New Report: Family Forests Provide Millions in Benefits to Businesses and Communities
Family Forest Carbon Program Generates $6.4 million in Healthcare Savings and More
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the American Forest Foundation (AFF) and Sorenson Impact Institute (SII) announced that forests managed by AFF’s Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP) can provide millions in direct benefits and cost savings to businesses and communities. A new report, “Beyond Carbon: The Family Forest Carbon Program”, outlines how FFCP-managed forests stabilize regional water supplies, mitigate floods and droughts, filter major air pollutants, conserve habitat for vulnerable biodiversity, and maximize property value and returns.
“America’s family forests are a powerful tool for solving our biggest ecological, social, and economic challenges, and the Family Forest Carbon Program was built to unlock and maximize that potential” said Nate Truitt, Executive Vice President of Climate Funding at AFF. “Today, businesses primarily pay for the carbon sequestered from these lands, but this report shows that the value of FFCP goes far beyond carbon.”
American families and individuals own 39% of the nation’s forests, but often lack the resources needed to protect them from conversion and other risks. FFCP provides critical financial and technical support to these landowners, helping create healthier forests, sequester more carbon, and better protect nearby businesses and communities from extreme weather and climate-related risks.
“The Family Forest Carbon Program produces significant co-benefits beyond carbon sequestration, preserving private forests support biodiversity, improves water quality, and produces local economic and health benefits.” said Janis Dubno, Managing Director at SII. "This new research more fully represents the value achieved by FFCP and how capital can help scale this important program.”
The report outlines new quantified impacts across several areas:
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Water Quality. Protecting family forests is essential to securing the U.S. water supply, with 91% of FFCP properties of high importance to surface drinking water and increasing forest cover can slash annual drinking water treatment costs by 68%.
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Human Health. By filtering out six major air pollutants, FFCP forests can provide $6.4 million in healthcare savings per year along with many other health benefits in the 20 states where it operates.
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Rural Economies. As of 2026, FFCP generates annually an estimated $2.3 million in regional economic output across participating states and a landowner enrolled in FFCP will see a 54% increase in overall financial outcomes compared to landowners engaged in traditional, business-as-usual forest management.
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Biodiversity. With 38% of America’s biodiversity depending on forests, family-owned forests enhance habitat connectivity and help keep endangered species from the brink of extinction.
Learn More
To learn more about the many benefits of FFCP forests, readers can download the executive summary and the full report at www.forestfoundation.org/what-we-do-moving-beyond-carbon
CONTACT: Nicole Goodman, Director of Communications, media@forestfoundation.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 forestfoundation.org.
About the Sorenson Impact Institute
Proudly housed at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business, SII’s mission is to expand the market for impact investing and to equip the next generation of impact leaders, forging a future where impact is seamlessly integrated across sectors worldwide. Through our diverse expertise, we connect capital to measurable social, environmental, and financial outcomes. Leveraging our unique position at a leading public university, we drive critical innovations and research, amplify thought leadership, and provide world-class experiential learning and academic programming. Our headquarters, the Impact & Prosperity Epicenter, is a pioneering live/work ecosystem that fosters a shared vision for the betterment of people and the planet. For more information visit sorensonimpactinstitute.com.
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