Participate in Carbon Markets
Forest landowners who enroll in a forest carbon program are participating in a climate-focused land management agreement. Through this agreement, they commit to implementing specific forest management practices that are scientifically proven to support their forest in removing carbon from the atmosphere or prevent it from being released.
The climate benefits of these practices are quantified and verified, and turned into carbon credits. These credits are then sold in carbon markets (either voluntary or compliance). The revenue from those credits is used to compensate the landowner, either directly or indirectly.
Potential Benefits
1. Monetizing Stewardship Without Harvesting Timber
Many forest landowners don’t want—or need—to harvest trees to make income from their land. Carbon programs offer a way to landowners to generate revenue from the carbon capture and storage capacity of their forests, simply by maintaining or improving their forest through specific management practices like letting trees grow longer, enhancing regeneration, or reducing invasive species.
2. Legacy and Long-Term Planning
Many family forest owners care deeply about keeping land intact and healthy for future generations. Carbon programs can support multi-decade land management goals, with contracts that protect forest integrity while offering income, helping landowners avoid selling or subdividing the land under financial pressure.
3. Access to Technical Support and Planning Resources
Participating in a carbon program often comes with professional forestry guidance at no or reduced cost. This helps landowners create or update a forest management plan, something that’s valuable even outside the program—for wildlife, recreation, fire risk reduction, or passing land to heirs.
4. Contributing to Climate Solutions
These programs allow landowners to be part of a larger climate solution, by quantifying and validating how their land absorbs carbon and offering that benefit to others looking to offset emissions. For some, this aligns strongly with conservation values or a desire to leave the land better than they found it.
So What's Next?
Not all carbon programs are created equal, so we recommend talking with a consulting forester or your local TDF area forester to learn more about your options and how to evaluate the programs available.