Forestry Carbon SequestrationAtmospheric carbon dioxide is a gas and forests play a role in its natural regulation. CO2 - carbon dioxide -- is a gas that occurs naturally in the atmosphere, but it is also being produced with modern transportation and industry. The result is an imbalance.
Sustainable forestry can hold sequestered carbon in its wood, leaves, root systems, and the soil fertility that results from natural decomposition of organic matters. Sequestration is the scientific term used for a "storage tank". Trees act as storage tanks for carbon dioxide by naturally absorbing carbon through photosynthesis. As trees reach maturity, their growth rates slow depressing any new storage capacity. Sustainably harvesting mature trees that have extremely slow sequestration rates is a way to keep carbon captured in woods that can be used in housing, furnishings and other long term applications.
Carbon Offset CreditsSustainably manged forests can document their long term forestry management plan and keep an accurate inventory as the baseline for a sustainably managed, working forest. These sustainable forests provide multiple benefits in the natural resources system. In addition to producing carbon sequestering wood products, the working forest also filters ground water, controls erosion, restores soil quality, improves air quality by absorbing pollutants and carbon dioxide ... and provides recreational opportunities.
Carbon Credits
Carbon credits are an attempt by regional and national conservation economies to mitigate the growth of greenhouse gases. Forests are a key player in the new carbon credits market.
Carbon trading is an emissions trading approach that lets companies buy sustainable credits to offset their not-so-environmentally friendly operations such as transportation or industrial production that uses fossil fuels and produces greenhouse gases. By purchasing carbon credits to meet their legal compliance levels, these companies buy a little extra time to implement their own emissions reduction strategies.
Greenhouse gas emissions are capped by agencies such as the EPA as well as state based environmental and air quality agencies. Markets are used to allocate the load of emissions among the group of regulated sources -- usually large manufacturing corporations.
By having to purchase high priced carbon credits, compaies are encouraged to implement better, less expensive options that reduce their own emissions. The more they succeed internally in reducing particulates and carbon dioxide, the fewer carbon credits they need to purchase to meet their compliance allocations.
Mitigation projects generate credits, so highly effective companies can sell their extra credits to generate revenue. This income can be used to finance carbon reduction programs between partners and around the world.
These carbon offset players can purchase credits from an investment fund or carbon development company that aggregates credits from approved, sustainable programs such as the Michigan Timber Conservation Carbon Off-Set Program.
Two current approaches to carbon reduction ar recognied as effective ways to reduce carbon emissions and climate change.
Carbon offset credits consist of clean forms of energy production such as wind, solar, hydro and bio-fuels.
Carbon reduction credits consist of the collection and storage of carbon from the atmosphere through reforestation, forestation ocean and soil collection and storage processes
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Carbon Financial Instruments (CFI)
Forest owners who provide a sustainable, working forest can sequester carbon dioxide and offset current carbon levels through sustainably certified forest management and certified wood products. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) program is one example of sustainable forestry and product certification programs.
Carbon Offset Programs typically include forestry management strategies such as:
- land management portfolio
- complete forest inventory
- written management plan
- record keeping of all forest studies
- market driven carbon royalty payments
- aerial, land, and soil maps
- revenue from land tax credits
- using FSC certified harvesters
- ongoing forest analysis
Some of the benefits of participating in a sustainable forestry and offset program include:
- guaranteed market value of wood products
- sustainable forest recognition
- improved roi on timber products
- unlimited access to online forestry portal
- timber theft prevention program
- member referral program
The goal of sustainably harvested forests and timberland is a responsible, ethical business approach that promotes positive forestry growth and sequestration of carbon in wood products. This is a promising approach to reducing greenhouse gas effects caused by environmental emissions and heat from urban, industrial, transportation and other sources of modern energy side effects.
If your private forest has harvestable, merchantable timber, you can still use your timberland for wood production as long as it is managed in a sustainable, planned, measured and long term way.
Many regional sustainable forestry organizations, such as the Michigan Timber Conservation Carbon Off-Set Program, will help train and support landowners and forestry companies with management plans and a forest inventory to prepare the forest for carbon credit program participation.
In a 2008 report, the Governor's Minnesota
Climate Change Advisory Group (MCCAG) recognized the importance of forests in
greenhouse gas reduction by suggesting that nearly 30% of the state's 2025
greenhouse gas emission reduction goals could be achieved through forest
management initiatives.
Forestry Carbon Credits help provide new funds for conservation.