Carbon sequestration and carbon trading may soon become an opportunity for family forest owners. Recently cap and trade legislation has been approved in Congress; the specifics are still in negotiation but this may create one or more opportunities for landowners to make income through carbon storage on their properties.

Forests in the Northwest can play an important role in sequestering and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide. Through management and monitoring, forests owners can participate in emerging carbon offset markets and develop an income stream by selling the carbon sequestered in their forest.

Carbon is sequestered in trees – by increasing the number of new trees, more carbon dioxide will be taken from the atmosphere and stored. New forest plantations established on land previously not in trees are considered carbon storage areas.

Additionally, forest owners are working to have managed forest included in the carbon credit business. Many opposed to forest management claim that “business as usual” should not receive carbon credits. This thinking ultimately encourages higher and better use practices where lands that are worth more for sub-divisions and commercial uses are sold off instead of being managed as a productive forest.

The common forest activities to increase the amount of carbon stored include establishing new trees; allowing existing trees to grow larger; increasing carbon stored in harvested wood products and wood waste; and decreasing loss of existing forested land.

There are several carbon sequestration Standards that are set up as a platform to sell carbon on a metric ton basis. The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) is the only platform presently buying and selling carbon on an exchange trading basis. Other standards include the Voluntary Carbon Standard and the Carbon Action Registry; each Standard has its own inventory (cruise information), time commitments, and certification requirements. Each of the Standards requires some form of certification such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI), the Tree Farm Program, or other internationally approved certification systems. All standards include an intensive cruise to identify the present volumes. In addition, growth analysis and forest practices must be identified in a plan. Each participating ownership will be certified by a third party auditor to verify that the volumes, trees per acre, and growth that are expected are actually occurring on the property.

For more information, contact Northwest Management’s Vincent Corrao at 208-883-4488 ext 130 in Idaho or Brian Vrablick at 509-276-4699 in Washington or Montana.


Vincent Corrao
Northwest Management Inc.



Here are a few basics to help you understand the carbon programs:

How do trees offset carbon?
Trees naturally remove carbon dioxide from the air and store (sequester) it as carbon in the plant material and in the surrounding soil. During photosynthesis, tree foliage also removes other chemicals from the atmosphere, such as nitrogen oxides, airborne ammonia, some sulfur dioxide, and ozone. A tree's ability to offset carbon emissions is determined by tree size, canopy cover, health, and age. Large trees can help lower annual carbon emissions in the atmosphere by 2 to 3 percent.

What does it mean to be carbon neutral?
Being carbon neutral involves calculating your total carbon emissions over a period of time (year), and then offsetting those emissions either by elimination, reduction, or by purchasing “carbon offsets.” This is where forests can come into the equation.

What are greenhouse gases?
Any gasses that get trapped in the earth’s atmosphere and add to climate warming are called greenhouse gases. The most obvious one is carbon dioxide. It is one measure of energy and resources to produce paper and other materials.