Offset Projects

Renewable Energy
Renewable energy includes wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and others. Renewable energy has Zero Carbon emissions and includes the development of new renewable energy sources into our economy.

Sequestration
Sequestration reduces carbon dioxide emissions by taking it out of the atmosphere. Sequestration is often synonymous with planting trees, but can also include other activities that reduce CO2. Sequestration can be a bit controversial because while trees suck up CO2 while they are alive, they ultimately die and release CO2. However, a well-managed forest creates a net CO2 reduction by absorbing CO2 and moving it into the depths of the soil around it.

Sequoia National Forest

The McNally Fire of 2002 burned over 150,000 acres. Prior to the fire, the forest provided habitat to the following species: California Spotted Owl, northern goshawk & Pacific Fisher. Also lost is the shade along streams which are now overheating. Without ground cover to hold back soil, streams have filled with sediment. Many areas were totally burned, leaving no pinecones to provide seeds for trees to sprout from. Forest Service estimates that without tree planting these areas may take 200-500 years or longer to return to forest.

The forest hopes that by replanting the damaged areas the following will occur: wildlife habitats will be reestablished; the amount of soil lost from erosion will be reduced, the condition of the watersheds will be improved and the creation of carbon sinks will be achieved.

Six Rivers National Forest

The Sims Fire began in old growth timber on July 28, 2004, and burned 4,030 acres of Six Rivers and Shasta-Trinity National Forests. Once the fire was contained, forest personnel began the battle against erosion and damage to the South Fork Lower Trinity River and other nearby tributaries that threatened watersheds and habitat for steelhead, Chinook Salmon, and the endangered Coho Salmon. The Six Rivers is proposing to plant 298 acres of high severity burned acres in early spring 2006. They will plant 120,000 Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine on 298 acres that were burned in the Sims Fire.

The planting will accelerate development in areas where much old growth was lost and regeneration and regrowth has been slow. The trees planted during this project will help stabilize soil and protect domestic water sources while recreating wildlife habitat and food sources.