Municipal Carbon Field Guide Launched by LandConnect

New Revenue Streams for Cities Managing Vacant Land

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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LandConnect, a GRO:FARM initiative, has released a comprehensive resource for leaders to convert underutilized land into revenue-generating offset projects while revitalizing neighborhoods. The guide addresses the challenge of managing thousands of vacant properties that drain municipal budgets, offering a research-backed roadmap to transform these properties into economic assets.

Why it matters

Across the pilot region, LandConnect has identified over 12,000 vacant and underutilized parcels. The guide presents financial projections showing how these properties can generate revenue, increase surrounding property values, and provide measurable environmental benefits, creating a 'triple win for municipalities, communities, and the environment'.

The details

The guide integrates USDA conservation programs with voluntary carbon markets, allowing cities to enroll in programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) to fund conservation practices that sequester carbon. This creates an additional revenue stream that complements federal support. The guide also emphasizes sustainability and community benefits, such as reduced depression symptoms, decreased gun violence, and increased pollinator diversity.

  • The LandConnect Municipal Carbon Field Guide & Toolkit is available for immediate download.

The players

LandConnect

A GRO:FARM initiative that connects landowners, municipalities, and conservation programs with voluntary carbon markets.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

The agency that has decades of experience funding conservation practices that sequester carbon, and has expanded program eligibility to urban areas in the 2018 Farm Bill.

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What they’re saying

“Across the pilot region alone, we've identified over 12,000 vacant and underutilized parcels. What if the same properties that cost cities money could generate revenue, increase surrounding property values, and provide measurable environmental benefits? That's exactly what LandConnect delivers.”

— LandConnect team

“The NRCS has decades of experience funding conservation practices that sequester carbon—tree planting, native prairie establishment, wetland restoration. We've connected those proven practices to the voluntary carbon market, creating an additional revenue stream that complements federal support.”

— LandConnect

What’s next

Cities interested in exploring enrollment can request a no-obligation carbon potential assessment by contacting info@mygro.co.

The takeaway

LandConnect's Municipal Carbon Field Guide offers a research-backed solution to transform underutilized urban properties into revenue-generating assets that also provide environmental and community benefits, demonstrating how mission-driven initiatives can create a 'triple win' for municipalities, residents, and the planet.