What does it take to apply and become a Member?

How much can I get paid?

All eligible forests will receive a minimum Membership Offer of $200/acre over a 25-year Payment Period. Some landowners may receive a higher Membership Offer if they have larger, particularly well-stocked forests.

What will it cost me?

There are no out-of-pocket costs to become a Member of Forest Carbon Works. Likewise, there are no annual maintenance fees or renewal fees.

What are the steps?

Create an account and take the qualification quiz

When you first sign up to explore the possibilities, we’ll ask a few basic questions to see if a Forest Carbon Works Membership is feasible for your forest. If you don’t pass the qualification quiz, we’ll still be in touch — your land may become eligible in the future.

Submit an application so we can further assess your forest

We’ll ask for detailed information and supporting documents to understand the opportunities and challenges with your land, including forest management and legal status. We will also ask you to sign a Non-binding Exploratory Agreement which allows for our investigation of eligibility on your behalf. The application submission and any necessary follow up will take 1-2 weeks.

Within the application, you will be asked to provide the following property information:

• A brief description of the real property including management, harvest, and use history over the past 10 years
• An electronic/scanned copy of the title abstract, if available
• A list of all owners and their fractional interest in the real property
• Parcel and tax ID numbers for the property and all other properties (forested or non-forested) in which any listed owner has an interest
• Whether the property is encumbered by a conservation easement (if applicable) and if so, an electronic copy of the easement
• Whether the property is encumbered by a legally binding forest management plan (such as through state tax program) and if so, an electronic copy of the plan
• Electronic copies of maps or digital GIS files delineating your property boundaries (if you have them)

Within 1-2 weeks after your complete application is submitted, we’ll review to determine if your forest is eligible, carry out a cursory mapping assessment, and then present you with a Membership Offer which includes your annual payment amount. Upon receipt of Membership Offer, you will have 90 days to elect to enroll as a Member.

Accept Membership Offer and officially enroll

We’re ready to move forward! Once you enroll as a Member of Forest Carbon Works, you will be issued a down payment, which will be no less than $200/acre. It will take approximately 1 month to reach you.

We’ll visit your forest to prepare for the required audit

We’ll send a Forest Technician to your property to prepare for the required audit. The Forest Technician will use our proprietary smartphone inventory tool to document your forest. Depending on the location of your forest, the visit may be seasonally dependent.

The Forest Technician will work on your land for approximately 2–5 days. Prior to their visit, we will be in contact to get permission and access information from you, as well as notice of any difficult terrain (e.g., rivers, streams, steep slopes) or safety concerns (e.g., hunting activity, wildlife, other risks).

Audit your forest and get paid

To officialize your Membership, your forest must undergo an independent third-party audit. This ensures that our calculations are accurate, transparent, and verifiable. Our team will completely manage the audit and ensure its success, at no additional cost to you. The audit may take 6–12 months to be carried out.

Once this audit is complete, you’ll receive your first annual payment and any applicable back payment.

Enter into years 1 through 5 of your first Membership Period

As you continue to comply with Membership requirements, you will to receive payments annually for the remainder of the 5-year Membership Period. If you comply with all requirements during the initial 5-year Membership Period, you may renew your Membership in additional 5-year increments for the duration of the 25-year Payment Period. At least once during each 5-year Membership Period your forest will be audited again. You will continue to receive annual payments throughout each 5-year Membership Period.

Enter into year 25 and beyond … Additional 5-year Membership Periods and the 35-year Legacy Period

At the end of the 25-year Payment Period, you may continue to enroll in additional 5-year Membership Periods or instead elect to move forward with the 35-year Legacy Period. 

During the 35-year Legacy Period you will no longer receive annual payments but the requirements associated with your Membership ease. These include lessened restrictions on harvesting and a discontinuation of third-party audits. 

There are no associated costs during the 35-year Legacy Period. Members are automatically enrolled in Long-Term Monitoring Trust which covers all costs so that Forest Carbon Works can ensure the forest remains intact and healthy.