Based in downtown Berkeley, the Natural Heritage Institute (NHI) is a nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and economists dedicated to improving the conservation and management of natural resources worldwide. A wide array of tools are applied in pursuit of this mission: NHI staff advocate before judicial, administrative and legislative bodies; serve as technical and policy advisors to the governmental decision-makers; plan and implement new resource management programs; and represent conservation interests in complex, multi-party negotiations over the allocation of natural resources.

NHI draws on wide-ranging, interdisciplinary expertise from universities, other nonprofits, and consulting firms to augment the skills of 23 full-time staff in its Berkeley, Sacramento, and Nevada City offices. Current project activities include domestic and international water management, hydropower reform, prevention of arid land degradation and desertification, habitat conservation planning for endangered species, and native fisheries restoration through on-the-ground restoration measures. Key accomplishments in each program area are detailed on NHI's website (www.n-h-i.org).