Using the Trees to Save the Forest
The Nature Conservancy of
Forest Carbon Project
The Nature
Conservancy of Canada (NCC),
Canada’s leading private land conservation organization, announces
the largest forest carbon project to date in
Developed
through a rigorous procedure involving numerous advisors, and
meeting international standards, this sale of carbon credits is
raising the bar for conservation in
$4 million for NCC’s conservation
work.
“We are
always looking for unique strategies to fund the protection of
Canada’s natural heritage,” says John
Lounds, President and CEO of the Nature Conservancy of
“By harnessing the power of the carbon
market, the Darkwoods Carbon pilot project represents an innovative
new avenue for helping to fund great conservation
projects.”
By carefully
assessing and validating the natural features that NCC works to
protect-in this case the forests of Darkwoods, a 136,000 acre
(55,000 hectare) project area in south-eastern British Columbia -
NCC and its advisors have created a ground-breaking carbon project
that, through the sale of carbon credits, will generate funding to
support long term conservation.
The initial
sale is of carbon credits that are the equivalent of 700,000 tonnes
of carbon dioxide emissions, to Pacific Carbon Trust (PCT) and ERA
Ecosystem Restoration Associates.
“Darkwoods
has some of the most diverse forests in
well-managed over the long term,” says B.C.’s Environment Minister
Terry Lake.
“This forest
carbon agreement secures enduring conservation of these important
lands and a step forward in building B.C.’s green
economy.”
The Darkwoods
Carbon pilot project represents the first of its kind in
and largest forest carbon projects to date in North
America.
“Darkwoods represents a major
step forward for British Columbia and Canada in recognizing the
important role our forests play in climate mitigation, while
demonstrating that forests have multiple economic values, of which
carbon is one.” Dr. Robert Falls, ERA.
Carbon financing
enables NCC to successfully carry out the stewardship of Darkwoods,
resulting in additional carbon being sequestered over time, in
comparison to what would have happened had the property been logged
in the absence of NCC’s conservation efforts.
This project
also opens the door for other landowners and conservation groups to
consider the use of carbon credits (and this approach) as a means
of helping finance the conservation of natural areas that are also
longstanding carbon sinks.
A key
component of this pilot project is to ensure it remains
authentically conservation-based at every step, meaning that NCC
sought partners who have indicated a commitment to reducing their
carbon footprint.
The Darkwoods
Carbon pilot project represents one of the highest quality forest
carbon projects to date in North
America and is an important achievement for the Nature
Conservancy of
President of Scientific Certification Systems, a third-party
validator on the Darkwoods Carbon pilot project.
The unique
methodology developed by the project team will benefit the entire
carbon industry, he noted.
The long-term
protection of Darkwoods will support a diversity of plants, animals
and ecological communities that thrive on the property, including
an endangered herd of mountain caribou and an isolated population
of grizzly bear.
Facts
The forests of Darkwoods contain more
than 17 different tree species, one of the highest diversity of
trees in British Columbia.
Darkwoods is home to 19 confirmed
threatened or endangered species.
700,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide
emissions are approximately equal to the emissions of 120,000 SUV’s
or 200,000 small North American cars in a year.- Carbon
credits can be traded to counterbalance the production of
greenhouse gases generated by industry, transportation or other
activities.
How the Nature Conservancy of
The Nature Conservancy of
3GreenTree Ecosystem Services and ERA Ecosystem Restoration
Associates to develop a unique Improved Forest Management
methodology for quantifying the amount of carbon stored in
Temperate and Boreal Forests where timber harvesting is
planned.
Vancouver-based pioneer in carbon projects, ERA, has
purchased 250,000 credits, which will flow into to the European
voluntary market through their German partners, the
Forest Carbon Group AG is
a German based organization that helps companies balance the
effects of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from their production
facilities or products, using carbon credits from both
reforestation and forest protection projects around the
world.
“Canada’s largest private forest conservation project will
be supported through its carbon values helping the Province meet
its commitment to being the first jurisdiction in
says Pacific Carbon Trust CEO Scott MacDonald.
“The development of this project has also created
pioneering jobs in carbon quantification, measurement, project
development and protocol work - contributing to BC’s leadership in
North America’s rapidly growing green economy,” he
added.
To read more about the Darkwoods Project,
target=”_blank” title=”bc_ncc_projects_dw_carbon”>click
here.
To read more about the partners,
title=”Darkwoods Carbon Pilot Project - Partners”>click
here.
To read the backgound about the Darkwoods Carbon pilot
project,
target=”_blank”
title=”Backgrounder - Darkwoods Carbon Pilot Project”>click
here.
Source: smr.newswire.ca
