NCASI

What NCASI does

NCASI (National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc.) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 1943 to conduct scientific research and provide technical programs addressing environmental and sustainability issues for the North American forest products industry. The organization operates a Technical Studies Program organized around six research areas — Air Quality, Chemical Management & Health Effects, Forestry, Sustainability, Water Resources, and Wood Products — plus a dedicated Canadian Program, supported by approximately 75 in-house scientists and engineers with graduate-level expertise spanning chemistry, chemical engineering, paper science, toxicology, aquatic and wildlife biology, forest ecology, and computer modeling. NCASI maintains an analytical laboratory in Newberry, Florida and offices in Cary (HQ), Montreal, Corvallis, and Anacortes, with field research conducted across the U.S. and Canada.

The organization produces a portfolio of proprietary scientific assets: the NCASI Methods Manual (including novel analytical methods such as ISS-FP-A105.01 and NCASI Method 8A), comprehensive air emissions databases for criteria pollutants and air toxics, software tools including Habplan (Java-based harvest scheduling with HabplanR interface), the Climate Projection Analysis Tool (CPAT), WRI-validated GHG Calculation Tools for pulp/paper mills and wood products facilities, the Water Consumption Tool, ENREST (environmental release estimation), BioMet (biodiversity indicators), and CoBRA (beneficial-use crosswalk). Outputs are delivered through technical bulletins, handbooks, bi-monthly newsletters, webinars, and an eight-episode wastewater treatment video series.

NCASI is funded almost entirely through annual membership dues, which are self-reported and scaled to company production volume or timberland acreage; U.S. member dues range from $1,500 to more than $1.5 million and Canadian member dues are roughly one-fourth of U.S. rates. Members represent more than 90% of U.S. paper and paperboard production, nearly 70% of U.S. wood panels, more than half of U.S. industrial timberland acreage, and over 70% of Canadian paper and paperboard production, alongside ~15 sustaining members (consulting, engineering, and analytical testing firms). NCASI also pursues grant-funded collaborations with the USDA Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, World Resources Institute, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and NatureServe, with the NCASI Foundation providing a parallel funding vehicle for research.

Name

NCASI

Legal name

National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc.

Website

https://ncasi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

NCASI is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit research association founded in 1943 that provides scientific research, technical tools, and regulatory support to North American forest products manufacturers and timberland owners, funded primarily through production-scaled membership dues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cary

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: NCASI is a 501(c)(6) tax-exempt association. Member companies voluntarily support NCASI's scientific research and information gathering activities through payment of annual membership dues. Dues are self-reported and based on the size and nature of company operations. For manufacturing companies, dues are based on the amount and type of forest products produced in the prior calendar year. For companies that do not manufacture pulp or paper or solid wood products, dues are based on the acres of timberlands owned or managed. Dues range from $1,500 to more than $1.5 million. Canadian member dues are roughly one-fourth of U.S. member rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NCASI provides scientific research, technical assistance, and proprietary data resources to the forest products industry through six major research program areas: Air Quality, Chemical Management & Health Effects, Forestry, Sustainability, Water Resources, and Wood Products, plus a dedicated Canadian Program. The organization delivers technical studies, publications, regulatory support, and software tools (e.g., Habplan, GHG Calculation Tools, CPAT) to its member companies.

Product overview

NCASI operates as a research and technical services organization offering a comprehensive suite of programs, tools, and publications for the forest products industry. The core Technical Studies Program encompasses six major research areas (Air Quality, Chemical Management & Health Effects, Forestry, Sustainability, Water Resources, Wood Products) plus a dedicated Canadian Program. These programs deliver outputs including technical bulletins, handbooks, newsletters, and educational resources. NCASI also provides software tools such as Habplan (forest management planning), Climate Projection Analysis Tool (CPAT), GHG Calculation Tools for Pulp & Paper Mills and Wood Products Facilities, Water Consumption Tool, ENREST, BioMet, and CoBRA. The organization supports members through expert technical assistance, regulatory support, workshops, webinars, and video training series. NCASI's membership-based model serves U.S., Canadian, and sustaining member companies representing the majority of North American paper, paperboard, and wood panel production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NCASI Foundation: A supporting foundation for NCASI's research activities, managed by NCASI staff.

Products and services

• Technical Studies Program Foundational research program delivering technical studies, publications, and expert support to member companies across Air Quality, Chemical Management & Health Effects, Forestry, Sustainability, Water Resources, and Wood Products.
• Air Quality Program Improves science and implementation of emissions measurement methods, compiles reliable data on emissions from forest products manufacturing, and develops emission factors for Title V permitting and emissions inventories.
• Chemical Management & Health Effects Program Helps members address challenges of safe chemical use and meet regulatory reporting obligations under SARA 313, NPRI, TSCA, and CERCLA/EPCRA.
• Forestry Program Addresses technical questions related to sustainable forestry, third-party certification, forest environmental management, and government regulation, with expertise in wildlife, hydrology, forest ecology, biometrics, soil science, and silviculture.
• Sustainability Program Characterizes potential impacts of activities along the value chain and identifies cost-effective ways to reduce them, covering carbon & GHGs, life cycle assessment, energy management, water sustainability, recycling, and sustainability metrics.
• Water Resources Program Provides expert advice and technical assistance related to mill operations, wastewater treatment, effluent chemistry and toxicity, and receiving water ecology.
• Wood Products Program Provides targeted technical resources, member support, and regulatory support for rule development, including EPA's Plywood and Composite Wood Products (PCWP) MACT compliance assistance.
• Canadian Program Addresses specific needs of Canadian Member Companies with a research team located in Montreal, QC, addressing unique Canadian land ownership patterns and regulatory requirements.
• Habplan Java-based program for spatially explicit harvest scheduling and landscape management using a simulation approach based on the Metropolis Algorithm; also available as HabplanR package for R/RStudio.
• Climate Projection Analysis Tool (CPAT) Tool enabling organizations to summarize climate projections for locations of interest in the conterminous United States, based on PRISM dataset and downscaled CMIP-5 climate projections.
• GHG Calculation Tools for Pulp & Paper Mills Calculation tools reviewed by World Resources Institute (WRI) and available as tools associated with WRI/WBCSD Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Used to estimate greenhouse gas emissions and carbon associated with pulp and paper manufacturing.
• GHG Calculation Tools for Wood Products Facilities Calculation tools reviewed by World Resources Institute (WRI) and used to estimate greenhouse gas emissions from wood products manufacturing.
• Water Consumption Tool Tool for estimating mill-level water consumption to help member companies characterize efficient water use and contribute to water sustainability frameworks.
• Environmental Release Estimation Tool (ENREST) Resource to assist mills with estimating release amounts under CERCLA/EPCRA reporting obligations for short duration and annual releases of hazardous substances.
• NCASI Biodiversity Indicator & Metrics Tool (BioMet) Tool for assessing and measuring biodiversity indicators in forest management contexts.
• NCASI Crosswalk of Beneficial Use Resources and Applications (CoBRA) Tool connecting member companies to technical information on beneficial use of forest industry manufacturing residuals.
• Beneficial Use Cost Comparison Model Model to compare costs of beneficial use options for manufacturing residuals versus landfilling.

Quantifiable outcome

• U.S. members represent more than 90% of paper/paperboard and nearly 70% of wood panels produced in the U.S.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NatureServecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCASI collaborates with NatureServe to develop information about management practices in working forests that contribute to conservation of at-risk species. NCASI facilitates access to NatureServe's multi-jurisdictional data through a license held by NCASI, providing mobile-friendly access to species information for foresters and landowners.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Wildlife Conservation Initiative to quantify the role of working forest landscapes in conserving species-at-risk and maintaining aquatic and terrestrial communities. Also supported by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
• American Bird ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged in certification-related partnership projects focused on bird conservation in forest settings.
• Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program and Wildlife Conservation Initiative. NCASI provides technical support for SFI certification requirements and forest management standards.
• USDA Forest Service - Forest Inventory & Analysis ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Small-Area Estimation to evolve FIA's small-area estimation capacity. Also collaborated on Forest Carbon Modelling Group with a five-year, $1.9 million agreement to advance forest biometric models and develop field-ready tools for Nature-based Climate Solutions.
• American Forest Resources Council (AFRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three trade associations supporting the Western Sustainable Forestry Program (WSFP) which provides scientific foundation for sector efforts to advance cost-effective approaches to conserving wildlife and biodiversity in managed forests.
• Oregon Forest and Industries Council (OFIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three trade associations supporting the Western Sustainable Forestry Program (WSFP) which provides scientific foundation for sector efforts to advance cost-effective approaches to conserving wildlife and biodiversity in managed forests.
• Washington Forest Protection Association (WFPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three trade associations supporting the Western Sustainable Forestry Program (WSFP) which provides scientific foundation for sector efforts to advance cost-effective approaches to conserving wildlife and biodiversity in managed forests.
• National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Wildlife Conservation Initiative to quantify the contribution of sustainable forest practices to at-risk species and terrestrial and aquatic communities.
• World Resources Institute (WRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCASI's GHG Calculation Tools for Pulp & Paper Mills and GHG Calculation Tools for Wood Products Facilities have been reviewed by WRI and are available as tools associated with the WRI/WBCSD Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI): SFI is a forest certification standard and non-profit whose standards are explicitly supported by NCASI's technical work. The two are highly complementary (and partner on the Wildlife Conservation Initiative), but SFI operates at the certification/standards layer while NCASI sits at the underlying scientific research layer.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): FSC is a global forest certification body whose chain-of-custody and forest management standards drive demand for NCASI's Habplan and certification-support tools. Different organizational structure (international NGO vs. industry-funded R&D), but overlapping customer base and subject matter.
• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI): EPRI is the archetypal industry-funded scientific research consortium (utilities) and the closest analog to NCASI's business model outside of forest products: member dues fund independent R&D, software tools, and technical guidance for an industry facing heavy environmental regulation. The structural similarity makes EPRI the strongest 'model' peer for NCASI.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): ERM is a global environmental, sustainability, and ESG consulting firm that competes for some of the same corporate sustainability and carbon accounting work NCASI performs for forest products members, though ERM serves many industries and is far larger.

Emerging players

• SCS Global Services: SCS Global Services is a third-party certification, auditing, and standards body operating across forestry, carbon, and environmental claims. Overlaps with NCASI's certification-support, GHG, and sustainability services but delivers them as commercial audits rather than member-funded research.
• Verra: Verra operates the leading voluntary carbon market standards (VCS) and a forest-focused methodology stack. Comparable to NCASI's carbon forestry work in subject matter, but operates as a global standards body rather than an industry-funded research consortium.

Direct peers

• TAPPI (Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry): TAPPI is the closest direct peer: a member-funded technical association serving the global pulp, paper, and converting industries with standards, technical publications, and conferences. NCASI is the environmental-research counterpart to TAPPI's process/technical focus, and both compete for the same member dues and mindshare.
• National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO): NAFO represents private timberland owners in the U.S. on policy and sustainability, with significant overlap with NCASI's timberland-owner members (industrial timberlands). A direct peer for the forestry-program segment of NCASI's work.
• American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA): AF&PA is the U.S. forest products industry's national trade association, representing the same member companies as NCASI but on policy, advocacy, and sustainability communications rather than scientific research. Highly comparable member base and complementary mission.
• Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC): FPAC is the Canadian equivalent of AF&PA, representing Canadian forest products companies on sustainability, advocacy, and forest certification. NCASI runs a parallel Canadian program in Montreal, making FPAC a direct peer for member engagement and thought leadership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncasi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about NCASI