Abstract
Family forest owners (FFOs) hold a plurality of forestland in the United States, and programs and markets exist that compensate landowners for sequestering and storing increased carbon through extended rotations, improved forest management, and increased forest cover. We used USDA Forest Service National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS) data from 2018 to estimate the number of ownerships and their associated acreage that are enrolled, that are familiar but not enrolled, and that are unfamiliar with these programs, as well as differences in attributes among these groups. As of 2018, less than 0.1% (SE < 0.1%) of FFOs are enrolled in carbon sequestration programs, and collectively they hold an estimated 400,000 ha (SE = 100,000). FFOs who are enrolled have larger holdings, are more likely to participate in other programs, and are more concerned about climate change, among other characteristics. Most FFO holdings are too small to be viable in traditional carbon programs, although new and evolving programs might enable smaller landholdings to be feasible to enroll. Knowing the characteristics of ownerships that are enrolled or aware of programs will allow for more informed design and implementation; future monitoring will be important to identify trends as these programs become more widespread.