Maine nonprofit Downeast Lakes Land Trust's 19,118-acre Farm Cove forest carbon project achieves Climate Action Reserve verification through Rainforest Alliance

Allison Oesterle

Allison Oesterle

NEW YORK , December 13, 2012 (press release) – Forest carbon project to reduce 800,000 tCO2 e over 100 years

The Rainforest Alliance is pleased to announce that the Farm Cove Community Forest Carbon Project of the Downeast Lakes Land Trust -- a local conservation nonprofit in Maine -- has achieved Climate Action Reserve (CAR) verification through the Rainforest Alliance, making it the first Improved Forest Management forest carbon project located outside of California to achieve verification. The project is expected to reduce over 800,000 tCO2e over the 100 year project life -- equivalent to the annual emissions of over 156,000 cars.

Located in eastern Maine, the Farm Cove Forest Carbon Project covers 19,118 acres (7,737 hectares) of land within the Farm Cove Community Forest. The project area is covered under the Downeast Lakes Land Trust Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) forest management certification and the 2011 audit was conducted simultaneously with the CAR verification audit.

“Downeast Lakes Land Trust sets a leading example, demonstrating that forest carbon projects can be combined with FSC forest certification to enhance the environmental and socio-economic benefits of each,” said Richard Donovan, senior vice president of the Rainforest Alliance. “The whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts.”

The project has already reduced an estimated 200,000 tCO2e and is expected to sequester an additional 600,000 tCO2e over the next 100 years, sequestering a total of 800,000 tCO2e. The project was developed by Finite Carbon, who also provided the carbon credit and sequestration calculations. Downeast Lakes Land Trust plans to use its expected proceeds from the sale of carbon credits to fund other conservation initiatives.

“Achieving Rainforest Alliance verification of our carbon credit project is an exciting step. We are focused on forest conservation and management to support the economic and environmental well-being of our community and region,” said Mark Berry, Executive Director of the Downeast Lakes Land Trust. “By participating in the market for carbon credits, we stand to gain financial resources toward our ongoing effort to conserve an additional 22,000 acres as Community Forest around Grand Lake Stream.”

The Rainforest Alliance provides a range of verification services to confirm that carbon projects are conservation-oriented and meet established international standards for carbon sequestration. The Climate Action Reserve Standard (CAR) provides a set of rigorous protocols, guidelines and tools to support the North American carbon market. Through verifying projects according to the CAR Standard, the Rainforest Alliance encourages action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by ensuring the environmental integrity and financial benefit of emissions reduction projects.

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The Rainforest Alliance works with people whose livelihoods depend on the land, helping them transform the way they grow food, harvest wood and host travelers. From large multinational corporations to small, community-based cooperatives, businesses and consumers worldwide are involved in the Rainforest Alliance’s efforts to bring responsibly produced goods and services to a global marketplace where the demand for sustainability is growing steadily. For more information, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org.

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