FFCP’s Unique Methodology in Action

Forests and their stewards, particularly family forest owners, are a crucial piece to solving the climate crisis puzzle. Since 2020, AFF’s Family Forest Carbon Program has been unlocking access to the voluntary carbon market for family forest owners, equipping them with climate-smart forestry practices that improve the health and wellbeing of their woodlands while also removing more carbon from our warming climate. With three years of operation under our belt, we have seen the methodology officially approved by Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard, as well as a broader call for the use of dynamic baseline methodologies across all types of nature-based projects. While the use of this new methodological approach provides improved accuracy in accounting for emissions reductions or removals in forest carbon offset projects, it also acknowledges the reality that nature constantly changes and is extremely difficult to measure. Our methodology accounts for these changes to ensure that emissions reductions are genuinely additional and reflect broader evolving conditions. 

Learn More About Our Dynamic Baseline Methodology

Family Forest Carbon Program Expands Throughout Northeast

The American Forest Foundation is excited to announce the expansion of the Family Forest Carbon Program, a partnership with The Nature Conservancy, throughout the Northeast region to include New York, New Hampshire, and Maine. The announcement marks one of the largest expansions of the program to date, totaling 6 million acres eligible for participation in the region. With this expansion, eligible family forest owners in 98 counties across New Hampshire, New York, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, that own at least 30 acres can enroll their woodlands into FFCP.  

Learn More About the Program and Landowner Eligibility 

Rural America Can Play a Huge Role in Scaling Carbon Markets

In accordance with deliverables listed in the Growing Climate Solutions Act, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released their latest assessment of the role agriculture and forestry play in carbon markets.

Among many other takeaways, this report shines a light on the critical importance of empowering family forest owners to create meaningful conservation impact through accessing the voluntary carbon market. The USDA already has existing tools to break down barriers to carbon markets. But we also need new tools to catalyze public and private investment in the market. One such tool is the Rural Forest Markets Act, which will grant USDA clear authority to finance and reduce the risks of launching and implementing high-quality carbon projects that produce credits that measure meaningful climate impact. 

Learn About Scaling Carbon Markets with Family Forests 

Get Involved Today:

For corporate and financing partners interested in the impact of the Rural Forests Markets Act of 2023, click here to learn what you need to know and how you can get involved.

Friend of the Forest: The Buck Family Organic Maple Farm

When John Buck bought a 70-acre parcel of land in a remote part of Washington, Vermont in 2011, his primary motive was to create a family legacy on the property. “I wanted to have a place for my family to gather together or to come on their own—a place where they can experience Vermont in a rural, forested setting,” Buck said. “I wanted them to always have this place for that.” Back in 2011, Buck thought the property would be perfect for “a casual little operation,” with perhaps 100 taps for making maple syrup. Today, that casual effort has turned into a 2,000-tap, year-round, full-fledged family business, spurring the birth of the Buck Family Organic Maple Farm.

Read About the Buck Family Woodlands 

Discussing Climate Finance at New York Climate Week

Two months ago, AFF teamed up with 1t.org US Chapter and the Doris Duke Foundation to convene leaders in the natural climate solutions space to discuss why new approaches to financing carbon projects are needed to maximize the climate impact of nature-based solutions. Featuring speakers from the Doris Duke Foundation, Gordian Knot Strategies, REI Co-op and others, we asked participants what barriers they currently face in financing carbon projects and what solutions may exist in scaling investment in the market.

A central theme discussed throughout the event involved the need for blended finance to sustainably support project developers and overcome risk gaps throughout their various development stages, particularly in catalyzing projects in their early stages. AFF president and CEO, Rita Hite, shared on the panel how philanthropy and government funding could be pooled together as a sustainable source of low-cost capital to support project developers and get projects off the ground. 

Continue the Climate Week Discussion 

What is a Climate Smart Commodity? 

A climate smart commodity is any agricultural commodity (an entity that can be bought and sold) that is produced using agricultural (farming, ranching, or forestry) practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions or capture and store carbon. Now look around you. How much wood is in your surroundings? Look at the chair you’re sitting on, the desk you’re reading from, or the frames that hold your photos. Wood is just one type of agricultural forest product and there are a variety of ways to harvest timber, some good and some bad for the environment. The idea behind incorporating climate smart commodities into one’s business model is to be able to quantify the decarbonization of the company’s value chain. 

Learn How Climate Smart Commodities Can Benefit Your Value Chain 

Get Involved Today:

For corporate and financing partners interested in the impact of the Rural Forests Markets Act of 2023, click here to learn what you need to know and how you can get involved.