Forest Carbon Programs

The free market has opened access to an emerging and critical resource for forest owners: forest carbon credits. As companies around the world set carbon reduction goals for the future, they are looking for carbon offset programs. The gold standard in carbon reduction has been the purchase of forest carbon credits. As trees grow, they naturally pull carbon out of the atmosphere. Companies that have long called West Virginia home, including many in the energy industry, along with steel and chemical companies, are looking to purchase these credits from the communities they operate. By engaging in forest carbon contracts, landowners and farmers can gain an additional revenue stream which can assist in making needed upgrades to their operations or offset any unforeseen downturns in their business. Forest carbon credits operate alongside active timber management, providing forest owners additional revenue during growth cycles in between harvests and can occur simultaneously with the managed timberland program.