The original item was published from March 1, 2018 9:56 AM to March 1, 2018 3:12 PM
Northwest Natural Resource Group(NNRG) is working with the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service’s
Regional Conservation Partnership
Program (RCPP) to help unlock carbon
markets for family forest owners. They
recently completed a forest carbon
assessment for our FSC-certified
member Clyde Tree Farm. Prepared
with data from this unique forest, the
assessment offers a rough estimate
of the current level of forest carbon
storage in the tree farm, the amount of
CO2 to be captured over 100 years, and
the influence forest management may
have on carbon storage going forward.
The ability for trees and forests to
sequester and store carbon for extended
periods of time
provides an opportunity
for forest management that can reduce
the concentration of greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere and mitigate the
impacts of climate change. Whether or
not forest carbon is monetized through
programs such as carbon crediting, this
ecosystem service offers a distinct value
that can be incorporated alongside
other management goals and objectives.
The assessment they completed for
Clyde Tree Farm not only estimated
current carbon storage but also modeled
the amount of carbon sequestered in
live trees under different management
scenarios: a 40-year rotation,
a no-harvest scenario, and a selective
uneven-age harvest scenario.
- 40-year rotation scenario:
The forestry model of clear-cutting
offers low long-term carbon sequestration,
with carbon storage gradually
increasing to a peak at 40 years, then
dropping after every cutting before
gradually increasing again.
- 100-year average in Clyde
Tree Farm: about 53 metric
tons of CO2 per acre
• No-harvest scenario: Left undisturbed,
the forest will gradually
increase carbon storage until maximum
sequestration in about one century.
- 100-year average in Clyde
Tree Farm: about 580 metric
tons of CO2 per acre
- Selective uneven age harvest
scenario: Management with selective
harvest offers more stable
carbon sequestration while allowing
for multiple benefits like landowner
income, improved wildlife
habitat, and decreased fire risk.
- 100-year average in Clyde
Tree Farm: about 227 metric
tons of CO2 per acre
While carbon storage and sequestration
are increasingly seen as a valued
service provided by ecosystems, forest
stewardship reflects the thoughtful
consideration of many diverse, often
conflicting, forest values. Forest management
involves navigating trade-offs and identifying which outcomes best
meet the forest owner’s goals and
vision while ensuring the ongoing
integrity and resilience of the forest.
If you are interested in forest carbon assessment opportunities, participating in carbon markets, or safeguarding the climate impact of your forest, please contact: Andy Chittick, NNRG’s Project Forester (425) 502-0548, andy@nnrg.org