Carbon credits are a lifeline for Vermont’s working forests
September 11, 2026
by Jessica Bakowski
As a professional forester living and working in northern Vermont, I’ve spent more than a decade helping landowners navigate the opportunities and challenges of long-term forest stewardship. Across New England, one question comes up repeatedly: How do we keep forests healthy and ensure they stay in the family for generations?
In Vermont, forests are more than a scenic backdrop. They support the state’s maple industry, protect clean water, provide wildlife habitat and fuel recreation and tourism economies central to many rural communities. Approximately 80% of Vermont’s forests are privately owned, placing landowners at the forefront of conservation and management.
Yet these forests face growing pressures. Rising land values, parcelization, second-home development and the complexities of transferring land to the next generation can make long-term ownership increasingly difficult. For many families, the challenge is compounded by the loss of regional mills and other market pressures that have reduced traditional revenue streams from working forests. As large forest tracts are divided into smaller parcels, keeping forests intact and actively managed becomes more challenging.