WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 14, 2021) – The American Forest Foundation (AFF), a national conservation organization, that works to deliver meaningful impact through the empowerment of family forest owners, today applauds Senators Stabenow and Braun on the re-introduction of the Rural Forests Markets Act. American Forest Foundation (AFF) President and CEO, Tom Martin said: “Family forest owners – who own the largest portion – 36% - of U.S forests, are an essential constituency that must be engaged in our efforts to tackle climate change.  Equally important, carbon markets can help fulfill the economic gaps of rural America, providing landowners, who represent 1 in 4 rural Americans, with a new income stream from their forest that can be put back into the land. But right now, less than 1% of the land in existing carbon projects is small forest holdings. This is due to high upfront costs to the landowner. Leaving out these lands shorts the potential in our forests to address climate change, withholds economic opportunities for rural Americans and limits the carbon credit supply for corporations. Senators Stabenow and Braun new bipartisan bill, the Rural Forests Markets Act, would help address these shortfalls – catalyzing carbon programs for small forest landowners. If passed, the bill would help to scale programs such as AFF and The Nature Conservancy’s Family Forest Carbon Program, a new credible private sector carbon program uniquely designed for small forest holders. The bill would specifically help unlock private capital to finance the upfront costs for landowners, allowing more small holders to be able to generate revenue for conservation, supplying the market with carbon credits and addressing climate change.  We applaud Senators Stabenow and Braun, as well as Capito and King for taking the lead to push for solutions that leverage private investment and create opportunities for America’s 21 million family forest owners.” Contact: Elizabeth Greener; (202) 253-1096; egreener@forestfoundation.org

About the American Forest Foundation The American Forest Foundation (AFF), a forest conservation organization, works exclusively to empower family forest owners to make a meaningful conservation impact around wildlife habitat, clean water, carbon sequestration and storage and sustainable wood supplies. We work across a broad coalition of conservation partners, corporations, and policymakers to empower family forest landowners and make sure everybody understands, supports and values the work of these landowners. AFF's signature program, the American Tree Farm System® is the country's largest sustainable woodland program with a network of more than 70,000 family forest owners managing nearly 19 million acres of forestland. Learn more: www.forestfoundation.org