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 [Socially Responsible Investing](/categories/socially-responsible-investing)

 # An Impact Model for Working Forests: Nature Finance in Action

 

##### Inside The Nature Conservancy's Cumberland Forest Project in Central Appalachia

 

 

 May 5, 2026 4:40 PM ET

  ![person standing in a forest](/sites/default/files/2026-04/Screenshot%202026-04-07%20at%2010.15.22%E2%80%AFPM.png)

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How can innovative nature finance structures improve traditional working forest models, strengthening long-term resilience while delivering conservation, climate, and community benefits?

The unique blended finance structure behind the Cumberland Forest Project—one of The Nature Conservancy’s largest conservation projects in the eastern United States—demonstrates what is possible with impact-driven timberland investments. Established in 2018, the Cumberland Forest Project manages 253,000 acres of working forest across Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia to deliver conservation and community benefits alongside financial returns.

The result is a scalable model for investing in nature, one that aims to aligns conservation and community outcomes with asset performance.

Learn how innovative finance can unlock better outcomes for nature and communities, and why the Cumberland Forest Project is a leading example of nature-based investing in action.

To go deeper into the why and how behind this work, explore the [Cumberland Forest Project’s 2025 Impact Report](https://www.nature.org/content/dam/tnc/nature/en/documents/c/u/Cumberland_Forest_Project_2025-Impact-Repor-d1.pdf) and hear project director Greg Meade share insights on the [*Forest Invest*](https://shows.acast.com/65c380272e2cc000150e6335/episodes/69c7915688f1e89132a9e89f? "Forest Invest podcast")[ podcast](https://shows.acast.com/65c380272e2cc000150e6335/episodes/69c7915688f1e89132a9e89f?).



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 [![NatureVest logo](/sites/default/files/2026-04/TNC-Brand-NatureVestLogo-FullColorSmall.png)](/profiles/naturevest)

 



 

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