Restoring Watersheds: Coca-Cola, National Forest Foundation, and U.S. Forest Service Partnership
Innovative Public-Private Partnership Management
Partnering with The Coca-Cola Company and the National Forest Foundation, the U.S. Forest Service restored 2.4 billion liters of water, protected 900 acres of watershed lands, and strengthened drinking water supplies for millions of Americans through this collaboration. BlueTerra Partners' founder coordinated this groundbreaking public–private collaboration while serving in the U.S. Forest Service's National Partnership Office.
The Challenge
National forests provide drinking water for more than 60 million Americans, but wildfires, drought, and invasive species threaten these watersheds. With limited federal budgets, restoring these areas quickly and at scale was impossible for the U.S. Forest Service alone.
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Federal agencies face mounting restoration needs but operate within constrained budgets that cannot match the scale and urgency of watershed degradation. Meanwhile, corporations like Coca-Cola—which requires reliable, clean water for operations—recognize that their long-term business sustainability depends on healthy watershed systems in the communities they serve.
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Watersheds essential to millions of Americans needed restoration investment and expertise that exceeded what any single entity could provide alone. This challenge demanded a new model—one that could align corporate water stewardship goals with federal conservation priorities while delivering measurable environmental outcomes at unprecedented scale.
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The Coca-Cola Company, U.S. Forest Service, and National Forest Foundation recognized that addressing critical watershed restoration needs required breaking down traditional silos between private sector resources, federal land management expertise, and nonprofit implementation capacity to create something entirely new.
The Solution
Amid increasing pressures on vital water resources—from climate change, wildfire, and drought to rising demand—The Coca-Cola Company, USDA Forest Service, and the National Forest Foundation came together in 2012 to create a groundbreaking public-private partnership rooted in measurable action and shared vision.
Working collaboratively, the partners:
Launched a diverse portfolio of science-based restoration projects across priority watersheds, including meadow, stream, and forest rehabilitation that returned more than 2.4 billion liters of water to communities and nature.
Removed invasive species, restored aquatic connectivity, and rebuilt ecosystem health, directly increasing watershed resilience and biodiversity.
Strengthened community resilience by reducing wildfire risk, buffering against drought, and supporting jobs in sustainable land management.
Aligned efforts with Coca-Cola’s ‘Water Security 2030’ global strategy, ensuring best-in-class corporate stewardship and accelerating progress toward replenishing the water used in every beverage sold.
This innovative partnership demonstrates the power of collective action: blending federal leadership, nonprofit expertise, and private-sector investment to deliver scalable, measurable benefits for people, communities, and nature nationwide.
Partnership Coordination and Leadership
BlueTerra Partners’ Founder and Principal Consultant coordinated this decade-long collaboration while serving in the U.S. Forest Service’s National Partnership Office. He led efforts across four essential areas of cross-sector partnership. These experiences now inform BlueTerra Partners’ approach to helping clients navigate complex partnerships.
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Facilitating cross-sector alignment and effective partnership governance
Convened quarterly executive strategy calls with USDA Forest Service, Coca-Cola, and National Forest Foundation leaders—developing agendas, facilitating consensus, and documenting action items. Tracked follow-up to ensure accountability and maintain trust across institutional cultures. This governance framework kept the multi-stakeholder collaboration on course through changing priorities and leadership transitions.
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Delivering measurable results through rigorous accountability
Worked with partners to design tracking systems to record liters replenished and dollars invested. Authored success stories that amplified milestone achievements, including surpassing the 1 billion liter goal two years ahead of schedule in 2016. These actions sustained partner confidence and secured continued funding.
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Navigating complex transitions while preserving partnership integrity
Drafted and negotiated the 2018 MOU renewal to bridge administrative and corporate realignments, then led the 2023 renewal and high-profile USDA signing ceremony. By proactively aligning stakeholder interests and preserving institutional memory, Joe helped ensure the partnership’s momentum and strategic integrity amid political changes and organizational restructurings.
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Driving adaptive growth and expanding collaborative impact
Facilitated high-level five-year outlook sessions with senior executives to anticipate emerging priorities—including the integration of Coca-Cola’s “World Without Waste” goals into the partnership’s long-term vision. Organized milestone celebrations and immersive field tours, such as the Tahoe National Forest site visit with Microsoft, Target, McDonald’s, and other prospective partners. This adaptive strategy and engagement approach attracted new collaborators and ensured the initiative consistently remained forward-focused.
Results & Impact (through September 2023)
More than $5 million in documented public-private investment across federal, nonprofit, and corporate funding streams, with Coca-Cola entities contributing $2.6+ million matched by USDA and National Forest Foundation partners through 2023.
2.4 billion liters of water replenished to U.S. communities and the environment through on-the-ground projects, surpassing the initial 1 billion liter goal two years ahead of schedule in 2016 and contributing to Coca-Cola's achievement of balancing all U.S. beverage water needs five years early.
25 restoration projects spanning nine states, creating measurable ecosystem and community benefits by restoring watershed function in critical areas—including major metropolitan water supply regions like Los Angeles and Denver.
Nearly 900 acres of watershed habitat restored—encompassing 14+ miles of streams, 17 miles of rivers, and 62 acres of lakes revitalized, plus treatment of 450+ acres of invasive species across diverse ecosystems.
Hundreds of volunteers mobilized and local jobs created through community engagement programs and forestry management grants, demonstrating the partnership's economic and social impact alongside environmental outcomes.
Five-year renewal through 2028 with expanded focus on historically underserved communities and enhanced climate resilience goals, reflecting sustained stakeholder satisfaction and institutional confidence in the partnership model.
National recognition as a pioneering public-private partnership—setting the standard for corporate environmental stewardship and attracting additional Fortune 500 collaborators to conservation initiatives.
Why It Matters
This case underscores the transformative power of trusted coordination, measurable performance, and strategic foresight to sustain and evolve a landmark partnership between a leading global brand and the federal government—even amid a decade of organizational and climate transitions. By fusing corporate water stewardship with federal conservation expertise and local community priorities, the Coca-Cola–National Forest Foundation-U.S. Forest Service partnership has become a successful model for addressing today's most pressing water and climate issues through genuine collaboration.
The Coca-Cola–USFS partnership demonstrates what's possible when public and private partners align around shared value. The leadership approach that made this initiative successful now defines BlueTerra's methodology:
Start with clear, measurable goals that unite diverse stakeholders around common outcomes
Maintain engagement through active facilitation and consistent follow-through to build trust and momentum
Celebrate milestones strategically to sustain enthusiasm and demonstrate progress
Anticipate shifts and adapt without losing alignment—keeping partnerships resilient through change
Balance diverse interests to unlock new funding streams and expand collaborative impact
Crucially, this partnership proves that integrating adaptive strategy with rigorous outcome tracking not only delivers measurable environmental results, but creates a resilient, scalable model—one now being expanded across the U.S. to restore watersheds, protect drinking water, and support underserved communities.
Let’s work together to build your success story.
BlueTerra Partners leverages deep expertise in partnership-building, impact measurement, and adaptive strategy—using the same proven approach that delivered 2.4 billion liters of water replenishment—to help agencies, nonprofits, and companies achieve measurable sustainability and community results.