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Mixed Upland Forests of the Ozarks & Ouachita Mountains

ACR 801

7.9K

Acres Conserved

496K

Credits

Location

North Central Arkansas

Method

IFM 2.0​

Standard

American Carbon Registry​

A Wooded Wonderland

The NativState Mixed Upland Forests of the Ozarks & Ouachita Mountains is a first of its kind, Programmatic Development Approach (PDA) to IFM project. The project aggregates forestlands across northern Arkansas with a unified commitment to maintaining forest CO2e stocks through certified sustainable management. This provides significant climate benefits through carbon sequestration from native forests.

 

Biodiversity forms the foundation of life for communities across the globe. We rely on biodiverse native forests for food, water, medicine, a stable climate, and economic growth. IFM protects and nurtures biodiversity.

 

In addition to the ecological co-benefits of healthier forests and watersheds from IFM, aggregated projects provide smaller landowners new access to carbon markets and better serve local economies through their direct participation.

Additionality through Adjusting Traditional Timber Harvesting Practices

NativState’s ACR: 801 forest carbon project is comprised of small- to medium- sized forest landowners aggregated across North Central Arkansas. This is a very productive long-term timber harvesting area; in partnership with our landowners this projects conserves thousands of acres of forest otherwise potentially subject to aggressive harvesting.

 

As a standard part of our ACR verification, NativState performs baseline production calculations for the timber production from our landowner partner lands, assuming a conservative Net Present Value (NPV) calculation, thereby keeping our projected carbon credits conservative for the purpose of preventing over-crediting. 

 

The lands in 801 are located in the heart of a robust and productive timber industry, presenting landowners with attractive harvesting options.

 

By entering NativState’s Carbon Agreement, and through verification through ACR, we can assure landowners a meaningful financial return on the forest lands without harvesting, while developing a conservative number of high-quality carbon credits for our industry partners. 

 

NativState works with landowners and registered foresters across this region to fully understand baseline harvesting scenarios, typical “business as usual” practices, and then develops a Forest Management Plan that avoids aggressive harvesting while delivering a new financial resource to small- and medium- landowners. 

 

The map below indicates the location of our project landowners relative the commercial saw mills of various types within a 75-mile radius of Mountain View, AR. The land aggregated in ACR 801 is proximate to all of these mills.

Project Baselines & Additionality: ACR 801

ACR 801: Mixed Upland Forests of the Ozarks & Ouachita Mountains

  • Reduced harvesting, rotation extension, timber stand improvement
  • Enrollment in American Tree Farm System
  • Firebreaks and controlled burning to reduce forest fire risk
  • Measuring/Monitoring and reporting of carbon sequestration and forest health
  • Baseline vs. IFM financial analysis
  • Mandatory implementation of voluntary best management practices (BMPs)

Pine Stands - Baseline vs IFM Scenario

The baseline scenario for pine stands is represented by a 32-year pine rotation that harvests trees as soon as they have reached commercial maturity versus the IFM scenario represented by a 40-year pine rotation with reduced harvesting to sequester additional carbon. In streamside management zones (SMZs), Arkansas Forestry Commission BMPs are incorporated in the baseline scenario that limit harvests to no more than 50 ft2 Basal Area (BA). In the IFM project, SMZ harvests are not allowed unless it is to maintain streambank integrity.

Hardwood Stands - Baseline vs IFM Scenario

The baseline scenario for hardwood stands is represented by a clear cut of hardwood stands when financially mature and re-entry of 60 years compared to sustainable management activities that maintain initial forest stocking and increases carbon
sequestration via harvesting well below forest growth.

Mill Capacity:
ACR 801

Mill Locations

NativState used FORISK Consulting’s Mill Capacity Database and Mill Database shapefiles to determine mill capacity in the Project area. As shown in the following figure, all mills within a 75-mile radius of the centroid of each Site were within economical haul distance.

Click the images to view larger sizes.

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Brochure cover: NativState Buyer's Guide to High Quality Carbon Credits

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