Forest Carbon Programs and Finances
Small Landowner Forest Carbon Programs
Finite Carbon/CORE Carbon
From Core: Landowners with as little as 40 acres can now get paid for sustainable management practices. Until now, small landowners have been unable to participate in the carbon market. That is about to change. With our free digital platform, landowners will be able to receive payments for sustainable management that removes carbon dioxide from our atmosphere. By leveraging mapping technologies and our user-friendly online enrollment process, small landowners, families, and land trusts are now able to enroll all or a portion of their land holdings to receive carbon offset revenue.
Contact: corecarbon@finitecarbon.com 1-445-465-2098
Learn More (Recent as of 2022):
Family Forest Carbon Program
From FFCP: The Family Forest Carbon Program is a forest carbon program created in partnership between the American Forest Foundation and The Nature Conservancy to help family landowners increase the health and value of their woods. We are a long-term resource for landowners who want to improve their land’s wildlife habitat and water quality while growing mature trees and increasing carbon storage in their landscape. What Landowners Get from FFCP:
- Expert consultations with forest professionals
- Management plans that are customized for your unique goals for your land
- Funding to help you reach your goals
Note: currently available in New York, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia and Maryland. Soon to be expanded.
https://familyforestcarbon.org/
Contact: eclegg@TNC.ORG, JSimoni@forestfoundation.org or 1-800-492-6216
Learn More (Recent as of 2022):
Forest Carbon Works
From Forest Carbon Works: We support small landowners with technical consulting and development services for forest carbon offset projects.
Forest Carbon Works distills the complex processes required for developing a carbon project into a simple membership service, creating easy access for all landowners. Our team is at your side as you explore whether a carbon project will work on your land and prepare to get paid for your forest carbon.
https://forestcarbonworks.org/
Contact: stacy@forestcarbonworks.com, sarahf@forestcarbonworks.com, 800-399-5246
Learn More (Recent as of 2022):
Large Landowner Forest Carbon Programs
Anew Climate (formerly Blue Source)
From Anew Climate: Our comprehensive carbon reduction solutions are unmatched in depth, breadth, and accessibility. We are durational industry leaders leveraging the power of markets to accelerate meaningful, measurable climate impact. Let us be your guide on the journey to global decarbonization. Anew (formerly as Blue Source) has been a leader in carbon markets since 2001.
Ostrom Climate
From Ostrom Climate: Ostrom Climate specializes in advisory, technology and impact project investment services that create value and enhance sustainable commodities and ecological assets while managing climate change risk and maximizing long-term investment in nature. Ostrom Climate is at the intersection of finance and natural assets, producing long term, sustainable returns. We provide our customers with a multidisciplinary approach to managing risk, enhancing asset performance and securing commercial returns while improving livelihoods and sustainability.
Forest Carbon Partners
From Forest Carbon Partners: Forest Carbon Partners finances and develops forest carbon offset projects for the California Carbon Market. Forest Carbon Partners is an investment vehicle managed by New Forests. Through Forest Carbon Partners, New Forests works with family, industrial, and tribal landowners to create carbon offset projects that deliver real financial value – increasing and diversifying revenue for timberland owners. These investments deliver a reliable, high-volume supply of offsets to businesses regulated under the California cap-and-trade system.
Terra Carbon
From Terra Carbon: TerraCarbon LLC ® is a leading advisory firm that helps develop and sell carbon offsets to fund nature-based climate solutions. We believe new models that place an economic value on nature are needed to address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.We have helped our clients access carbon offset funding to restore, improve management, and protect 5 million+ acres of natural and working lands for 40+ projects around the world that have already reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 50 million+ tons.
South Pole
From South Pole: Since 2006, South Pole has worked with hundreds of landowners, corporate partners, indigenous communities, and project developers to identify and support emission reductions from nature-based projects worldwide. Projects developed or supported by South Pole include improved forest management, afforestation/reforestation, silvopasture and agroforestry conservation, restoration and management of natural ecosystems, amongst others. Through partnerships, South Pole champions the rights and traditional knowledge of local communities while providing measurable benefits to the surrounding ecosystems and their inhabitants. As one of the oldest and largest developers of carbon projects globally, South Pole has the expertise to support your unique project, and a vast network of carbon credit buyers to get you the best price on the market.
Green Assets
From Green Assets: Green Assets is Landowners Working with Landowners®. We work to bring environmental and economic value to our landowner clients through unique opportunities and markets. Our in-house team’s proven expertise in the development of forest carbon offset projects and other land management services, coupled with our passion for conservation, enables us to help landowners create a recurring revenue stream while preserving healthy, working forests. Carbon offsets can be sold in both compliance and voluntary markets, offering diversified opportunities and options for landowners. Green Assets assumes all up-front project development costs and customizes a strategy to support our clients’ specific goals. To date, Green Assets has a 100% success rate across our forest carbon offset project portfolio.
The Climate Trust
From Climate Trust: The Climate Trust is a non-profit formed in 1997 that manages carbon offset acquisition programs and projects for organizations seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. As a pioneer and nationally-recognized leader in the carbon market, The Climate Trust develops, manages and invests in US-based carbon offset projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With over 20 years of technical expertise and extensive market experience, The Climate Trust develops offset projects at their critical early stages, and manages the projects until sale of offset credits. An understanding of carbon markets and underlying risks includes robust due diligence, working with mission-aligned partners and active project management.
EP Carbon
From EP Carbon: We support projects that conserve forests. EP Carbon leverages carbon markets to finance conservation projects throughout the world. We start with a feasibility and design assessment to determine the full cost of a project. For ideas with the most potential impact, we have dedicated funding to cover the assessment cost. The feasibility and design assessment not only accurately determines the cost of a project, but can also attract potential investors. Financing requirements to develop and implement the projects vary, depending on factors including the complexity of the activities. Development and implementation costs may range from US $50K to US $3M or more.
SIG Carbon
From SIG Carbon: Improving the quality of forest management, and the employment of other natural climate solutions, are among the most impactful and cost-effective ways to meet emission reduction targets. SIG Carbon hand-selects projects to develop on the carbon offset market, focusing on those that will have a real and additional impact on climate change.
We connect our clients to revenue on the carbon offset market, in exchange for their long-term commitment to implement sustainable forest management practices. With SIG Carbon, landowners meet revenue objectives, while growing resilient, healthy forests that increase carbon storage.
We manage all aspects of forest carbon projects, from assessing the financial feasibility of a project, through project development, and credit sale. Our business philosophy is rooted in two core values: making cutting-edge science accessible and actionable, and providing complete financial transparency.
Tax Dimensions of Forest Carbon Contracts
What are the tax implications of selling carbon from your forest? Tax expert Dr. Tammy Cushing explains the tax ramifications.
Read and Learn More:
Case Studies
Explore these case studies of landowners enrolled in forest carbon programs.
- Finite Carbon Projects Map: view projects across the United States and Canada
- Family Forest Carbon Program with DeSeve Family: read this case study of the DeSeve family based in Pennsylvania
- Choosing a Forest Carbon Program: read two scenarios of family forest choosing a forest carbon program
Guides to Forest Carbon and Climate
Read "A Guide to Forest Carbon" and "Forests in a Changing Climate"
Forest Carbon Program Summaries
Program Summaries
| Developer/Program | Registry Standards | Landowner Commitment | Min. Parcel Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Forest Carbon Program (American Forest Foundation & The Nature Conservancy) | VCS | 10-20 years | 30-2,400 acres |
| Anew Climate | ACR,VCS,CAR,ARB | 40 or 100 years | 3,000+ acres |
| EP Carbon | ACR,VCS,CAR,ARB | 40 or 100 years | 5,000+ acres |
| Finite Carbon | ACR,ARB | 40 or 100 years | 2,000+ acres |
| Forest Carbon Works | ACR | 40 years | 40-5,000 acres |
| Green Assets | ARB | 100 years | 2,000+ acres |
| Ostrom Climate | BCCR,ACR | 40 years | 2,000+ acres |
| SIG Carbon | ACR ARB,CAR,VCS | 40 or 100 years | 100+ acres |
| The Climate Trust | ACR, ARB | 40 or 100 years | 2,000+ acres |
Notes: Approximate revenue per acre (as provided by developers) -landowners out of pocket costs to enroll (I think only one program had an enrollment fee, FCW) -what practices are allowed (or maybe aren’t allowed?)(NCX and CORE are deferred harvest only) -do you need to enroll all acres owned? (yes/no) -does carbon project stay with land if sold? (yes/no, details) -are there restrictions on who can buy offsets? (yes/no) (I think only FFCP said that they evaluate buyers for climate plans) Also thinking about how to capture penalties for ending contract or natural disturbance, but might be too hard to capture in table.
Abbreviations: ACR, American Carbon Registry: ARB, California Air Resources Board (compliance market); BCCR, BC Carbon Registry, CAR, Climate Action Reserve; RISE, Real, Immediate, Scalable, and Efficient; VCS, Vera’s Verified Carbon Standard
Small Landowner Program Summaries
| Developer/ Program | Family Forest Carbon Program (American Forest Foundation & The Nature Conservancy) | Finite Carbon | Forest Carbon Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registry | VCS | ACR | ARB & VCS |
| Landowner Commitment | 20 year minimum | 40 years | 40+ years |
| Min. Parcel Size | 30-2,400 acres | 40-5,000 acres | 40+ acres |
| Prior enrollment in other program | Yes | No | No |
| Approx. $ revenue/ ac | $10-15/acre per year | $20/acre per year | $10-30/acre per year |
| Cost to landowner | No out of pocket | No out of pocket | Small member ship application fee ($75) |
| Practices Allowed | Increase time between harvest, promote regen, retain more carbon in thinning, reserve | None – must defer harvest (some exceptions) | Various – must show additional carbon (cut less than growth) |
| Enroll All Acres | Not Required | Not Required | Required |
| Project Stays with Land | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Penalties for Reversal | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Who Buys Credits | Buyers screened by the program, does not allow resale of credits | Anyone | Anyone |