Brent oversees the management of the Forests, Watershed Restoration, and Ecosystem Services initiatives for Ecotrust. Brent has spent the last two decades working with tribes, local and regional nonprofits, private landowners, businesses, and government agencies to develop and implement innovative conservation and economic development strategies.

Some of her recent work focuses on implementing the goals of the Whole Watershed Restoration Initiative, evaluating the production of ecosystem services in the greater Portland area, and developing a conservation prioritization tool for the Pacific Northwest. She is also co-leading the development of a user-friendly, web-based forest management tool that will help landowners and natural resource managers visualize how changes in management practices affect the production of timber and other ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, and how these changes can affect revenue.

Prior to joining Ecotrust, Brent was the executive director of a coastal watershed restoration and learning center. She also worked in a rural village in Costa Rica where she taught a group of women how to raise and sell butterflies.

Brent received a Master of Science degree from the University of Washington’s College of Forest Resources and plays an active role in the management of her family forestland.