Monetizing Carbon Offsets for Small Woodlands

Recent studies show that net growth in U.S. forests offsets 13 percent of total U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions annually. “Carbon offsets” as they are called, are a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide made in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere. Offsets are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent (MTCO2e). The forests of many Maine Woodland Owners members surely contribute to these offsets, but due to the difficulty of monetizing them, receiving compensation for offsets takes work.

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Chandlers Complete Monumental Land Donation

On an unusually warm and sunny February afternoon Steve Chandler, his wife Natalie, and his cousin Charlie completed what has been a tremendous act of generosity – the transferring of over 2000 acres of woodland in New Gloucester to Maine Woodland Owners. This is by far the largest gift we have received and has set the stage for exciting growth for our land trust program.

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Jennifer Hicks
Silvics II: Forest Soil and Site Factors

Understanding why different species grow where they do – the concept of the forest site or habitat –can be challenging. Just because a tree is growing in a particular spot, does that mean it “belongs” there and will thrive? Generalizations like “hardwoods are limited to deep well-drained soils” or “conifers dominate both saturated and droughty soils where hardwoods will not grow” are helpful, but the reality is more complex.

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SilvicultureJennifer Hicks
Carbon in Wood Products – Translated to Plain English.

You probably have been reading a lot about the value of wood structural materials as ways to store carbon, thus slowing the accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. This would be one benefit of building larger structures with advanced wood composites instead of steel and concrete. So, it is often asked, how much carbon does get stored in a new house? How much CO2 emissions can be saved by using wood to replace other building materials? This can get confusing very fast.

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