Wild CarbonTM credits, on the other hand, are created by protecting forests as forever-wild. These forests will never be converted to another type of land use (timber, agricultural, residential, or commercial), and will never release carbon through logging. Every forest that generates Wild CarbonTM credits is a future old-growth forest.
In 2010, the Wilderness Trust enrolled the 500-acre Howland Research Forest and 1,500 acres of the Alder Stream Wilderness Preserve in the California Climate Action Reserve (CAR). In 2016, the Wilderness Trust began to see revenue from this project. To date, Wild CarbonTM credits from these two properties alone have generated more than $580,000 in unrestricted income. These funds directly supported the conservation of even more wilderness.
In 2019, Northeast Wilderness Trust began to develop pathways to access carbon finance to fund wildlands protection, creating Wild CarbonTM credits. Our goal is to create a model that can be replicated across the region, allowing private landowners and land trusts to realize financial benefits when they choose to keep forests standing and storing carbon indefinitely.
Forest carbon credits sell, on average, for higher prices than other carbon credits (such as agricultural, methane abatement, or gas capture). This is due to the many benefits beyond carbon storage that come along with protecting forests, including wildlife habitat, clean air and water, and recreation. Land trusts interested in entering our Wildlands Carbon program, or businesses looking to offset their carbon footprints, can email tricia@newildernesstrust.org to learn more.
In addition to rewilding and Wild CarbonTM credits, Northeast Wilderness Trust takes all possible steps to minimize the amount of fossil fuels it takes to run the organization and conserve land. Read more about our Green Guarantee here.