Forestrycarbon.com – About Us
Who we are:
ForestryCarbon.com was started by the National Network of Forest Practitioners (NNFP), a small national non-profit organization (www.NNFP.org). NNFP’s mission is to promote the mutual well-being of workers, rural communities, and forests by supporting individuals and groups that build sustainable relationships between forests and people.
Our target audience is the non-industrial private forest landowner. We want to bring the carbon credit market to the “little guy”.
Our purpose is to provide forest landowners access to and education about the forest carbon credit trading market.
Along the way, we aim to encourage sustainable forest practices, which can include: planting regionally-relevant species, pursuing timber certification programs, and implementing best-management forestry practices.
Why? Because it’s not just about the carbon.
Our Partners:
We work with a number of partners, particularly the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED), a 30 year old community development non-profit working in Appalachian Kentucky. They lead the Appalachian Carbon Partnership which rewards good forest management by the region’s family forest owners by marketing their credits to voluntary buyers.
Any brokerage fees collected by ForestryCarbon.com go back to the carbon credits project and the charitable and educational work of NNFP. We are a non-profit organization, as compared to other for-profit brokers in the carbon trading market.
By choosing ForestryCarbon.com you are investing in NNFP’s work to find new options that help forest landowners, forests, and local communities.
Donations help NNFP outreach to small and low-income landowners who otherwise would not be able to participate in carbon credit opportunities. To make a donation to support NNFP’s work, please visit NNFP.org.
Can I Get Paid for My Forests’ Carbon Storage?
There are some markets for carbon credits, but if you look on some sites like the Chicago Climate Exchange you’d think there is almost no market at all because their prices are down.
The main market for forest carbon credits would be for companies required to lower their emissions by a “Cap and Trade” policy. If the US passes such a policy to help reduce climate change companies would either need to reduce their carbon pollution or “offset” their emissions by paying someone else to reduce their emissions.
This “Cap and Trade” policy has not been passed by the US Congress, so the markets for carbon credits are VERY low relative to Europe where such a system is in place.
What Can Change That?
If Congress passes a climate and energy bill that includes cap and trade that will create a very large demand for offsets. It would be a “game changer”.
Are There Any Good Markets Now?
There is still a voluntary market, where individuals choose to offset the emissions of their travel, electricity use, etc..
There are two programs we work with that can help you sell your credits and get much higher prices than what most buyers offer:
Appalachian Carbon Partnership - www.appalachiancarbonpartnership.org
If you are in the Appalachian counties of Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, or Tennessee, you may be able to sell your credits for a higher price to the voluntary market. To see what counties are covered look HERE.
There are some other options in other places. Email us to find out more.
Can I Offset My Travel and Other Emissions?
If you would like to offset your personal emissions, click HERE for the Appalachian Carbon Partnership (ACP). The ACP provides offsets for consumers from improved forest management on family forest lands in the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachia’s forests are threatened by mountaintop removal mining, invasion by exotic plants, and other forest health problems. ACP credits provide an incentive to family forest owners to conduct improved forest management that benefits the health of the forest.