Chestnut Carbon Doubles Southeast U.S. Footprint as Flagship Afforestation Project Scales

New updates have been reported about Chestnut Carbon.

Chestnut Carbon has completed its fourth and largest U.S. planting season, doubling its Southeast footprint in a year to about 70,000 acres of newly restored native forests and bringing total plantings since 2022 to more than 46.7 million trees. The company’s Sustainable Restoration Project, now the largest U.S.-based afforestation project on the Gold Standard registry, spans an area 1.5 times the size of Acadia National Park and underscores Chestnut’s intent to lead the premium end of the voluntary carbon market.

Backed by a first-of-its-kind debt facility secured in 2025, Chestnut accelerated land acquisition and operations, planting 24 million trees between November 5, 2025, and April 4, 2026, across nine states, including new projects in Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Management also advanced its ecological and credit-quality strategy by deploying 301,000 Funga‑inoculated seedlings to speed soil recovery and carbon uptake, and by diversifying species with longleaf and shortleaf pine, including 23,000 longleaf in central Georgia and 469,000 shortleaf in northern Arkansas to build climate-resilient, high-permanence carbon assets.

The company’s afforestation corridor now extends over 350 miles of waterways, where concurrent river and stream restoration is designed to enhance water quality, fisheries, and recreational use, supporting both environmental co‑benefits and the premium pricing case for its credits. From 2022 through 2025, Chestnut’s projects supported an estimated 768 jobs, generated $48.8 million in regional economic output, and produced $7.4 million in tax revenues, with these figures expected to rise as 2026 activities scale and community partnerships deepen across the Southeast.

Operationally, Chestnut has de‑risked its supply chain and execution capacity by locking in long-term seedling access with partners such as ArborGen and working with regional forestry experts like DDK Forestry & Real Estate to meet Forest Stewardship Council standards. The project is also the first U.S. afforestation initiative verified under FSC’s Verified Impact program for Biodiversity Conservation, reinforcing Chestnut’s positioning as a provider of high-integrity, additional, and durable carbon removal credits to corporate buyers targeting net‑zero pathways.

Chief Operating and Commercial Officer Brian DiMarino framed the latest season as a turning point, arguing that Chestnut’s ability to double its footprint while maintaining strict ecological criteria demonstrates that scale and quality can be achieved simultaneously in nature-based carbon removal. For executives evaluating offset procurement or strategic partnerships, Chestnut’s expanded acreage, validated standards, and growing rural economic footprint signal a maturing platform capable of delivering large‑volume, U.S.-based carbon removal with measurable environmental and community outcomes.