On March 15, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced investments of $145 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding to help landowners connect to emerging climate markets that can provide economic opportunities and incentivize improved forest health and management.

The Longleaf Alliance is pleased to announce we are one of 20 Forest Landowner Support projects for equitable access to emerging climate markets. The Alliance received $1.8 million in funding to:

+ Increase opportunities for underserved and small-acreage landowners to participate in emerging markets for longleaf products, through technical assistance, promoting climate-smart management, and removing obstacles to market entry (i.e. title clearing, estate planning) in collaboration with the Georgia Heirs Property Law Center

+ Pilot a framework for biodiversity credits in longleaf ecosystems that complement regional conservation planning efforts, guide and inform the design of biodiversity credits in longleaf, and increase access and market participation for small and underserved landowners in partnership with Milliken Advisors, Dr. Stacey Lance at the University of Georgia Savannah River Ecology Lab, Dr. John Quinn at Furman University, and The Jones Center at Ichauway.

“The Longleaf Alliance is excited to continue working with our partners to remove barriers and create pathways for equitable market participation in emerging longleaf markets. Through innovative strategies and collaboration with key partners, we are looking forward to working with private landowners to not only grow longleaf forests but also cultivate a future where climate resilience and economic opportunity go hand in hand,” said Carol Denhof, President of The Longleaf Alliance.