Carbon Credits - getting paid to NOT cut your timber

[BSK]

We've been getting mail from companies (actually brokers) who sell Carbon Credits to large corporations, who - by the nature of their business - release carbon dioxide. These "Carbon Credits" supposedly offset the CO2 the corporations are releasing (a physical scam, but that's beside the point). These Carbon Credit brokers will pay landowners NOT to cut their timber, as trees are major carbon sinks. The credit for the mount of carbon stored in the property owner's trees are then sold to the corporations.

I've done a bit of a dive into these companies, and although they're legit, the amount they pay is not high. However, they do pay every year of the 20-30 year contract, and the amounts would probably be enough to pay the annual property taxes. For those who never plan to cut timber, it might be worth a look. But if cutting timber is part of your management plan, you will make far more off the timber sales than what you would be paid by the CC brokers.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Yeah I heard a lady from the Nature Conservancy speak on selling and buying carbon credits. Programs landowners can sign up for, etc. Agree, someone could make enough to pay taxes... Interesing concept but the catch is that 20 to 30 year commitment!
As mentioned, with timber production being part of your management plan there is no way one could commit to such a long contract period. But I guess there could be some out there with zero interest in ever cutting a tree or managing for a healthy forest?....Lastly....I walked away from that forestry association dinner, where this nice lady spoke, thinking to myself that this basically is a program for big corporations to pay money so they can feel good about their emmisions ...so when questioned they can say...."but we pay for carbon credits"...we care!!