WVFA Mountain State Forestry Summer 2021

T R E E F A R M N E W S 22 West Virginia Forestry Association Mountain State Forestry | Summer 2021 www.wvfa.org Measurements will be taken on a random selection of enrolled properties and compared to measurements on un-enrolled properties with similar forest attributes, then aggregated at the landscape level to determine the carbon benefit. The carbon measurements will then be verified by a third-party. What Landowners in Pennsylvania are Saying The Family Forest Carbon Program was launched last year in Pennsylvania across a dozen counties. In the first year, the program moved 50 landowners to enroll over 7,000 acres. Roughly 65% of these landowners had not been actively managing or had a long-term management plan prior to enrolling in the program, showcasing how carbon markets can empower a positive move to sustainable forestry. “It’s a win-win situation for anyone who has a piece of property and is planning on keeping it in the family,” said Tim Leiby, who owns 95 acres of forestland in Blain, Pennsylvania, and was among the first participants in the Family Forest Carbon Program. For landowners like Leiby, the program is providing financial assistance to help them achieve their stewardship goals. Leiby plans to use his first check from the program to help remove invasive species from his property. The Family Forest Carbon Program connected Leiby with a consulting forester who visited his property, took an inventory of its tree species and overall forest health, helped him develop a long-term forest management plan, and educate him on the steps he could take to improve the health of his oak- dominated forest.