Vulcan’s Partnership with the American Forest Foundation

Reforestation, Fire Prevention and a Long-Range Carbon Sequestration Initiative

Vulcan Materials Company has joined with the American Forest Foundation (AFF) and a coalition of other funding partners in providing financial support to help family woodland owners impacted by the tragic Camp Fire in the reforestation and restoration of their properties.   The coalition includes non-profits, federal and state agencies, and companies to assist in the reforestation of over 8,000 acres burned in the California forest fires that occurred in late 2018.  These reforestation efforts are crucial to re-establishing the quality of life, economic foundation, and environmental viability of affected communities.  As part of the project, Vulcan is also assisting AFF and its partner, The Nature Conservancy, in piloting its Family Forest Carbon Program through these reforestation efforts, thereby helping to build a mechanism for future funding for these and similar efforts from a much broader coalition of funders.  This long-range initiative is designed to advance carbon sequestration programs that ultimately can occur on millions of acres of private land throughout the United States.

During 2019, Vulcan held discussions with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the American Forest Foundation (AFF) concerning development of the Family Forest Carbon Program, to create a carbon credit system for private and business landowners while also contributing directly to reforestation and fire prevention efforts in California.  The Vulcan Materials Company Foundation subsequently made a grant to the American Forest Foundation in support of the program and Vulcan managers are working with AFF personnel on plan implementation, beginning with work in California.

The carbon sequestration initiative is being developed in concert with the global carbon management firm, VERRA, participating NGOs, private businesses, foundations, and the California Air Resources Board (CARB).  The reforestation and fire prevention initiative portion of the program is to be done with support from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) and major foundations.  Although in its early stages, the initiative has already attracted strong political and regulatory agency support in California.  Vulcan is the first business with major operations in California to support the initiative.

According to the American Forest Foundation, this project provides “…long-term value in establishing a methodology for forest carbon accounting that is both widely accepted and easy to apply to modest forest acreages.  In time, this will allow Vulcan to calculate the carbon impacts of particular forest [holdings] on their own properties.” The partnership with AFF has given Vulcan a unique opportunity to assist fire-threatened communities in California, while at the same time engaging directly in creative carbon management actions aligned with other organizations working cooperatively to address the threats of climate change.