American Forest Foundation

05/28/2026

Laura and Mike Jackson were among the first-ever cohort of 78 landowners to enroll in FFCP, launching the program to its most recent milestone of 1,400+ landowners stewarding 200,000+ acres.

Their property has struggled with invasive species, but yearly FFCP payments help cover a portion of the cost for herbicides, spray equipment, and hiring professional applicators.

The Jacksons have also planted many native species:

🫐 Serviceberries

🌳 White-flowering dogwood

🌸 Hawthorn

🍎 Crabapple

🌿 Winterberry holly

These additions benefit the many wildlife that call the property home, including:

🪶 Cedar waxwings

🪽 Tufted Titmouse

🪵 Pileated woodpeckers

🦎 Slimy salamanders

🐝 Bees

Read more: https://www.forestfoundation.org/why-we-do-it/family-forest-blog/fighting-forest-invasives-for-a-healthier-future/

05/13/2026

FFCP has reached 200,000 acres enrolled – a milestone that would not have been possible without our first cohort of 78 landowners. We caught up with our third-ever landowner to enroll – Susan Benedict – to see how her experience with the program has been 6 years later.

After gypsy moth infestations and emerald ash borer outbreaks, Susan joined FFCP seeking guidance and support to restore her forest. She completed a full forest inventory, updated her management plan, restored habitat, planted thousands of seedlings, and improved biodiversity across the property.

The results have been remarkable:

🐻 Beavers returned for the first time since the 1990s

🌱 Native plants and tree regeneration rebounded

🦊 Wildlife diversity increased across the forest ecosystem

💧 Mature forests continue protecting pristine trout streams and water quality

Read more here: https://www.forestfoundation.org/why-we-do-it/family-forest-blog/looking-back-at-bear-town/

FFCP caught up with Susan Benedict, our third-ever-enrolled landowner, to reflect on her six years with the program.

05/08/2026

The Deseve Family purchased their land in the Pocono mountains to protect their property from the sprawl of development and protect a creek where they loved to fish.

Using the Land Cover layer in AFF’s new data visualization tool, you can see where the built lands from New York and Philadelphia push towards the Poconos, highlighting the development pressure facing the Deseve family’s property.

This tool helps illustrate both the growing challenges facing family forests and the critical environmental benefits these lands provide. Register for our demo webinar on Tuesday, May 19 at 1 PM ET to learn more: https://forestfoundation-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uO--h1woS0uEEcR65FWStg

Explore the tool here: https://app.transparenc.earth/AFF

05/06/2026

The Family Forest Carbon Program has enrolled 200,000 acres! To put that in perspective, 200,000 acres is larger than the land area of New York City, 4 Acadia National Parks, and 7 Disney Worlds.

Family-owned forests are key to helping the planet and powering rural economies. Over the next 30 years, 3.5 million tons of carbon will be removed from the atmosphere, and over $50 million will be paid to landowners. Thank you to all our partners, supporters, and landowners for helping us reach this milestone. Read more at the link in the comments.

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day from AFF! 🌎

Forests are the world’s largest terrestrial carbon sink, and protecting their health is essential to protecting the health of our planet.

At AFF, we’re grateful to our partners and supporters who help us steward America’s family forests and advance meaningful conservation on the ground.

A special thank you to Glamorise and Graphic Packaging International for their contributions, which are helping us plant more trees across the Southeast, restoring unused fields and transforming them into thriving, resilient ecosystems!

04/20/2026

🔔Don't miss our Event TONIGHT! 🔔

🌏Celebrate this year's Earth Day by establishing the future of your forest.

🌳Join us for a virtual event focused on legacy and estate planning for forest landowners. We’ll explore how to protect your land, support your loved ones, and ensure your values endure for generations.

📅 April 20
🕠 5:30 PM (EDT)
🔗Register Here: https://forestfoundation-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f8r9zycJSE-D3b7uWRYR4A?fbclid=IwY2xjawRN7VxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFMMlhkeG5mRFl6a21YbE9Fc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrEynyJuo7ytY3eg3umA6dbr5Lp-p_1ENtSKnzltJYPOGc72rKd2UoFuQhK2_aem_idFi3HYqwozOCGFu8Uad8w #/registration

04/18/2026

🌎As approaches, we are reminded of the importance of protecting this planet and the forests that give it life.

👨‍🌾The United States is home to approximately 8% of the world’s forests, and nearly 40% of that is owned by private landowners.

🌳That is a significant amount of global forest coverage being stewarded by family forest owners with an average size of 67 acres.

📈6 years ago AFF saw these forests’ potential for climate mitigation and now the Family Forest Carbon Program has 180,000+ acres owned by 1,300+ landowners joining the fight.

04/16/2026

🌎Celebrate Earth Day with AFF!🌎

Use this to think about your land's future and join the American Forest Foundation for a special webinar focused on legacy and estate planning for forest landowners.

We’ll explore how to:

🌳Protect your land,
💚Support your loved ones
🌱Ensure your values endure for generations.

We hope to see you there!

📅 April 20
🕠 5:30 PM (EDT)
🔗Register Here: https://forestfoundation-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f8r9zycJSE-D3b7uWRYR4A?fbclid=IwY2xjawRN6b1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFMMlhkeG5mRFl6a21YbE9Fc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHke5vxZYlELTrCTL-LKYchQ8MLsvuVeKwup8Zy0oY4gFfu8fRTeyFT6xNqFR_aem_LjZqtyahbUkLv9bY5n3R-g #/registration

04/14/2026

AFF President and CEO Rita Hite sat down with Carolyn Hutcheson from NPR and Troy Public Radio’s In Focus to talk about everything forests provide us:

🌀Clean air

💧Fresh water

🦉Wildlife Habitat

Rita shared how the Family Forest Carbon Program is working with landowners in the Southeastern United States to protect these forests and their many benefits.

Listen to the full interview here: https://today.troy.edu/podcasts/in-focus-with-carolyn-hutcheson/millionth-tree-tprs-in-focus-feb-12-2026/

04/10/2026

🦇 Did you know that bats play an important role in forest ecosystems?

🪲 Bats control insects that threaten key tree species like oaks and hickories. One recent study found that forests with bats had three times fewer harmful insects and five times less seedling defoliation compared to forests without bats.

🌳 Some species, such as the Eastern Red Bat, are shown to prefer roosting and foraging in parts of the forest that have been maintained or regenerated, including those treated with management practices like thinning and patch-cuts.

📄 This species offers just one example of wildlife that can not only coexist with, but even benefit from sustainable forest management treatments like the ones that may be recommended in FFCP management plans.

🔗 Learn more about how FFCP’s management plans create an ideal habitat for beneficial wildlife: https://www.forestfoundation.org/why-we-do-it/family-forest-blog/improving-wildlife-habitat-with-the-family-forest-carbon-program/