Transaction with Tacoma Public Utilities permanently protects land in the Green River Watershed

Tacoma Public Utilities in Washington State recently purchased approximately 579 acres in the Green River Watershed from BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group to protect the water supply and conserve the land.

The land parcel was sold from BTG Pactual TIG’s core U.S. timberland strategy, a diversified portfolio of over 1.1 million acres of timberland properties across 11 states. Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU) purchased the land using grant funds received from King County through its Conservation Futures Tax Levy Reimbursable grant program.

The purchase permanently protects lands around the utility’s water supply and marks a significant step in advancing conservation in the area. The Green River watershed includes 490 square miles of forest with 2,000 miles of rivers and streams that supply up to 150 million gallons of municipal water each day¹ and serves as the primary source of drinking water for more than 350,000 people in the region². The health of these forests directly impacts water quality for the downstream communities and continued stewardship of this land prevents conversion or other disturbances that could increase sedimentation.

This transaction is part of an ongoing collaboration between BTG Pactual TIG and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), in which NatureVest, TNC’s impact investing and conservation finance team serves as conservation advisor for BTG Pactual TIG’s core U.S. timberland strategy. The collaboration aims to manage commercial forests sustainably to deliver biodiversity, climate, and community benefits at a meaningful scale alongside potential financial returns. This sale represents an important step in advancing the land protection goals of the collaboration.

“Protecting this land within the Green River Watershed is critical to ensuring clean, reliable drinking water for the communities the utility serves,” said Keri Burchard-Juarez, superintendent of Tacoma Water. “We are grateful to BTG Pactual TIG and TNC for their collaboration in making this long-term investment in water security and conservation possible.”

“This transaction is a powerful example of how cross-sector collaboration can unlock conservation at scale,” said Cat Burns, Interim Managing Director of NatureVest, The Nature Conservancy. “The transaction between BTG Pactual TIG and Tacoma Water — a utility company investing directly in watershed protection — demonstrates how commercial forestry can align with long-term ecological stewardship. NatureVest is proud to help deliver tangible conservation outcomes while meeting the needs of diverse stakeholders.”

“This milestone reflects our ongoing efforts to align investment strategy with environmental stewardship,” said David Cassels, Head of U.S. Portfolio Management, BTG Pactual TIG. “We are proud to support the long-term protection of the Green River Watershed and look forward to continuing our work with The Nature Conservancy to unlock conservation value across our portfolio.”

About Tacoma Public Utilities

Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU) has been in operation since 1893 as a publicly-owned, municipal utility that operates on revenues from customers. More than 1,350 employees work to provide water, power, and rail services to customers in our service territory. TPU is responsible for managing more than 1,400 miles of water mains, more than 2,200 miles of power lines, and 43 miles of track.

About BTG Pactual TIG

BTG Pactual TIG is one of the world’s largest timberland managers with $7.3 billion assets and commitments and 2.9 million acres under management throughout the U.S. and Latin America (as of Q2, 2025). Its team of more than 160 professionals has an on-the-ground presence through 22 offices, bringing local, regional, and global experience to bear on the careful management of client investments. See our website for more information and important disclosures: www.timberlandinvestmentgroup.com.

¹ https://www.mytpu.org/about-tpu/services/water/water-source/

² https://www.mytpu.org/about-tpu/services/water/about-tacoma-water/water-quality/filtering-the-water/

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