Key Takeaways
- The Climate Trust (TCT) announced the first issuance of carbon credits from the Hood River County Tree Farm project, joining the initial cohort of projects to receive the Core Carbon Principles (CCP) label from the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market.
- The project spans more than 32,000 acres of Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine forest, most of it over 65 years old, under a 40-year carbon sequestration term.
- Carbon crediting is based on Hood River County committing to extend the average timber rotation age to 90 years, well beyond typical regional harvest practices.
- The project is registered under the ACR Improved Forest Management on Non-Federal U.S. Forestland Version 2.1 Methodology and was developed by TCT with the Hood River County Forestry Department.
- Carbon revenues will fund county forest management that combines timber revenue, recreation and wildlife habitat, including for the Northern Spotted Owl and Chinook and Coho salmon.
The Climate Trust, an Oregon-based nonprofit focused on carbon finance and project development, has announced the first issuance of carbon credits from the Hood River County Tree Farm project, adding it to the initial cohort of projects carrying the Core Carbon Principles label from the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market.
Inside the Hood River County Tree Farm Project
The project spans more than 32,000 acres of Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine forest, most of it over 65 years old, and commits the county to sequestering and storing forest carbon over a 40-year term. It is registered under the ACR Improved Forest Management on Non-Federal U.S. Forestland Version 2.1 Methodology and was developed by The Climate Trust in partnership with the Hood River County Forestry Department.
Crediting is based on the county extending its average timber rotation age to 90 years, well beyond the roughly 45-year age at which landowners in the region typically harvest timber. The project uses a dynamic baseline that requires recalculating carbon credit impact every few years to keep crediting accurate. County residents benefit directly since the project sits on publicly owned and managed forest that also supports mountain biking, off-highway vehicle use and hiking, alongside habitat for the Northern Spotted Owl, Bull Trout, and Chinook, Coho and Steelhead salmon.
Funding Forest Management Without Added Harvest
Doug Thiesies, Hood River County's Forestry Director, said the carbon revenue changes the incentives around forest management.
“Generating offset revenues gives us an incentive to store substantially more carbon when managing the forest for long-term benefits. We are excited to embark upon this new chapter with The Climate Trust,” said Doug Thiesies, Hood River County's Forestry Director.
Julius Pasay, Executive Director of The Climate Trust, said the project's public ownership broadens its benefit.
“Community forest carbon projects like the Hood River County Tree Farm benefit so many people. We are thrilled that this project is generating public revenue in addition to supporting recreational opportunities for the community,” said Julius Pasay, The Climate Trust's Executive Director.
Allison Williams, Hood River County's Administrator, said the project gives the county an alternative to relying on timber harvest for general operations funding, calling it an incentive to “manage the forest for public benefit and disincentivize increasing timber harvest to fund general operations.” The county plans to use carbon revenues to purchase additional forestland and enroll it in the project.
