With funding from the Endowment, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the USDA Forest Service, Richard King Mellon Foundation, and others, Bosland Growth’s Appalachia Mineland Reforestation Program leverages ecosystem markets to finance reforestation projects on non-regenerating mine lands. By combining Federal grants with carbon offset revenue, Bosland Growth covered 100% of reforestation costs and compensates landowners for a conservation easement on their land.

The pilot project focuses on 2,800 acres in the coal regions of Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, targeting small acreage private landowners whose land is degraded through a history of surface mining. The benefits are manifold: increased property values, reduced sediment runoff, improved water filtration, enhanced recreational opportunities, habitat creation for at-risk birds and other species, and substantial carbon sequestration. Once completed, the project is estimated to sequester the equivalent carbon of removing emissions from 81,000 vehicles annually.

In 2025 and through Spring 2026, Bosland transitioned to a nonprofits corporation, completed the reforestation of 8 properties totaling 400 acres, and secured a long-term partnership agreement with the Suntory Group focused on sustainable hardwood supply.

This initiative is a prime example of how market-based solutions can drive impactful reforestation efforts, fostering healthier ecosystems and communities.