Urban forest carbon protocols form the foundation of our work. Developed by leading scientists and urban forest professionals, the protocols define the set of rules that tree planting or preservation projects must follow in order to earn third-party verified carbon credits.
See our full protocols and summaries.
Preservation
Planting
- Planting Protocol – 25 years
- Appendix A Project Documentation
- Appendix B Quantification
- Appendix C Verification
- Appendix D Protocol Elements
As an urban forest scientist, I led the quantification of carbon in the Air Resources Board protocol in 2011 and a second attempt at a protocol at the Climate Action Reserve in 2013. I've been proud to contribute to the quantification work of City Forest Credits and see it result in carbon projects in multiple cities.
—Dr. Greg McPherson, Retired Senior ScientistU.S. Forest Service
National Drafting Group
The experienced protocol drafting group included top scientists and stakeholders from diverse subject fields. Members include city climate program managers, nonprofits, watershed professionals, private arborists, utilities, and land trusts. All members served voluntarily and without compensation to further the advancement of the public resource of urban forests.
Zach Baumer
City of Austin Climate Program ManagerRich Dolesh
National Recreation and Park Association Vice President Conservation and ParksIan Leahy
American Forests Vice President of Urban ForestryScott Maco
Davey Institute Director of Research and DevelopmentJenny McGarvey
Alliance for Chesapeake Bay Forest Programs ManagerGreg McPherson
U.S. Forest Service Research ScientistMark McPherson
City Forest Credits Executive DirectorDarren Morgan
Seattle Department of Transportation ManagerWalter Passmore
City of Palo Alto City ForesterShannon Ramsay
Trees Forever Founding President and CEOHeather Sage
Pittsburgh Park Conservancy Director of Community ProjectsMisha Sarkovich
Sacramento Municipal Utility District Customer SolutionsSkip Swenson
Forterra Vice President Policy and ProgrammingAndy Trotter
West Coast Arborists Vice President of Field OperationsOur urban forests are where most of us live, work and play—an essential public resource. I founded Trees Forever, a regional nonprofit based in Iowa over 30 years ago. I was excited by the US Forest Service research on developing a rigorous carbon protocol for urban forestry. I was honored to join the other drafting group members to develop a quality national standard for carbon crediting. Thanks to City Forest Credits for its leadership.
—Shannon Ramsay, Founding President and CEOTrees Forever
Robust and Secure System
Issuing and tracking carbon creditsWe adhere to the industry standards for carbon registries. Our Carbon+ Project Registry includes documentation and verification information for every project.
Our role is to approve projects, ensure they meet the protocols, provide guidance through the process, and issue and track credits. We require third-party verification of all projects before we issue credits. Credits are then issued under a unique ID and serial number in a secure registry database.
City Forest Research
Quantifying our valuable public resourcesCity forests in the United States provide $18.3 billion in benefits per year. This value is expected to grow as urban areas continue to expand. See our White Paper about the functions, scale, and value of city forests.
Initiate a Carbon Project
What you need to know to get startedUrban forest leaders never have enough money to grow and care for city trees. Carbon credits may provide a new source of revenue to fill the gaps.
Location is key. First, projects must be located in one or more of the following urban areas:
- Urban area per U.S. Census Bureau maps
- Incorporated or unincorporated city or town
- Municipally-owned watershed zones
- Transportation or utility rights of way
We can provide overviews that describe more details on eligibility, requirements, and project design recommendations.