Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC)

Founded in 1977 and based on unceded ancestral Wiyot territory in Arcata, Humboldt County, California, the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) is a grassroots 501(c)(3) non-profit environmental organization that advocates for the science-based protection and restoration of Northwest California’s forests, rivers, and wildlife with an integrated approach combining public education, citizen advocacy, and strategic litigation.

​Our vision is a Northwest California with healthy, connected, and wild forests where sustainable, restorative management practices are the standard. The forests of the region will help buffer the impacts of climate change resulting in clean air and water, abundant and diverse native flora and fauna, and the protection of natural beauty and quality of life for generations to come.

​EPIC recognizes that issues of social justice, human rights and environmental justice are inextricably linked to our core mission to protect and restore Northwest California’s ecosystems and environment. In recognition of this intersectionality, EPIC works with local marginalized communities to stand up for environmental quality and social justice, both to expand the conservation movement to include communities that have been historically excluded and to promote productive dialogue and mutual understanding, and with a special emphasis on Traditional Ecological Knowledge from Indigenous peoples.

We pledge to always listen to and work with Indigenous Peoples to ensure that our advocacy is respectful, informed, and just. We pledge to engage in meaningful and effective collaborations built on the recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ longstanding relationships with and stewardship of ecosystems in their traditional territories, and the crucial role Tribes can and should take in defending and protecting nature now and in the future.

​EPIC also makes efforts to maintain a staff and Board of Directors that reflects the broad environmental concerns and issues affecting Northwest California, particularly those of marginalized communities.