Family Forest Carbon Program Provides New Funding Opportunity For Forest Landowners
Forest landowners in 20 Pennsylvania counties are currently eligible to enroll forestland in the Family Forest Carbon Program to create an annual income stream for their property in return for managing their forests sustainably and storing carbon to help combat climate change. The goal of the Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP) is to engage family forest landowners in sustainable forest management by unlocking funding available through the carbon market. The new program is a partnership between the American Forest Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and America's 21 million forest owners. The FFCP is administered by the Family Forest Impact Foundation, an affiliate of the American Forest Foundation.
The FFCP offers an opportunity to woodland owners to receive an annual payment to carry out specific actions or practices on their land. The practices are proven to improve the health of forests and enhance wildlife habitat and water quality of the landscape. An expert can help landowners like you determine which practice is right for your goals and your land. The practices you qualify for depend on your goals for the forest and your forest management history and current conditions. Currently, the FFCP is available to landowners who own more than 30 acres of forest in one of the 20 eligible counties in PA. The program also includes cost sharing on the development of a forest management plan to help meet your goals. There are currently two main options or practices which qualify for the annual income payments from the program: Growing Mature Forests provides funding to limit timber harvests and let your trees grow larger for 20 years. While the types of timber harvests are limited, this practice does allow for sustainable forest management. The second option is Enhancing the Future Forest. Where landowners are planning a regeneration harvest or have done so recently. the program provides assistance in removing invasive or other competing plants that are preventing healthy regeneration.
For more information about the program or to check your eligibility to participate in the program visit the website at familyforestcarbon.org .
