Is the Family Forest Carbon Program Right For You? Part 2: You Need Forestry Guidance or Financial Assistance
This blog post is part of a five-part series called, “Is the Family Forest Carbon Program Right for You?” Here are the key takeaways you will find in this post:
What professional foresters do and how they can help you.
Why we require a forest management plan, and how we help you create or update yours.
The different options you have for managing your forest when enrolled in the Family Forest Carbon Program.
One of the most common things we hear from landowners is that they want to do right by their land, and just need a bit of guidance to ensure they are making the right choices. Here are some ways the Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP) provides you with technical assistance and management flexibility to reach your unique goals for your land:
Our goal is to help you achieve a healthier, more resilient, and more valuable forest at the end of the 20-year contract. How to achieve that looks different for every landowner.
Access to a local professional forester
If you’re in need of a forester, we will connect you with a trusted professional in your area who will become an invaluable resource to you throughout the program. If you are already working with a forester, they can become an FFCP-approved forester by visiting this webpage and signing up to receive more information.
A forester's work is a blend of art and science — to understand the forest ecosystem, and then figure out how to work within the natural opportunities and limitations to achieve a landowner's goals on that land. From accessing timber income sustainably and protecting wildlife, to unlocking the potential for recreation and improving aesthetics, a forester’s advice should achieve a good balance of the outcomes that are important to you.
Enjoying a visit to Crow Wing Co., no bugs! Chrissy Shaw, Family Forest Carbon Program senior forestry manager for Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Foresters are trained to understand how different parts of your woods (the trees, wildlife, soils, water, etc.) interact and how they can be nurtured in a way that meets your needs — and our skilled team of staff and consulting foresters are no exception.
Our foresters are also familiar with local laws, know what markets exist for different forest products and services, and can help manage the legal and financial aspects of activities on your woodland. With their technical expertise, you can accomplish more on your land than you might be able to alone, and you'll be less likely to make expensive mistakes.
Help developing (and paying for) a forest management plan
A written forest management plan is a requirement for the Family Forest Carbon Program, as well as a benefit of enrollment. A good plan will usually include an inventory, identification of key habitats, a clear description of your objectives (and strategy for achieving them) and a near-term action plan. Implementing a plan usually means the forester will also help you with boundary lines, road building, and improving wildlife habitat.
Forest management plans range from hundreds of dollars for a basic plan for a small woodland, to thousands of dollars for a more robust or large-acreage plan. Landowners participating in the Family Forest Carbon Program will receive assistance in developing a new plan, or in updating an existing plan. In many cases, the cost of a basic plan can be covered entirely by the program. If you’re in need of a more complex plan, our financial assistance will help make this initial investment much more affordable.
Interested in learning more about the Family Forest Carbon Program? Click here to check your eligibility today.
Flexible management options
A common misunderstanding about carbon programs in general is that they require landowners to avoid cutting down any trees during the enrollment period, or that they place restrictions on harvesting after the contract period ends. In the case of the Family Forest Carbon Program, this is simply not true.
Our goal is to help you achieve a healthier, more resilient, and more valuable forest at the end of the 20-year contract, and how to achieve that looks different for every landowner.
The management practices recommended by the Family Forest Carbon Program are all designed with sustainable management in mind. In other words, management activities such as invasive species removal, cutting of personal firewood, and even harvesting (provided it is done sustainably) are acceptable within most of our forest management practices.
A family forest in West Virginia enrolled in the Family Forest Carbon Program
You can read about the management restrictions that would apply to your land by visiting familyforestcarbon.org, selecting your state, and scrolling down to the "Forest Management Practices" section of the page.
The Family Forest Carbon Program is now enrolling landowners with 30 acres or more in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Vermont, as well as select counties in Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Wisconsin. Click here to check your eligibility today.
More from this series...
To continue learning about our program and whether it fits your needs, jump to another post in this series:
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March 28, 2023
Is the Family Forest Carbon Program Right For You? Part 1: An Introduction to the Program
As you work with the Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP) you will learn that we are different from other carbon programs and opportunities for landowners. We are proud of what makes us unique and want to provide you with this information to help you make the right decision for you and your property. In this post we look at the key benefits of enrolling in FFCP and how we are different from other carbon programs.
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Is the Family Forest Carbon Program Right For You? Part 3: You’re Concerned About Greenwashing and Corporate Polluting
Simply put, "greenwashing" is the act of marketing something as being more environmentally friendly than it is. Even if the term itself is new to you, the idea has likely already crossed your mind while considering this or other carbon programs. In this post we look at what we are doing to mitigate greenwashing, and how we ensure we're producing credits that meet the highest standards of integrity.
March 29, 2023
Is the Family Forest Carbon Program Right For You? Part 4: You Want to Make Sure You're Getting a Good Deal
First, we want to acknowledge that financial considerations are probably not the number one motivating factor for you when you think about your goals for your forest. However, they are also not unimportant. If you’re like most landowners, you want to know that whatever you implement is going to be financially possible for you and your family, and you want to know that you’re not making an outright poor financial decision.