Chestnut Carbon, a US-based developer of nature-based carbon projects, has enrolled more than 160,000 acres of private forest land across 36 states in its Improved Forest Management (IFM) membership initiative, branded Forest Carbon Works.
The programme enables private landowners to access voluntary carbon markets by managing their forests to enhance carbon sequestration. In return, landowners receive annual payments based on the volume of carbon removed and stored in their forests. The service provides a structured pathway for participation in carbon markets, including project management, forest inventory, carbon credit registration, and the sale of credits.
Carbon credits from the enrolled land are registered with Verra and sold on the voluntary carbon market (VCM), with proceeds shared between Chestnut and landowners. The company recently completed its first issuance under the programme, generating more than 66,000 tonnes of carbon removal credits, transacted at an average of $34 per tonne—totalling approximately $2.2 million.
Chestnut’s methodology emphasises removal credits, which involve actively increasing carbon stocks rather than avoiding emissions. Such credits are considered to have higher durability and are increasingly in demand among corporate buyers seeking high-integrity solutions for net zero targets.
A participant in Vermont noted the environmental and economic value of the scheme: “This programme supports ongoing forest management while preserving biodiversity, water quality, and other key benefits offered by large forest blocks,” said a representative from Three Peaks Maple in Newark.
With growing scrutiny over carbon offset quality, IFM projects like Forest Carbon Works are drawing attention for their focus on measurable and long-term carbon removal.
