Eric Holst is a forester and associate vice president for natural climate solutions at Environmental Defense Fund and leads EDF’s global wildfire resilience initiative. He is an expert in developing innovative conservation and climate resilience strategies on working forests, farms and ranches. While at EDF, Eric has worked to establish productive partnerships with farmers and ranchers, putting EDF at the forefront of collaborative conservation efforts. He has been a pioneer in developing market-based solutions for biodiversity conservation, climate mitigation, and climate resilience. Eric is a registered professional forester and a member of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture.
Prior to EDF, Eric held positions as executive director of the Resources Legacy Fund and program officer for the Environment at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. He serves on the President’s Advisory Council for Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of California and the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Agriculture and Environmental Science at UC Davis. He holds a Master of Environmental Management degree from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University and a BS in Botany from the College of Agriculture and Environmental Science at UC Davis.