Forest owners might earn carbon credits through better management that increases CO2 absorption

There may soon be a way to make money from your woodland without cutting timber. A "cap and trade" system to limit carbon-dioxide emissions will create a market in carbon credits, and forests that are professionally managed should be able to earn credits because they take up more of the greenhouse gas than unmanaged woodlands.

In Eastern Kentucky, where the great majority of the Appalachian forest is privately owned, the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development is lining up woodland owners through its Forest Opportunities Initiative. "I think it's going to get me and other woodland owners to say 'Hey, maybe there's a reason to manage my woodlands,'" Jack Stickney, who owns a large farm in Estill County, told Andy Mead of the Lexington Herald-Leader. "You know how it is when it comes down to money. That gets people's interest."

The big question is how much money. "In Europe, where the government regulates carbon trading, the price is $10 to $20 a ton, Mead writes. "If the price here were $20 a ton, an Eastern Kentucky landowner could make more than $66 an acre each year." However, the market for credits could disappear if Congress goes with a carbon tax instead. (Read more)