U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities announce the Forestry Analytics for Carbon Tracking (FACT) Data Platform

(Washington D.C., Oct. 5, 2026) – The Forest Service and U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities today announced the Beta launch of the Forestry Analytics for Carbon Tracking (FACT) platform, a science-based platform that addresses the growing challenge and need for reliable forest sector carbon data at no cost to users.

Landowners and businesses face increasing pressure to report and communicate carbon information, but existing data can be fragmented, inconsistent, and costly to aggregate. FACT compiles previously siloed public and private data into one free, accessible, and transparent place, strengthening the competitiveness of U.S. forest products in domestic and global markets.

“The Forest Service is committed to giving landowners access to information that supports active and effective forest management,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. “FACT demonstrates what is possible when the public and private sectors work together around transparent, standardized data.”

The FACT Beta launch serves as a working release and active improvement period during which the platform will continue to be optimized, functionality will evolve, and new information will be incorporated. Valuable input gathered during this stage will shape the platform ahead of its full Version 1 release, which is planned for summer 2027.

To explore the FACT Beta and test its tools, visit forestryanalytics.org.

FACT is being developed through a public-private effort led by the Endowment, the Forest Service, and the forest sector, with input from scientists, engineers, and practitioners. The effort is supported through a collaborative agreement including the American Forest Foundation, American Wood Council, Composite Panel Association, Decorative Hardwoods Association, Hardwood Federation, Hardwood Manufacturers Association, National Alliance of Forest Owners, National Hardwood Lumber Association, National Wood Flooring Association, and Woodpack Global.

“Forest and harvested wood product carbon data has been scattered across public and private sources for years, making it challenging for landowners, manufacturers, and researchers to work from a consistent foundation of information,” said Pete Madden, president and CEO of the Endowment. “FACT will make standardized, transparent data easier to access and use, strengthening the competitiveness of American forest products while supporting U.S. jobs and rural economies.”

FACT will complement tools and datasets people already use across the forest products value chain rather than replacing them. The platform is being designed to:

• Provide forest land managers with a standardized method to convert their forest inventories to carbon stocks and create small area carbon estimations.
• Give harvested wood product manufacturers the tools to determine and report the carbon impacts of their operations.
• Support the consideration of embodied and displaced carbon estimates in design and architectural applications.
• Advance research by identifying gaps in primary carbon data.

As forest carbon research advances and published Life Cycle Assessments and Environmental Product Declarations are updated, FACT will continue incorporating new information. This approach will allow the platform to evolve as science, data, and user needs change.

About the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities:
The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities is a not-for-profit public charity collaborating with partners in the public and private sectors to advance systemic, transformative, and enduring change for the health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities. To learn more about the Endowment, please visit our website at www.usendowment.org.

About the Forest Service: The Forest Service has brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation for more than 100 years. Grounded in world-class science and technology — and rooted in communities — the Forest Service connects people to nature and recreation opportunities. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, supports the nation’s forest industry and energy needs, and operates the largest and most respected wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. By providing assistance to state and private landowners and working with tribes and other partners, the Forest Service also helps steward an additional 900 million forested acres within the U.S.