A pioneering group of Californians is trying to turn forests that include redwoods into “Carbon Banks” according to NPR’s Morning Edition in a report filed this past November. The Conservation Fund’s goal is to manage their forests in such a way that they increase the amount of carbon the forests absorb and retain. According to the report, it seems to be working:
The Conservation Fund calculates that over two years, its forest has soaked up an extra 350,000 tons of carbon. That’s roughly equivalent to taking 80,000 cars off the road for a year.
Turning forests into “carbon banks” may be an economically viable proposition. With the prospect of a climate change bill being passed this year, a carbon marketplace (where “carbon credits” can be traded) is looking very possible. When those regulations are in place, forests will have economic value beyond the price of their timber, and that’s what the Conservation Fund is banking on.
Listen to the full report on NPR.org
