Preservation of a Native Northwest Forest
Vital Statistics
Offsets: 350,000 metric tons carbon dioxide
Equivalent to taking 69,721 cars off the road for a year
Project Type: Sequestration
Project Lifetime: 100 years
Starting Date: December 2002
Location: Washington
Project Partners: Lummi Indian Tribe
Project Description
The Climate Trust has contracted to purchase offsets from a Lummi Indian Tribe project to acquire previously logged forest land and manage it to permanent old growth. This project also creates an educational laboratory for the Northwest Indian College. With funding from The Climate Trust the Lummi Indian Tribe has bought more than 1,654 acres of historical tribal forest land near Mt. Vernon, Washington, to protect it from logging and to capture 350,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide over the next century. A 100-year conservation easement will help ensure that old growth forests develop and are preserved. The project site is located in the Arlecho Creek watershed, and involves rare mid-elevation Cascade mountain forest.
How the project reduces CO2
The Arlecho Creek land that was purchased by the Lummi Indian Tribe was threatened by commercial logging. This project will protect and restore the land and allow it to grow back to old growth forest. Over the 100 year life of the project the forest will capture at least 350,000 metric tons of the most significant greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. The project site will be used as an educational laboratory by the Northwest Indian College, which is chartered by the Lummi Indian Tribe, and other universities. The laboratory will both educate Indian and non-Indian students about measuring the amount of carbon dioxide sequestered in trees, soil and other vegetation, as well as facilitate research on halting global warming through sequestration of carbon dioxide in forests.
Non-GHG Benefits
- Preservation and reforestation of the Arlecho Creek lands will help sustain important salmon and endangered species habitat
- The project site is also a sanctuary for the traditional religious practices of the Lummi Indian Tribe
Additionality Criteria: Why We’re Involved
With The Climate Trust’s funding, the Lummi Indian Tribe was able to acquire the Arlecho Creek site that would have remained under logging company ownership, and been subsequently logged.
Partners
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