Rainforest Trust Surpasses 70 Million Acres Protected Worldwide

Organization adds 10 million protected acres in just eight months

WARRENTON, Va., Oct. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rainforest Trust has surpassed 70 million acres protected worldwide, an area roughly the size of Nevada, just eight months after reaching the 60 million-acre milestone.

The rapid jump represents 10 million additional acres protected since February 2026, reflecting an accelerating pace of conservation as Rainforest Trust and its partners work to safeguard the planet’s most important places for biodiversity, climate and people.

The project that carried Rainforest Trust past the 70 million-acre mark is the newly designated Agua Dulce Municipal Wildlife Reserve in Baures, Bolivia, created in partnership with Faunagua. Protecting nearly 715,000 acres, the reserve safeguards 11 distinct vegetation types, over 70 mammal species, 489 bird species, 47 reptile and amphibian species, and 55 fish species. It serves as a vital sanctuary for iconic wildlife—including Jaguars, Amazon River Dolphins, Giant Otters, Lowland Tapirs, and Black Caimans—while ensuring essential transboundary ecological connectivity between Bolivia and Brazil across six contiguous conservation areas shared by both neighboring nations.

“Rainforest Trust provided crucial technical and financial support to foster local and municipal consensus, secure the formal legal designation of the protected area, and develop its key management instruments,” said Rosmery Ayala Lozada, Executive Director of Faunagua. “This strategic alliance among local stakeholders (GAM Baures and Faunagua) and international conservation partners (Conserva Aves, Andes Amazon fund), including Rainforest Trust, is achieving lasting impacts for biodiversity conservation, the preservation of vital ecosystem services along the Iténez River, and the sustainable development of the communities involved in its stewardship.”

“Protecting 10 million additional acres in just eight months shows what is possible when we match the urgency of the biodiversity crisis with ambition and strong local partnerships,” said James Deutsch, CEO of Rainforest Trust. “As 2030 approaches, the world has pledged to protect 30% of the planet. At Rainforest Trust, our focus is on helping protect the most imperiled 30%, specifically, the places where conservation can make the greatest difference for species, ecosystems, and people. Seventy million acres is a remarkable milestone, but it makes us more determined to go further and faster.”.

Since its founding in 1988, Rainforest Trust has worked with local conservation organizations, Indigenous Peoples, and communities to protect threatened habitats around the world. The organization has now helped safeguard more than 70 million acres of forests and other critical ecosystems.

The milestone comes as countries and conservation organizations race toward the global goal of conserving at least 30% of the planet by 2030. For Rainforest Trust, reaching 70 million acres is both a measure of progress and a reminder of the scale of work still ahead.

About Rainforest Trust

Since 1988, Rainforest Trust has been working with partners to safeguard imperiled tropical habitats and threatened species by helping to establish protected and conserved areas in partnership with Indigenous and local organizations and communities. To date, Rainforest Trust has helped protect more than 70 million acres of vital habitat across Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region. Rainforest Trust is a nonprofit organization that relies upon the generous support of the public to successfully implement its important conservation action. The organization is proud of earning a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. Learn more about the work of Rainforest Trust by visiting RainforestTrust.org, X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

About Faunagua

Faunagua is a Bolivian non-governmental organization dedicated to the conservation of strategic aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, integrating a biocultural landscape approach, and community science as the foundation for local community development.

Contact:
Brynn Garner
brynn.garner@rainforesttrust.org
+1-910-617-5370