The Forestland Group
The Forestland Group is an independent timberland investment management firm that, through Aurora Sustainable Lands, manages 1.65 million acres of American forestland across 15 states and sells verified nature-based carbon credits to corporate buyers to address climate change.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersChapel Hill, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Forestland Group does
The Forestland Group is an independent timberland investment management organization founded in 2005 and headquartered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Through its operating platform Aurora Sustainable Lands, the firm manages approximately 1.65 million acres of American forestland across 15 U.S. states, having deployed $1.7 billion to acquire land previously held by traditional timber harvesting companies and transition those forests into carbon storage and management platforms. The two core offerings are verified nature-based carbon credits — including IFM 2.1 credits issued under the American Carbon Registry — and active forest land management services that combine spatial and tracking technology with on-the-ground measurement by expert foresters to monitor forest health and quantify carbon removal in real time.
The company's commercial focus is the voluntary and compliance carbon credit market, sold directly to corporate buyers seeking high-integrity, durable, nature-based solutions to address climate change. Monitoring data is published on public credit registries to support transparency, and the portfolio is Forest Stewardship Council certified. The firm operates from a single Chapel Hill headquarters with 11–50 employees, holds registered trademarks for the Aurora Sustainable Lands brand in the United States and Canada, and maintains a dedicated AB 1305 compliance posture. The business model is capital-intensive: large-scale land acquisition is the principal economic engine, credit sales monetize the underlying carbon stock and incremental sequestration, and stewardship and asset-management economics layer on top of the land base.
The Forestland Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Forestland Group
- Legal name
- Aurora Sustainable Lands LLC
- Website
- https://forestlandgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Forestland Group is an independent timberland investment management firm that, through Aurora Sustainable Lands, manages 1.65 million acres of American forestland across 15 states and sells verified nature-based carbon credits to corporate buyers to address climate change.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Forestland Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Timberland Investment Management
- NAICS
- Timber Tract Operations (113110), Timber Tract Operations (11311), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)
- SIC
- Forestry (800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Timberland Asset Management (Institutional/Private) (AFAMAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Real Assets — Timberland & Forestry (FSAHAIAJ), Timberland Carbon & Natural Capital Project Development (Offsets/REDD+) (AFAMAKAH), Timberland & Forest Asset Management (IMAMAJAA), Timberland Leasing & Contract Administration (Hunting, Grazing, Recreation) (AFAMAKAD)
Keywords
Where The Forestland Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chapel Hill
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Forestland Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Carbon Credit Sales: Aurora generates revenue by selling verified nature-based carbon credits to companies and organizations. These credits are generated through forest conservation and carbon storage on their 1.6M+ acre portfolio.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
The Forestland Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Forestland Group is an independent timberland investment management organization that actively manages and conserves approximately 1.65 million acres of American forestlands across 15 states. Through its operating platform Aurora Sustainable Lands, the group transforms forestlands previously held by traditional timber harvesting companies into carbon storage platforms and sells verified, nature-based carbon credits to corporate and organizational buyers. The group has invested $1.7 billion in land acquisition and applies spatial monitoring technology combined with on-the-ground forester verification to track forest health and carbon removal.
Product overview
Aurora Sustainable Lands offers a unified nature-based carbon solution consisting of carbon credits and forest land management services. The company actively manages and conserves 1.6 million acres of American forestlands across 15 states, transforming forests into carbon storage platforms. Carbon credits are verified to stringent standards and published on public credit registries. Forest management services utilize spatial and tracking technology with expert forester verification to monitor forest health in real time and accurately assess carbon removal.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Nature-Based Carbon Credits Verified nature-based carbon removal credits generated from managed American forestlands, sold to companies and organizations to address climate change through tangible, high-integrity climate impact.
- Forest Land Management Services Active forest stewardship and conservation services covering 1.65 million acres across 15 U.S. states, applying real-time spatial monitoring and forester-led on-the-ground measurement to track forest health, carbon removal, watershed health, and biodiversity outcomes.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1.6M acres of forests actively removing and storing carbon
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Forestland Group
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Forestland Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
The Forestland Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Forestland Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hancock Natural Resource Group: One of the world's largest dedicated timberland investment managers, managing billions in timberland AUM for institutional investors. Directly comparable to The Forestland Group in the institutional timberland asset management business model and client base.
- Molpus Woodlands Group: Independent timberland investment management organization (TIMO) that acquires and manages timberland for institutional clients. Closely matches The Forestland Group's role as a private, third-party timberland manager focused on U.S. forest assets.
- Forest Investment Associates: Timberland investment management firm that pools institutional capital to acquire and manage U.S. timberland. Comparable to The Forestland Group in fund structure, client type, and U.S. timberland focus.
- RMK Timberland Group: Timberland investment management company that acquires and actively manages diversified timberland portfolios for institutional investors. Directly comparable peer in the U.S. TIMO landscape.
Broad incumbents
- Weyerhaeuser Company: One of the world's largest private owners of timberlands, operating as a timber REIT with significant U.S. acreage. Overlaps with The Forestland Group on U.S. timberland ownership and carbon/climate initiatives, but at vastly larger scale and with a timber-products business line.
- Rayonier: Timber REIT with significant U.S. timberland holdings and a timberland management business. Comparable as a major U.S. timberland owner but is publicly traded and far larger than The Forestland Group.
- PotlatchDeltic: Timber REIT with substantial U.S. timberland acreage and a real estate segment. Overlaps with The Forestland Group in U.S. timberland ownership and emerging carbon strategies, though with broader wood-products exposure.
Emerging players
- Pachama: Tech-enabled marketplace and project developer for nature-based carbon credits, including forestry projects. Comparable as a supplier of corporate nature-based carbon credits, though platform-driven rather than a direct landowner/manager.
- NCX (Natural Capital Exchange): Forestry-focused carbon credit marketplace and project developer selling nature-based credits to corporate buyers. Comparable to Aurora's nature-based carbon credit offering for corporate buyers, though operating via a marketplace model rather than direct land ownership.
- Indigo Ag: Seller of nature-based and agriculture-based carbon credits to corporate buyers, with a science-based measurement platform. Comparable as a corporate-facing carbon credit originator with rigorous verification and registry participation, although rooted in agriculture rather than forestry.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Forestland Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Forestland Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The Forestland Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Forestland Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Forestland Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Forestland Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Forestland Group
What does The Forestland Group do?
The Forestland Group is an independent timberland investment management organization that actively manages and conserves approximately 1.65 million acres of American forestlands across 15 states. Through its operating platform Aurora Sustainable Lands, the group transforms forestlands previously held by traditional timber harvesting companies into carbon storage platforms and sells verified, nature-based carbon credits to corporate and organizational buyers. The group has invested $1.7 billion in land acquisition and applies spatial monitoring technology combined with on-the-ground forester verification to track forest health and carbon removal.
Is The Forestland Group a public or private company?
The Forestland Group is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was The Forestland Group founded?
The Forestland Group was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Forestland Group based?
The Forestland Group is headquartered in Chapel Hill, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Forestland Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: carbon Credit Sales.
Who are The Forestland Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hancock Natural Resource Group, Molpus Woodlands Group, Forest Investment Associates and RMK Timberland Group. Broad incumbents are Weyerhaeuser Company, Rayonier and PotlatchDeltic. Emerging players are Pachama, NCX (Natural Capital Exchange) and Indigo Ag.
Does The Forestland Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Forestland Group.
What industry is The Forestland Group in?
The Forestland Group's product category is Timberland Investment Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAMAKAA, Timberland Asset Management (Institutional/Private), with a secondary code of FSAHAIAJ, Real Assets — Timberland & Forestry. Its NAICS code is 113110 and its SIC code is 800.