State Forestry Agency Perspectives on Carbon Management and Carbon Market Assistance to Family Forest Owners

Family forest owners within the United States could potentially make significant contributions to sequestration efforts. However, we expect that landowners will need assistance if they are to successfully implement carbon management techniques and/or navigate through complex carbon market requirements. State forestry agencies were surveyed to gather their perspectives on carbon management and carbon market participation, assess current demand for assistance, and identify the types of state-sponsored programs available to landowners. Currently, only a few states have carbon management or carbon market assistance programs. A majority of states report that demand for carbon assistance is low, and few landowners are aware of carbon management or markets. Interestingly, and in contrast to previous estimates, demand and interest often appear unrelated to a state’s physical forest sequestration capacity. Although many attributes of a carbon market present barriers, states appear to agree that certain landowner characteristics may increase participation interest.