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About The Pacific Forest Trust California Main Office |
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Release December 3, 2007 Governor Schwarzenegger Completes “We are honored that the Governor has made this investment in the Van Eck Forest Project. Under his leadership, California is the first state in the world to establish strong rules that credibly account for the climate benefits of our working forests,” commented Laurie Wayburn, president of the Pacific Forest Trust. "Carbon dioxide in our atmosphere comes from two sources: fossil fuels and forest loss," Wayburn continued. “To successfully address our climate crisis, we must work on both sources, complementing the major focus on fossil fuels with actions for forests – avoiding deforestation, managing forests to restore depleted carbon banks, and restoring forests where they have been cleared.” Owned by the Fred M. van Eck Forest Foundation, the 2,200-acre Van Eck Forest in Humboldt County is a working redwood forest conserved and managed by the Pacific Forest Trust (PFT) to increase carbon stores, restore biodiversity and old growth qualities, and provide habitat for endangered species. Therefore, in addition to helping cool the climate, the Van Eck Forest Project helps protect wildlife habitat, safeguard clean water and sustain rural communities and jobs for the benefit of all Californians. The Governor has paid the Fred M. van Eck Forest Foundation from his own personal funds to acquire the Van Eck Forest Project emissions reductions. Schwarzenegger’s investment to offset the impact his air travel has on global warming expands upon similar efforts by other high-ranking California officials and demonstrates growing, bi-partisan support for forests and their climate benefits. He joins House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and California Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D), author of AB 32, and Cal EPA Secretary Linda Adams in neutralizing carbon emissions from travel through investments in the Van Eck Forest Project. Forests provide climate benefits by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it as carbon in trees for hundreds of years or longer. As compared to reforestation or afforestation, established working forests are especially effective at storing carbon as they grow older, with each annual growth ring laying down substantially greater volumes of carbon in shorter periods than their younger counterparts. California’s Forest Protocols, developed over a four-year period with the participation of scientists, foresters, and climate experts, ensure that carbon dioxide emissions reductions (ERs) generated from working forests meet international standards. The Forest Protocols set the rules for calculating emissions reductions from project activities that are additional to what the forest would normally provide by measuring these against a clear and consistent baseline of standard forestry activity. Further, the Protocols provide assurances that the emissions reductions will be permanent by securing the forest practices with a conservation easement and verifying reductions by third-party certification. “Forests are one of the amazing environmental treasures California holds in trust for the future and carbon offsets are an important new tool in our fight against climate change,” states Speaker Núñez. “Being able to lower our carbon footprint and lessen global warming at the same time we’re boosting our forests and their benefits, that’s an easy win-win for California and the world.” ”The Van Eck Forest Project meets the highest standards, providing real, significant and durable sequestration,” says California Climate Action Registry President Diane Wittenberg. | Download Governor's Emissions Recuctions Download Carbon Stores Comparative Chart (PDF)
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Van Eck Forest:
Conservation
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