Farmland Converted To Forest To Sell Carbon Credits

With hopes of generating income by selling carbon credits to polluters, Native Americans in Idaho are converting their farmland back to forests. But carbon sequestration is not required in the U.S., lowering the amount of revenue they can generate.

1 minute read

May 10, 2007, 6:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg

"The market for carbon credits promises to be a boon for some land-rich but cash-poor tribes. Selling carbon sequestration credits early in the growth of a forest lets the tribe realize some money more quickly, rather than waiting for decades for the harvest."

"Carbon dioxide credits now sell for about $4 a metric ton. Mandatory restrictions, experts say, could increase the price to $12 or higher. In Europe, the cost of a credit sold for sequestering carbon dioxide has reached $20, and even $30, a ton."

"An acre of pine forest captures and holds one to two metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, which it uses for photosynthesis. Untilled cropland holds a third of a ton of carbon per acre, and rangeland holds up to a fifth of a ton. The sequestered carbon dioxide is measured by soil tests before and after the planting."

FULL STORY: Sale of Carbon Credits Helping Land-Rich, but Cash-Poor, Tribes

Tuesday, May 8, 2007 in The New York Times

Environment Land Use Idaho

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