Oxygen credits for our trees?

[RCR 3 EVER]

My parents got a letter from some firm that wants to buy our standing trees and maintain them so they can trade them for carbon credits. How do figure the amount of carbon absorbed by species of trees. I am sure Spruces,Pines and Deciduos trees are different. What happens if in maintaining them a chainsaw is used does that offset the value of the credit given.
How could a tree in MI breathe in the carbon produced by a plant in New York or any other state for that matter.
What if the trees are in a swamp or in a pasture with cows, I would think the credits would be negative.

So what is worth more now: a firewood tree or a carbon credit tree or a lumber harvest or a pulp wood tree?

It sounds a bit schemish to me.

Kind of like I will sell you instructions for a new guaranteed to kill fly swatter for $5. After payment: Open your hand and swat at fly- (do not do this while fly is on a window as you may have to go to emerg for stitches in thumb, stupid true life experience) the fly flew thru the broken glass.

 

[derwoodii]

Caveat emptor.
Forrest carbon credits are complex and hard get you head around constructs. Some argue not even logical as all CO2 returns to atmosphere at some time. Measuring tree CO2 lock up so variable due to tree species growth etc etc
Purchase agreements may seem a good idea however the devil is in the details.
Some need you to lock up the land for perpetuity eg title is signed off from your land. Others give back credit $ investment return but value depends on variable market value of carbon.
Companys that plant wood lot trees at their cost on your land may be better check carefully that contract keeps your land yours. eg http://www.co2australia.com.au/

A scheme that signs off your ownership for existing old trees on your land sounds sus. More carbon is held by new growing ones.
Ask for independent referrals for others involved and then ask State or Fed Gov environmental dept on their view. Do not ever give any money up front.

 

[slowp]

I went to a talk about that last year. It varies, state to state. The company doing the buying here wasn't, because the credits were worthless at that time. They figured the market had to be 8 dollars per carbon ton or whatever it is to make a profit. It was 3 at that time.

It is confusing. Here, you had to meet some criteria. You had to have 10 acres or more of timber in an area that COULD be legally harvested. That threw out the required by law buffered areas like SMZs. You had to be a tree farm member, and a member of another organization. You had to present them with a management plan. You could harvest some of the trees with their approval. The contract was binding for 3 years.

I haven't heard much about it since. It was touted as a way for people who owned quite a few acres of timber to make a little bit of income during a low market time.

 

[Hddnis]

There are some people/companies trying to buy up rights to market carbon credits from land because they think Obama and Congress will pass a carbon tax. They are trying to position themselves to cash in if that happens. Some are legit, but paying very little compared to what it will be worth if carbon credits do pass. Others are almost a scam because they essentially, or in some cases do, take ownership of land without having paid anywhere near fair market value. In some cases as soon as the paper was signed they logged the land and replanted. I read an article about it, seems it was in the WSJ, might have been one of the arborist magazines.



Mr. HE

 

[RCR 3 EVER]

Our property of 120 acres has 50% pines and other is fields or hardwoods not worth harvesting except selective cutting. Our property would provide such a infinitesimally small credit since there is swamp with swamp gas on it also.

You see warnings about scam letters ending with "we want to help you"
Well in big letters that is the last sentence of the letter.

This sounds like a creep trying to cash in on another one of Obamas ill thought out new laws at our expense of losing family vacation property. Besides I need the firewood and we plan to cut some trees for profit when the market improves hopefully soon.

 

[dingeryote]

Our property of 120 acres has 50% pines and other is fields or hardwoods not worth harvesting except selective cutting. Our property would provide such a infinitesimally small credit since there is swamp with swamp gas on it also.

You see warnings about scam letters ending with "we want to help you"
Well in big letters that is the last sentence of the letter.

This sounds like a creep trying to cash in on another one of Obamas ill thought out new laws at our expense of losing family vacation property. Besides I need the firewood and we plan to cut some trees for profit when the market improves hopefully soon.

RCR,

If Soetoros and his pet Harpy get Cap and trade through, the value of your woodlot as carbon credits will be much higher than it is now.

Speculators make $$ investing pennies against high risks.

Sit tight. The language of a potential C&T bill MUST include private woodlots that can be cleared for development or half of the Maggots in Congress will lose Millions on thier own investments.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[RCR 3 EVER]

Well if that is the case the here come the shopping malls, condos & strip malls sitting vacant on once great forest land.

Makes real democratic sense, pave over everything thus making the earth warmer thus using more electricity for A/C , thus using more carbon credits and purchasing more land and trees to pave over....

2 face OB said he would protect the enviorment, land and various creatures unlike previous administrations. This does not seem to be the case though with the C&T bill.
He has also been in negotiations with Japan, Norway and other nations to open up the whale sanctuaries to begin whale hunting again to be supported by the USA or at least him. Whale hunting has been banned by us since Reagan except for the eskimos.

Our property may be become a sanctuary for the deer since the farmland will all be paved over. Then maybe we will actually see a deer during hunting season.

 

[derwoodii]

Cold calls & unsolicited mail gets my heckles up fast.
If I need a product, I;ll find it. If its good, it will sell itself, other wise stay off my lawn.

 

[slowp]

Here's the thread when it all was fresh in my mind. Note that carbon credits were being thought of PRIOR TO THE LAST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

http://arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=110251&highlight=Carbon+Credits

NOW ENOUGH OF POLITICS!

If the timber market stays low, it would be a good way to get a little bit of income for a short time. I would not think of signing a long term contract.
The 3 year one sounded reasonable.

The seminar I went to was sponsored by the Washington Farm Forestry Association.

The programs differ from state to state.

If I had enough acreage, I'd be at least looking into it more.