Alaska

A Bearadise

These important old growth forests will reduce about 1.5 million tonnes of carbon in 30 years. This project ensures the survival of these trees, providing a safe home for the animals and clean air for Earth.

Greenhouse Gasses
Reduced:

CO₂

Carbon Dioxide

Solution 38 in Drawdown – Forest Protection

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What it does

This project protects an old growth spruce forest on the North Coast of Afognak Island in Alaska. It will sequester about 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents over its 30-year life. The project “protects unlogged forests that would be logged in the absence of carbon finance.” Unfortunately, harmful logging still happens on adjacent lands so protecting this portion is of utmost importance.

How it works

The island is in Southwestern Alaska about 40 miles a from Kodiak. It is remote and can only be accessed by boat or helicopter. The land parcel was created by the American Land Conservancy and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation between 2005-2009 with the objective of conserving the land in perpetuity. Prior to its acquisition, it was used exclusively for timber production. The project is now managed and monitored by the State of Alaska for the purpose of wilderness and ecosystem protection. Funds from the sale of carbon credits will be used to protect the property and the expense of annual monitoring, verification, registration and issuance.

Benefits

Sequesters carbon over a 30-year crediting period
Recovers ecosystem home to grasses, blueberries, feather and tree mosses
Protects of 5 species of salmon, brown bears, otters, weasels (ermines), deer, goats, beaver, rabbits and bald eagles
Provides local jobs in regard to property supervision and monitoring

Challenges

Fire is always a possibility with large isolated tracts of forest
Illegal Logging
Needs monitoring and protection 365 days of the year
Annual reporting may not be available and measurable SDGs in addition to sequestering carbon for Climate, are likely to be limited to perhaps Clean Water and Life on Land. These latter benefits are not likely to measurably change over time

Who it helps

Earth benefits by sequestering large amounts of carbon that are warming the planet. It also protects plants and animals that have been living there for thousands of years and maintains their home.

Why we chose this project

Common practice with regard to additionality is well proven; there is no indication of comparable conservation acquisitions in the region surrounding the project that provide material revenues from conservation without carbon finance, indeed this is unique in comparison to other conservation activities. Even the most remote parts of the world are under severe threat from logging, hunting, poaching. This formerly logged land will now have a chance to recover and continue to sequester carbon and avoid emissions from logging and transport long past our lifetimes.