Susan Benedict
Family Forest Owner
Family Forest Carbon Program
Susan Benedict is a family forest owner enrolled in the Family Forest Carbon Program. Her forest in State College, Pennsylvania, known to her family as “Bear Town” given the large number of black bears that occupy the forest, has been in Susan’s family for three generations. Since joining the Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP) in 2019, the program has covered the cost of updating Susan’s forest management plan, and provided additional income to implement the management activities outlined in it.
Today, not only is Susan happy she can pass Bear Town down to her children without the financial burden, but she credits the program for forcing her to have important conversations with family members about the future of the property. Susan says, “My hope is that we can take this from a third-generation Tree Farm to a five-generation Tree Farm. I think it can be done, it’s just a matter of finding ways to keep the land sustainable and profitable.”