Question for landowners - Carbon Offset

[DPinTN]

Couldn't find anything with the search button.

Any land owners have experience with enrolling your property in a carbon offset program? Wondering about general experience like is pay out $ worth while, what length of contract did you sign, what are some of the high level requirements other than not harvesting timber, any acreage minimums?

 

[Omega]

Never heard of it called carbon offset, so it may not be this below. There are a few programs out there that can benefit a land owner, I bought one in a conservation easement, it saves a bunch on taxes and lets me buy farm supplies tax free.

Federal

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

Only landowners and agricultural producers with active CRP contracts involving forest cover can enroll. However, this does not include active CRP contracts that expire within two years. Existing CRP participants interested in tree thinning and prescribed burning must comply with the standards and specifications established in their CRP contract.

CRP participants will receive the incentive payment once tree thinning and/or other authorized forest management practices are completed.

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program

In exchange for removing environmentally sensitive land from production and establishing permanent resource conserving plant species, farmers and ranchers are paid an annual rental rate along with other federal and non-federal incentives as specified in each CREP agreement. Participation is voluntary, and the contract period is typically 10-15 years.

Farmable Wetlands Program

Wetlands and wetland buffer areas are critical to maintaining a healthy environment. Landowners who take part in the FWP receive an annual rental payment for their enrolled acres. FSA also provides cost-sharing and other incentives to help offset the costs associated with putting these practices in place.

Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program (This is what mine falls under)

In some situations, landowners can directly apply for assistance through a floodplain easement at the local NRCS office when project funding for floodplain easements becomes available. States will hold a signup period for the impacted communities and the local NRCS offices will publicize that information in the affected communities.

State
Tennessee Greenbelt (Also Applied for this)

In 1976, the Tennessee General Assembly enacted the Agricultural, Forest and Open Space Land Act of 1976 (the "Act")-the law is commonly known as "greenbelt". The Act is codified in Tennessee Code Annotated §§ 67-5-1001 through 1050. The purpose of the Act is to help preserve agricultural, forest, and open space land. This is accomplished by valuing land based upon its present use, rather than at a highest and best use. When property is valued at its highest and best use, the threat of development can bring about land use conflicts, create high costs for public services, contribute to increased energy usage, and stimulate land speculation.

 

[knightrider]

Your local forestry and nrcs offices are your friend! Lots of great programs and advice out there to be learned from both offices

 

[DoubleRidge]

I believe your speaking about carbon sequestration programs through a non profit organization like the Nature Conservancy....atleast that's one program I've heard a person speak on back in March....there may be others? My understanding is that the program has begun in east Tennessee but hasn't made it to middle yet. But if memory is correct it varies based on the property, the number of stems per acre, type of trees, age of trees, etc....so one example the speaker gave was the property owner signed a 20 or 25 year agreement and was paid 250 to 350 per acre. (one time payment). And you can still manage timber and even cut some....but only a very limited percentage of total acreage per a management plan.
So clearly this program wouldn't be for everyone...but for someone who has enough acreage and who isn't interested in harvesting timber in a large scale it could be an opportunity.....personally I'm not signing up for a 25 year agreement...but everyone has different goals for their property.
I agree with previous post...sit down with your local NRCS office...talk with your local Forester....several great programs for those willing to do all the paperwork and be patient.

 

[chris1976]

I looked into a few nrcs programs for our farm. Had them come out and look around. I decided the little bit of money was not a good trade off to give state or federal government any more control over what I do on our land. Some people don't mind.

 

[DoubleRidge]

With some encouragement from our Forester we applied for a grant through the NRCS which covered the cost of sub contracting the hack-n-squirt process as part of our timber stand improvement project. And we were not required to give the government any control over anything we do on our property?..only thing we were required to do was to complete the hack-n-squirt process that the grant money was approved for.

 

[Chapman]

The carbon offsets are bought by companies wanting to offset the carbon they are producing in their business. I don't know much about it, but it sounds like it could be a good deal for timberland owners. Heard about a guy that sold offsets each year not to cut his timber until the year he wanted to harvest his timber then cut it. That's what I heard or read, not sure how accurate it was.

 

[Huntaholic]

WTF are you people thinking! So for a few bucks in "tax relief" you are willing to give up management and for all intents and purposes, OWNERSHIP of your properties?

 

[TNTreeman]

I wouldn't involve the Government in any aspect of my property ownership that I don't have to. Not going to be worth it.

 

[MickThompson]

The programs I've seen all pay the middle man pretty well but not so much for the landowner that's giving up rights to use their land. Some are government programs but others aren't. They also generally don't have much interest in normal sized tracts less than 1000 acres.

Plus you're allowing a "big green lib company" to take credit for your stewardship while allowing themselves to pave more, build bigger, and destroy more habitat.

 

[ttf909]

Nrcs just paid for a complete forestry management plan for my land. About 2700 . They are supposed to pay to carry out the plan. Everything from prescribed burn , creek crossing and thinning timber aka tsi.
I'm not tied to anything as of yet. They don't control my property. If I want the money just complete the task they pay for it. I'm told they have a large bank roll. So far so good.