FORESTS PROVIDE THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICE OF CARBON SEQUESTRATION THAT CAN NOW GENERATE REVENUE FOR LANDOWNERS THROUGH SELLING CARBON CREDITS. HOWEVER, INCREASED FOCUS ON MANAGING FORESTS FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION HAS NOT BEEN THOROUGHLY COMPARED AGAINST MANAGING FOR TIMBER. THERE IS NO CONSENSUS ON BEST FOREST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR OPTIMAL CARBON SEQUESTRATION THAT CONSIDERS THE HUMAN AND ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS OF LANDOWNER PERSPECTIVES AND DECISION-MAKING. THE PROPOSED PROJECT USES THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN REGION AS A CASE STUDY TO EVALUATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRADEOFFS OF MANAGING FORESTS FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND TO ULTIMATELY CREATE A DECISION SUPPORT TOOL THAT WILL HELP RESEARCHERS AND LAND MANAGERS EVALUATE FOREST MANAGEMENT OPTIONS. I WILL MEET THREE OBJECTIVES: (1) IDENTIFY OPTIMAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR FOREST CARBON SEQUESTRATION BY MODELING RATES ACROSS DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT SCENARIOS; (2) EVALUATE OPTIMAL FOREST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF CARBON AND TIMBER FOR LANDOWNERS USING COST-BENEFIT-ANALYSIS; AND (3) ASSESS FOREST LANDOWNERS WILLINGNESS-TO-ACCEPT FOREST CARBON CREDIT PROGRAMS. BEYOND FINDING THE BALANCE POINT THAT SUPPORTS THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES OF FOREST CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND TIMBER SALES, LANDOWNER PARTICIPATION IS CRITICAL TO ACHIEVING A RESILIENT NATURAL RESOURCE ECONOMY THAT ALSO MITIGATES CLIMATE CHANGE.