FCCP collaborating with MSU researchers to design education and extension program aimed at improving landowner capacity engaging in the carbon economy

The MSU Forest Carbon and Climate Program in collaboration with Dr. Raju Pokharel, and other project partners are partnering to develop an extension program to improve decision-support capacity of landowners engaging with the carbon economy.

Speaker lineup flyer for the 2024-25 Building Forest Carbon and Market Decision Capacity webinar series. All webinars are from 3-4 pm ET.

EAST LANSING, Mich – The MSU Forest Carbon and Climate Program is partnering with Dr. Raju Pokharel, MSU Extension, the USDA Forest Service Wood Products Lab, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to develop an extension program designed to improve landowner capacity to engage with the carbon the economy.

The project includes a 5-part webinar series that invites academics, forest industry, and other forestry experts to present on relevant topics to increase adoption of climate-smart technologies and practices in forest systems. The series aims to develop and extend forest stakeholder knowledge and perspectives on forest carbon payment programs for the more informed decision-making by bringing together a diverse group of landowners, state and federal resource professionals, consulting foresters, academics, and policymakers.

In addition to the webinar series, project partners are developing a forest carbon cost-benefit analysis tool that allows users to input information about the size and characteristics of their forestlands to estimate potential differences in revenue from timber products and specific climate-smart forestry practices enrolled in a forest carbon offset project. Users can input a variety of wood product pricing, carbon pricing and interest rates to better understand the financial tradeoffs of engaging with the carbon economy.

Lastly, this project will organize four workshops in the summer of 2025 across the eastern US targeted at landowners, extension specialists, and other forestry professionals to receive more hands-on training around financial decision making related to forest carbon payment programs and have the opportunity to visit forest parcels currently enrolled in a project or program.

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