Clean Water and Sanitation
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Vermont Burnt Mountain Forestry - Removals
Maintaining forest CO₂ stocks above the regional baseline with a focus on sustainable, natural forest growth and non-commercial maintenance.
This project ensures the long-term sustainable management of 5,317.4 acres of northern hardwood and northern conifer forests in the north of Vermont—which would otherwise risk significant commercial timber harvesting—as well as the continuance of all environmental benefits linked to their conservation. The project's commitment to maintaining forest CO2 stocks above the regional baseline will provide significant climate benefits through carbon sequestration.
Burnt Mountain is crucial piece of connectivity in a conservation corridor of state-owned parks and lands. Located on the border of a tri-county region called “The Northeast Kingdom” in Vermont, it's known for industrial large-scale timber management with more aggressive harvest practices. The area is also a recreation draw for the state.
Using the Nature Conservancy's forest management practices, the project represents a significant improvement in carbon storage and conservation value than higher-return, more aggressive management regimes of industrial private lands in the region, which are characterized by shorter, even-aged rotations. The forests' management decisions focus on sustainable, natural forest growth and non-commercial forest maintenance for essential activities and forest health.
Project location
Technology and mechanism
Improved Forest Management
Improving forest management techniques to protect and increase the productivity of existing forests.
Mechanism
Removal
Durability
Permanence: 40+ years
The durability of this project is 40+ years, based on the project developer's commitment to maintaining the carbon project scenario stocking levels on the project area at least for a project term of 40 years. This is consistent with the ACR Standard Version 6.0.
Citation:
Section A3 in PDD
Project certifications
Certifier
Standard
American Carbon Registry
Registry ID
ACR518
Project registration date
Most recent Oct 09, 2019
Crediting period term
Aug 31, 2018 - Aug 30, 2038
Project methodology
ACR Improved Forest Management (IFM) on Non-Federal U.S. Forestlands, Version 1.3.
Updated Apr 01, 2018
Verified by an American Carbon Registry multi-stakeholder working group
Project design document (PDD)
PDD: Vermont Burnt Mountain Forestry
Updated Aug 18, 2020
Verified by SCS Global Services
Current verifier of project outcomes
SCS Global Services
Project details
Emissions reduced or carbon removed on an annual basis
37,281 tonnes
How the project approaches risk of reversal
The project mitigates reversal risk by consistently monitoring the general health and condition of the forest throughout the course of normal forest management activities (e.g., road maintenance, ecological studies, boundary marking), which reduces the risk of reversal by disease, pest invasion, and unauthorized timber removal.
What actions would be taken by the project developer if anticipated emissions reductions do not take place, or if carbon removal is reversed in the future?
A risk analysis was performed using the ACR Tool for Risk Analysis and Buffer Determination. With this tool, a risk factor of 18% was established, along with a corresponding buffer pool. In the event of a potential reversal, the project's buffer account allocation acts as a safety measure to cover the potential loss of carbon credits.
What calculation methods are used to independently reproduce and verify the carbon impact of the project?
Please refer to Section D5 in the methodology document.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Climate Action
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Life on Land
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss