The Family Forest Carbon Program is a great opportunity to receive funding to improve woodland health on your property. Developed by the American Forest Foundation and The Nature Conservancy, and in partnership with Pennsylvania DCNR and Audubon, the Family Forest Carbon Program supports landowners through funding and assistance to carry out certain forest stewardship activities that enhance habitat for wildlife and improve water quality on your woodland property.
Funding is currently available for two activities in Pennsylvania:
- Limiting timber harvests to allow trees to grow large for 20 years. This practice still allows for sustainable forest management.
- Funding for invasive or competing plant management following a regeneration harvest, such as a clear cut, group selection cutting, shelterwood harvest, or overstory removal, to allow healthy trees to grow back.
To find out if you are eligible and to learn more about the program, visit www.familyforestcarbon.org. You can use an online tool called WoodsCamp to find your parcel on a map and request a report on your woodland property. This report will provide information about the opportunities that match your forest and your goals, including the Family Forest Carbon Program.
Learn More At familyforestcarbon.org
Through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office, Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) helps private landowners preserve and protect forested land by providing financial assistance, 10-year cost-share agreements, and 30-year, or permanent, easements. By protecting forestland, the HFRP aims to enhance biological diversity, protect threatened and endangered species, and improve carbon sequestration. To qualify for this program, an NRCS environmental assessment must determine eligibility.