BBC StoryWorks produced branded series "Living Legacy" explores how people and nature can grow together

CONTACT: Kris Voorhees, Senior Director of Communications, media@forestfoundation.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Forest Foundation (AFF), a national organization committed to empowering family forest owners to create meaningful conservation impact, announced today the release of a new film that tells the story of the Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP) and its impact on people and the planet. The film is part of a new branded content series Living Legacy, presented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions, which explores how conserving and protecting nature can help reduce emissions, support economies, and improve lives.

The film tells the story of how Kathy McClure, a Pennsylvania-based family landowner, needed help caring for her forests and found the Family Forest Carbon Program, a forest-based carbon project operating in 20 states across the U.S. FFCP is designed spec ifically for small-acreage landowners to provide the technical and financial support they need to improve the health and wellbeing of their woodlands.

“Forests play a critical role in our communities, economies, and environment,” said Rita Hite, president and CEO of the American Forest Foundation. “But too often, the connection between people and nature can get lost. Kathy’s story reminds us that when people and nature work together, they can do more than just coexist—they can help our communities and planet thrive. The Family Forest Carbon Program is one important tool to help landowners reach their personal goals for their woods while growing healthier, more resilient trees for our environment and for generations to come.”

FFCP connects landowners with certified foresters to develop a forest management plan tailored to their property, then provides annual payments to help cover the costs of sustainable forestry practices. The additional carbon stored as a result of the program’s implementation is then quantified and sold on the voluntary carbon market to companies seeking to address their own emissions.

“One unexpected aspect of FFCP was all the education I received as part of the program,” said Kathy McClure, the FFCP-enrolled Pennsylvania-based landowner featured in the film. “My forestry plan contained real information and tools that I can use to help improve my property for my personal goals, like controlling Burning Bush and Bittersweet invasion and reducing deer browse, all of which damage my forest right at my feet. FFCP understands that my small patch of woods matters, both on a personal scale to me, as well as part of a global network. FFCP helps make my woods and the planet healthier.”

The program employs the VM0045 improved forest management (IFM) methodology, which uses a matched dynamic baseline to ensure the project’s carbon additionality. VM0045, which was co-developed by AFF and the Nature Conservancy, was recently recognized by The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (IC-VCM) with their globally recognized Core Carbon Principles (CCP) label. This label marks VM0045 as the first IFM methodology specifically designed for smallholder carbon projects to meet these criteria, indicating FFCP’s credits are produced with the highest quality and integrity.

To watch the entire film, visit the BBC StoryWorks landing page here. To learn more about the Family Forest Carbon Program, visit www.familyforestcarbon.org. 

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About The American Forest Foundation

The American Forest Foundation is a national organization that empowers family forest owners to deliver meaningful conservation impact. The organization’s programs, the Family Forest Carbon Program and the American Tree Farm System, help landowners implement forest management practices to care for the health and productivity of their woodlands. To learn more about the American Forest Foundation and the Family Forest Carbon Program, visit www.forestfoundation.org.