Chestnut Carbon Doubles Footprint in Southeast U.S. to Nearly 70,000 Acres of Restored Forests

Company Completes its Largest U.S. Planting Operation to Date

NEW YORK, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Chestnut Carbon ("Chestnut"), a leading U.S. developer of nature-based carbon removal projects, today announced the completion of its fourth planting season for its afforestation project, doubling its footprint in the Southeast U.S. since last year to roughly 70,000 acres of land restored to native forests. This is the company's largest planting efforts to date, and one of the largest conducted in the U.S. this year.

With the close of this most recent planting season, Chestnut has now planted over 46.7 million trees since 2022, 24 million of which were planted between November 5, 2025, and April 4, 2026. The Chestnut Sustainable Restoration Project remains the largest U.S.-based afforestation project on the Gold Standard® registry, spanning an area 1.5 times the size of Acadia National Park and five times the size of the island of Manhattan.

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2025-2026 Planting Season Highlights

With its first-of-its-kind debt financing secured in 2025, Chestnut was able to accelerate land acquisition and planting operations to achieve this year's record-setting scale. The company's fourth planting season delivered major ecological and operational milestones, including:

• Planting across nine states, including expansion into Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee

• 301,000 Funga-inoculated trees planted, accelerating ecosystem regeneration and carbon storage by restoring healthy soil microbiomes

• Expansion of softwood plantings including the first shortleaf and longleaf pines planted across the company's project sites:

  • 23,000 longleaf pines, a species previously wiped out by logging, established in central Georgia
  • 469,000 shortleaf pines, a fire-tolerant, ecologically valuable species established in northern Arkansas
    

By integrating species uniquely adapted to local soils and climate conditions, Chestnut is building more resilient forests while maximizing long-term carbon sequestration, reinforcing the company's commitment to permanence and additionality. Across its full afforestation portfolio, Chestnut's land spans more than 350 miles of waterways, where targeted river and streambed restoration is improving water quality and fish habitats while simultaneously expanding recreational access for residents.

"This latest planting season represents a defining moment for Chestnut and for the future of nature-based carbon removal in the United States," Brian DiMarino, Chief Operating and Commercial Officer at Chestnut Carbon said. "Doubling our footprint while maintaining the highest standards of ecological integrity proves that you don't have to sacrifice quality to achieve scale. We're excited to continue delivering the most rigorous, durable, and high-quality nature-based solutions in the voluntary carbon market — and to keep raising the bar for what responsible climate action looks like."

Driving Economic Growth in Rural America

Chestnut's restoration efforts are generating meaningful economic activity across the Southeast. During its first three planting seasons (2022–2025)*, the company's projects supported:

• 768 jobs and $48.8 million in economic output for regional businesses and community members

• $7.4 million in tax revenues across local, county, state, and federal governments

These impacts are expected to grow substantially in 2026 as Chestnut expands operations and deepens community engagement with local organizations, including the Morrilton and Pine Bluff Chambers of Commerce, the Louisiana Forestry Association, and the American Fisheries Society.

Building the Largest Afforestation Project in the U.S.

From 2022 to 2025, Chestnut piloted and scaled its Sustainable Restoration Project, securing long-term seedling supply through partners such as ArborGen and collaborating with regional experts including DDK Forestry & Real Estate. These partnerships enable Chestnut to design and implement planting plans that restore native ecosystems and adhere to Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) requirements for sustainable forest management. The project is also the first U.S.-based project verified through FSC's Verified Impact program for Biodiversity Conservation.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, IMPLAN, Chestnut Carbon. Analysis by Beacon Economics (2025). Full report is available upon request.

About Chestnut Carbon

Chestnut Carbon is a leading developer of nature-based carbon removal credits committed to accelerating the path to net zero across diverse industries. Through high-quality, U.S.-based forest carbon offsets that are both additional and verifiable, the company delivers impactful climate solutions. Its proprietary approach focuses on developing forest carbon offset projects on family-owned forestland and marginal crop and pastureland. These long-term projects cultivate biodiverse forest ecosystems, improve air and water quality, and support local communities.

For additional information on Chestnut, its strategies and environmental stewardship, please visit https://chestnutcarbon.com/.

SOURCE Chestnut Carbon