The Family Forest Carbon Program: Available for Ohio landowners with a signing bonus
With the Family Forest Carbon Program, you can have a successful farm and get paid to grow healthy forests.
Read More
You’ve worked hard for your land—now let it work for you. With the Family Forest Carbon Program, you can have a successful farm and get paid to grow healthy forests.
The Family Forest Carbon Program was created by two national nonprofits, the American Forest Foundation and The Nature Conservancy. It was designed to help landowners with smaller woodlands improve forest health, conserve their land and access the voluntary carbon market, a market that has historically been out of reach for many family forest owners.
Since its launch, the program has enrolled more than 180,000 acres of forestland across the United States, creating a community of more than 1,350 landowners who care about doing right by their land. These landowners are committed to strengthening wildlife habitat, growing higher-quality timber, and stewarding their land for future generations. To date, the program has committed more than $50 million in guaranteed payments to enrolled landowners.
David Funk, an enrolled landowner from Athens County, Ohio, shares:
“We view the ongoing support and expertise provided by the Family Forest Carbon Program’s experienced foresters following our enrollment as extremely valuable as we continue improving our wood’s health and value. And we are bringing the next generation, and even the grandchildren, into the process around woodland conservation.”
The program helps landowners implement improved forest management practices that enhance forest health and increase carbon storage. In return, enrollees receive guaranteed annual income and personalized support from professional foresters, including help developing a custom forest management plan tailored to their unique property. Our foresters can also help identify and manage invasive species to protect forest health.
There are no upfront costs, no change in land ownership, and no loss of land rights—just expert guidance and reliable annual payments for 20 years. You can continue using your land for recreation, hunting, or non-timber commercial activities, and many landowners use the additional income to offset property taxes, invest in land improvements, or support long-term stewardship however they need.
Thanks to a private grant specifically for Ohio landowners, participants are currently eligible for an additional one-time signing bonus of $40 per enrolled acre.
The program is now enrolling landowners with 30+ acres in Ohio and 19 other states. Visit familyforestcarbon.org to check your eligibility using our secure mapping tool and schedule a no-obligation call with a team member.
Your land is more than property. It’s a legacy that can be passed down through generations, and we’re here to help you make the most of it.
My first recommendation in your journey is to start out with a local farming friend or mentor along with joining an organization like Ohio Farm Bureau.
We’re just so thankful for the Farm Bureau and the foundation for helping put this together. And of course, the Boyert family for the vision they had with this grant. It’s jumping us forward 10 years. It’s unbelievable.
I could not have done it without the resources I have found through Farm Bureau.
It wasn’t until I joined the Wilmington College Collegiate Farm Bureau that I truly saw how my passion could translate into leadership, advocacy and a career.
The issue of property taxation remains as one of the biggest challenges our members face today. Ensuring agricultural property is valued for its agricultural potential and not development is critical to the continued success of Ohio agriculture.
Through the Select Partner program, we became educated in farm insurance and weren't just selling policies. It became more and more clear why farmers need an advocate like Ohio Farm Bureau.
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
