What is forest carbon?

Forests sequester carbon — which creates value for Forest Carbon Works’ Members.

Healthy forests conserve carbon in their in their biomass (wood and vegetation) and soil, preventing emissions into the atmosphere. Conserving forest land promotes healthy air, water and soil, and helps to combat climate change. Conserving for the long term ensures these essential natural services remain intact.

Reducing carbon emissions not only benefits the environment, but also has financial value. By tapping into the carbon markets, Members can earn money for the carbon offsets created by their forests.

Private forest landowners know the ecological value of their forests. And now, some of them are getting paid for it.

Carbon dioxide emissions are released into the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels through industrial and manufacturing activities.

Through photosynthesis, trees take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and turn it into their wood. This process is known as carbon sequestration. As trees in the forest grow, they are sequestering more carbon.

Harvested trees and rotting wood

How does the carbon market work?

Industries and individuals who emit greenhouse gasses in the form of carbon dioxide may offset their emissions by purchasing carbon offset credits. Carbon offset credits can be generated through sequestration activities such as forest growth. Marketplaces exist which place a monetary value on these carbon offset credits so they can be purchased and traded by industries and individuals who are looking to offset their emissions as they make the transition to renewable energy and more net-zero infrastructure. 

Learn more about the carbon market

How does Forest Carbon Works make this possible?

We have two distinct keys that unlock access to the carbon markets so that Members can be rewarded for their conservation efforts. Without these essential services, most private forest landowners in the U.S. would not be compensated for the carbon capture of their forests.

We make it affordable to assess and document your forest.

Typical carbon assessments can cost tens of thousands of dollars and require a professional forester. We provide free carbon assessment and documentation services for our Members. In addition to our proprietary software tools, we have regional Forest Technicians stationed throughout the United States. These Forest Technicians use our proprietary smartphone tool in the forest to document and collect information about a Member’s forest. This reduces the greatest upfront cost private forest landowners face.

We handle the complex rules of the carbon market and simplify the process for you.

The rules and requirements of the carbon market are complex. With our expertise, we are able to lower the costs needed to establish your Membership. We reduce complexity by requiring that all Members of Forest Carbon Works meet certain prerequisites and uphold certain requirements in order to participate. Without this standardization, the cost of complexity would prohibit access to carbon markets for many private forest landowners.

Could your forest be eligible for Membership?

Learn more about what makes a forest eligible, the requirements and responsibilities for Members, and how to apply to work with us.

See how to get started