Upstream Tech, an innovator of scalable climate technology solutions, has today announced that the American Forest Foundation (AFF) will expand the adoption of its Lens platform to help monitor and assess overall forest health, and the carbon improvements made under its Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP). With funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Landowner Support program via the Inflation Reduction Act, the AFF and Upstream Tech will partner to increase confidence in FFCP activities, as well as piloting a novel carbon baselining methodology to help scale efforts with small landowners across the US.
The collaboration marks a significant step forward in leveraging advanced technology to support sustainable forestry practices, and, by integrating remotely-sensed insights with on-the-ground management, Upstream Tech will not only support the American Forest Foundation in monitoring the efficacy of its projects, but also help develop new methodologies to scale the adoption of climate-smart forestry practices with small and historically disadvantaged landowners.
With sustainable land-use increasingly utilized to support emissions reduction and carbon offsetting for both public and private organizations, there is a policy and market need to validate the effectiveness of such projects. Since 2021, Upstream Tech has supported the American Forest Foundation’s confirmation of forest-health practices for their Family Forest Carbon Program, ensuring that commitments made by FFCP participations are upheld over time. Through this expanded partnership, Upstream Tech and AFF will demonstrate the tangible impacts of sustainably-managed private lands by leveraging precise, reliable data through the Lens solution to support the project validation process.
In the US, family forest owners control 263 million acres (or 35%) of US forests[1], although on an individual basis most owners have fewer than 10 acres under management. The Family Forest Carbon Program was established to provide family forest owners with a way to participate in the carbon markets – a mechanism previously unavailable to most owners owing to inherent complexity and high upfront costs. This program not only opens new financial opportunities for small landholders but also promotes broader participation in climate mitigation efforts. By addressing the barriers that have traditionally excluded smaller forest owners, the initiative aims to foster more inclusive and effective carbon market engagement.
Upstream Tech’s Lens solution helps support the work of the Family Forest Carbon Program by providing an efficient tool for remote observation of project areas. By combining multiple layers of earth observation data and merging them in a singular view, Lens enables the program to monitor forest management practices and whether they adhere to the requirements imposed by program participation.
“As we embark on new approaches to tackling hard-to-abate carbon emissions, there has historically been a technology gap in solutions that can accurately monitor and assess carbon reduction progress, remotely,” said Eve Boyce-Ratliff, Director of Growth & Partnerships, Upstream Tech.
“Remote monitoring platforms such as Lens can be used to gather disparate data and in real time assess the benefits that climate projects are delivering, while helping improve coordination between remote work and site visits. Leveraging remotely-sensed data will allow programs, including the Family Forest Carbon Program, to scale to support the needs of small landowners and ultimately strengthen our global response to continuing greenhouse gas emissions.”
“By supporting the American Forest Foundation and its Family Forest Carbon Program, we look forward to supporting meaningful market-based solutions for landowners that bolster rural economies, improving forest health and resilience, and increase carbon storage.”
Read more: Google Invests In Its First Forestry-Based Carbon Removal Credits
