More family woodland owners in New England now have an opportunity to apply for financial support to care for their forested property and increase carbon storage thanks to a partnership between New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) and the American Forest Foundation (AFF).
In four states, NEFF is running its incentive program for family forest owners in partnership with AFF through its Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP). Specifically, landowners of at least 30 acres are eligible to enroll in FFCP in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts.
AFF and The Nature Conservancy administer the Family Forest Carbon Program, and it is partially funded in New England by a $30 million USDA grant NEFF received in fall 2022. It provides financial and technical support for woodland owners to improve the health and wellbeing of their lands while also capturing more carbon from the atmosphere.
The NEFF-AFF partnership will allow more landowners in a larger geographic area of New England to address the climate vulnerability of their land and practice climate-smart forestry while promoting forest health, resilience and productivity. If you are interested in learning more and to determine if your property is eligible, start by visiting the FFCP website.
The Family Forest Carbon Program is an all-around resource for landowners. When you enroll, you’ll receive payments for implementing forest management practices that increase the carbon sequestered and stored on your land. You’ll also receive an expert consultation from a forester and a forest management plan uniquely designed for your property and your goals.
NEFF has launched the first part of its incentive program for family forest owners in partnership with AFF, and will be launching other incentive opportunities for smaller-acreage forest landowners outside the states and counties listed above in fall 2024, as well as introducing its incentive program for Tribal Nations in Maine and large commercial landowners. Learn more about NEFF’s Climate-Smart Commodities program.