Nature is a powerful tool in climate action. Natural climate solutions—such as restoring, protecting, and improving the management of forests—could deliver more than a third of the emissions reductions needed by 2030. Forests in particular provide outsized benefits, not only for carbon storage, but for water, biodiversity and community wellbeing. 

Forests in the Pacific Northwest store more carbon per acre than any other terrestrial ecosystem. They also play a vital role in filtering drinking water, supporting biodiversity, and sustaining rural economies. When managed for multiple values—not just timber—they offer one of the most scalable, cost-effective near-term strategies for tackling the climate and nature crises. This is where EFM’s work is focused.  

In the U.S., one of the biggest untapped opportunities lies in changing how we manage existing forests. Known as Improved Forest Management (IFM), this approach enhances carbon storage by extending harvest rotations, protecting carbon-rich areas, and restoring degraded forests—while maintaining timber production. IFM can be deployed today, at scale, and deliver climate impact within the critical next decade. EFM has spent two decades building a model for climate-smart forestry that integrates IFM projects with traditional timber management strategies.  

EFM uses the most advanced IFM methodologies available, including ACR’s dynamic baseline approach. This approach evaluates project performance in real time against updated reference scenarios, ensuring ongoing additionality and guarding against over-crediting. It replaces older, static baselines with more accurate, adaptive data—giving buyers greater confidence in the quality of the credits they purchase. 

Carbon revenue plays a central role in enabling changes to forest stewardship. It helps derisk investments in longer harvest rotations and restoration, provides price and volume certainty for investors, and supports outcomes like salmon habitat restoration, public access, and tribal partnerships. 

EFM deploys capital to acquire forestland assets and implements a climate-smart management plan that integrates timber, carbon and conservation goals. Investors can receive pro-rata in-kind carbon credits or opt for EFM to manage credit sales on their behalf. In both cases, we maintain responsibility for ensuring credit quality and project integrity over time.