PFT concentrates on the following incentives:

• Developing markets for forest ecosystem services to bring more revenue to landowners who practice conservation and stewardship forestry:

- PFT conducts research and analysis on the role of improved forest management and conservation in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the most significant global warming gas. Read Forests: Our Allies Against Global Warming to learn about how forests are improving the world’s carbon balance. For details on the potential contributions of private forests to the effort, read "Forest Carbon in the United States."

- As part of the international effort to combat global warming, PFT works to develop the policy framework and trading mechanisms for the emerging market in forest-based carbon emissions reduction credits. Read PFT's Working Forests, Winning Climate program overview or download our campaign brochure. To learn more about including U.S. forests in a comprehensive federal approach to climate legislation, download our PLACE fact sheet. To view our recommendations for including forests in U.S. offset programs, read our April 2009 Joint Letter to Congress.

- PFT also works to build the market for forest-based carbon credits by generating model transactions through our Van Eck Forest Project that is demonstrating the mechanics of high quality trades and generating new funds for conservation.

• Seeking to expand financial assistance for forest conservation and stewardship through partnerships with government agencies and support for programs that help forests:

- The Forest Legacy Program is a cooperative program between the USDA Forest Service and participating states. It provides funding from federal and state sources, in partnership with the private sector, for the acquisition of conservation easements on private forestlands to protect key resources while maintaining traditional uses of the land, including timber harvest, habitat management and watershed values. PFT works to build support for Forest Legacy, and ensure the program has the flexibility and responsiveness to meet landowner needs while achieving resource protection.

- For more information on the national Forest Legacy Program, visit www.fs.fed.us/spf/coop/flp.htm.

- For information on the California Forest Legacy Program, click here.

• Promoting tax incentives for forest conservation and stewardship:

- PFT works to help landowners realize the full value of tax deductions for conservation easements by advocating changes to the Internal Revenue Code and expanding the use of conservation tax credits by the states.

- PFT supports expanding estate tax benefits of gifts of conservation easements under Section 2031(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.

- PFT endorses proposed cuts in the capital gains tax for sales of land or conservation easements by landowners to conservation organizations. We believe this will put conservation on a more competitive footing with development.

- PFT supports reducing the impact of capital gains taxes for long-term forest investments and improving cost recovery for forest stewardship by all forest owners – especially smaller ownerships.

• Promoting strategies to expand the conservation of private U.S. forests. PFT participates in a variety of state, regional and national conferences, presenting information, analysis and recommendations.

- In 2001, Island Press published America’s Private Forests: Status and Stewardship, by Constance Best and Laurie A. Wayburn of the Pacific Forest Trust. The result of a major research effort, drawing on hundreds of interviews and other sources, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the threats to private forests and presents a framework for their conservation.

• Supporting the development of high standards for independent, third-party certification of sustainable forest practices.

- PFT is a founding member of the Forest Stewardship Council and facilitated the effort to create regional certification guidelines for the Pacific Northwest.

Forests provide many services, clean water and carbon sequestration. Pacific Northwest forests are among the world¹s best carbon sinks, and PFT is helping establish a forest-based carbon market to reward landowner who manage for this service. Photo by Don Briggs.

PFT supports policies to bring more revenue to landowners who practice conservation and stewardship forestry, like Ted Brown in Union County, Oregon. PFT promotes tax incentives for forest conservation and stewardship. Photo by Marty Knapp.