CARBON OFFSETS EARN MONEY FOR TWO VIRGINIA LANDOWNERS
July 19, 2012
Two forest landowners located in Bland County, Virginia, recently shared a total payout of $22,668 from the Appalachian Carbon Partnership (ACP). Through the ACP, landowners are paid for the amount of carbon dioxide that their trees remove from the atmosphere. Forest landowners must provide documentation to prove that the offsets are real and result from certified sustainable management of existing forests. The payout represents income derived from the sale of Appalachian Forest Offsets to individuals, businesses and nonprofits.
There are many co‐benefits that result from investing in Appalachian Forest Offsets. Nearly 90 percent of forestland in our region is privately owned, and less than five percent is under any sort of management plan. Improving forests simultaneously increases biodiversity, water quality and wildlife habitat – benefits not directly available from offsets created from methane capture or from renewable energy offsets. Forest offsets address the urgent need to protect and enhance Central Appalachia’s forests through sustainable management.
The ACP links individuals, businesses and nonprofits with the forest carbon offsets they seek as they work towards reducing their carbon footprint and offsetting what emissions they cannot avoid. Individuals, businesses and organizations interested in supporting the Appalachian Carbon Partnership can calculate emissions and purchase offsets directly online. For bulk purchases and special pricing, contact us at forestry@maced.org or call 859-986-2373.
The ACP, a project of the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED), aims to increase the number of acres of forest in sustainable management, build wealth for forest landowners, and mitigate the effects of climate change.
