Advancing a Reforestation Project Under the CCAR
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The document discusses the opportunities and challenges of reforestation projects in Minnesota under California's climate change policies and protocols, highlighting the partnership between various organizations for promoting forest restoration. It emphasizes the importance of carbon markets, ecosystem services, and habitat restoration, while addressing the eligibility requirements and proposed changes in forest project protocols. Additionally, it outlines a specific reforestation project at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, its carbon offset potential, co-benefits, and the need for continuous adaptation to climate change impacts.
Advancing a Reforestation Project Under the CCAR
- 1. Forest Values and Carbon Markets: Opportunities for Minnesota Gerry Gray, American Forests February 26, 2009 Advancing a Reforestation Project Under the CCAR
- 2. A Reforestation Project Opportunity Settlement Agreement between ConocoPhillips and CA Attorney General (September 10, 2007) Reforestation project must be done in accordance with CCAR Forest Project Protocol
- 3. Exploring the Opportunity: California Climate Change Policies California Climate Action Registry (2000) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act (2002) California Global Warming Solutions Act (2006)
- 4. Exploring the Opportunity: California Climate Change Policies Forest Project Protocol Forest Sector Protocol Forest Certification Protocol
- 5. Forest Project Protocol (2007) Eligible Project Types Reforestation Conservation-Based Management Conservation
- 6. Global ReLeaf Environmental education and citizen action Raise funds from individuals and companies Grants for restoration tree planting projects Planted over 25 million trees since 1990 Estimate carbon benefits as one ecosystem service
- 7. Reforestation Project Challenges Lands must have been forests historically, but out of forest cover for at least 10 years. Did not allow reforestation after disturbance Required a permanent conservation easement. Time-consuming and costly. Public lands were ineligible. Our work focused on public land reforestation.
- 8. A Public Land Reforestation Project Cuyamaca Rancho State Park Re-establish patches of native conifer trees for progression of reforestation. Cedar Fire (2003) destroyed native forests on 24,000 acres, with little natural regeneration. Ceanothis cover has replaced native forest and is expected to dominate in future. CA DPR, Cal Fire, San Diego State University, and U. of CA, Santa Barbara.
- 9. Cuyamaca Reforestation Project Carbon Offset Quantity and Accounting Benefits come from accelerated restoration of forested landscape. DPR and Cal Fire will register project with CCAR. Additional CO2 reductions estimated to be 504,075 metric tons over 100 years.
- 10. Cuyamaca Reforestation Project Co-Benefits Habitat for native mammal and bird species. Prevent spread of invasive weeds. Reduce erosion risks. Protect watershed function, archealogical sites, botanical reserves, and recreational capacity.
- 11. Revising the CA Forest Protocol Year-long, multi-stakeholder workgroup process Allow greater landowner participation, particularly public lands and industrial working forests. Improve the protocols' clarity, accuracy, conservatism, environmental integrity, and cost-effectiveness. Revised Forest Project Protocol Released draft in December 2008. Expected to be considered by CCAR Board in April 2009. In addition, the workgroup continues to explore other issues, such as the treatment of harvested wood products.
- 12. Revised Forest Project Protocol Eligible forest project types (non-urban) Reforestation Improved Forest Management Avoided Conversion Reforestation—major changes . . . less than 10% canopy for a minimum of 10 years, or have been subject to a significant disturbance within the last 10 years. A significant disturbance is defined as the loss of 20% of the project area’s forest carbon stocks. This project type may apply on both private and public lands.
- 13. Revised Forest Project Protocol Additionality Determined by reference to a discrete, forward-looking quantitative baseline estimate of business-as-usual carbon stocks. Project Implementation Agreement An agreement between landowner and the Reserve, not necessarily requiring a conservation easement. (Public lands are exempt.) Project Location All forestry-based GHG projects located on public and private lands in the U.S. are eligible to register with the Reserve.
- 14. Revised Forest Project Protocol Permanence Projects must insure against reversals Contribute to a Climate Reserve buffer pool, or Take out insurance with an approved provider. Annual monitoring reports Third party verification
- 15. Change and Opportunity Climate change will bring physical and biological changes. Climate change policy will bring regulatory and market changes. CCAR and other offset programs present voluntary-market opportunities. Multi-level policy discussions present opportunity for learning and advocacy.
- 16. RVCC Climate Change Principles Develop and fund opportunities for climate change research, education, and monitoring. Create federal climate policies that protect the most vulnerable populations, as well as climate-sensitive public goods. Integrate climate change mitigation with forest restoration efforts. Foster mitigation through forest carbon-offset markets and ecosystem services. Promote green jobs.
- 17. American Forests and Global ReLeaf information at: www.americanforests.org Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition information at: www.sustainablenorthwest.org