forest one bottle at a time.