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newsrel -- Air Resources Board adopts revised Forest Project Protocol

Posted: 24 Sep 2009 15:00:23
Wise maintenance of forest can serve to combat climate change. 

Release 09-88
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2009
	  	  	
Leo Kay
(916)849-9843
www.arb.ca.gov

Air Resources Board adopts revised Forest Project Protocol

Provides foundation for measuring greenhouse gas reductions from
forestlands

DIAMOND BAR, CALIF. - The Air Resources Board adopted an updated
Forest Project Protocol today at its monthly hearing in Diamond
Bar, Calif., that opens up the voluntary offsets market to
private landowners, public lands and out-of-state projects.

Today's adoption will expand the protocol to allow forestry
projects throughout the country. There are currently two
certified forests accredited under the previous protocol in
Humboldt and Mendocino counties. The amount of sequestration
credits will vary from one project to the next, depending on the
types of trees that are growing, density of the forest and other
factors.

"Landowners, forestry experts, academics, environmentalists and
government agencies all came together to produce a protocol that
will capture and store millions of CO2 emissions every year
through cost-effective, sustainable forestry practices," said
acting ARB Chairman Barbara Riordan. "Once again, California is
leading the way in introducing innovative yet common sense
solutions to the global climate change crisis. This protocol
guarantees that any verified forest projects will meet rigorous
and conservative accounting standards."

The updated protocol removes some of the barriers to
participation, such as the requirement for conservation
easements, and now allows public lands to apply for registration.
One promising project involves re-foresting and storing carbon in
Cayumuca State Park outside of San Diego, which was ravaged by
wildfires in 2003.

The revised protocol also opens up the forestry offset market to
private and public lands across the country. "Global warming
knows no boundaries, nor should the country's only
government-approved forestry protocol," Riordan added.

Finally, the protocol ensures that all projects must result in
increased on-site carbon stocks and promotes "natural forest
management," managing for a diversity of species and age classes,
which will improve forest health through increased habitat and
watershed protections.

Forests actively remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, a
process known as "forest carbon sequestration." This occurs when
trees absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, storing the
carbon as wood. Forests also give off carbon dioxide, from
decomposing leaf matter on the forest floor for example.

The protocol adopted by the Board today set forth scientifically
rigorous approaches to accurately measure the amount of net
carbon captured in a forest. The protocol was developed by the
Climate Action Reserve (formerly known as the California Climate
Action Registry) over the past six years through a public process
and expert review and was originally approved by the Board of
Forestry in 2004.

The Board had adopted a previous version of the protocol in
2007. At that time, the Board directed ARB staff to form a
workgroup to update the protocol, with a focus on expanding
applicability to allow greater landowner participation,
particularly for public lands and private working forests. The
protocol update accomplishes these goals, and has also
significantly improved some of the accounting methodologies,
which will allow for many rigorous projects to be developed on
forestlands throughout the United States.

Projects developed in Humboldt and Mendocino counties are
already being used by private individuals and companies to offset
carbon emissions produced elsewhere.

For more information, please visit ARB website at:
http://arb.ca.gov/cc/forestry/forestry_protocols/forestry_protocols.htm

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California
Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and
protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through
effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and
considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air
pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain
health based air quality standards.

The energy challenge facing California is real. Every
Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy
consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and
cut your energy cost, see our web site at http://www.arb.ca.gov

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