As part of the West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (WESTCARB), the WSRCD is in partnership with the non-profit organization Winrock International to implement a research project involving carbon sequestration.  Carbon sequestration simply put is the capture and storage of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2).  The WESTCARB Team is made up by more than 70 organizations, public agencies, private companies and nonprofits and is working toward the goal of identifying and testing opportunities to keep CO2 out of the atmosphere thereby reducing humankind’s impact on the climate. (WSRCD 35-29).

Shasta County has been identified as an area capable of cost-effective carbon sequestration, and the WSRCD is actively involved in validating the science behind the idea.  Sequestration options being investigated for Shasta County include conversion of marginal rangelands to forests (afforestation), improved management of hazardous fuels to reduce wildfires and their emissions, biomass energy, and forest management.  The projects will benefit agriculture, ranching and timber management and provide safety to local communities, and we are happy to report that work is progressing nicely. 

The WSRCD sent scoping letters to approximately 400 landowners in the county having over 100 acres within areas determined as having the best opportunity for afforestation based on topography, soils and land type.  Interested landowners were then surveyed regarding their interest, cost share needs and site specifics.  Working with Beaty and Associate foresters, the WSCRD performed GIS analysis and site visits to determine which sites may be feasible for afforestation projects.  In an effort to gain as much valuable research data as possible, projects being chosen for afforestation project implementation include a variety of locations, elevations, and soil types within the county.

With the goal of planting about 300 - 500 acres over next two years with native conifer and oak woodland species, the project has begun implementing four projects with an additional six likely beginning by spring 2008.  These projects include sites that have been in brush for at least the last 10 years, but are capable of growing trees.  Examples include areas that have been previously burned by catastrophic fire, and have not been reforested naturally or otherwise due to brush competition and landowners’ lack of financial resources.  Prior to implementation, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review is performed on each proposed project.  When implemented, landowners will have the opportunity to register projects with the CA Climate Action Registry for the purpose of participating in carbon offset market opportunities.

We are excited to announce that our project will be featured in a Public Broadcasting Service documentary produced by Prairie Public Television Station from North Dakota.  Due to come out in 2008, the half-hour segment will be part of a larger project which includes other climate mitigation topics such as geologic sequestration and carbon markets and trading.  The terrestrial sequestration segment attempts to explain how forest management, afforestation, and wild land fuel management activities affect the carbon cycle. 

The WSRCD is proud to be part of this important research project to inform decisions by policymakers, communities, and businesses on how to invest in carbon capture and sequestration technology development and deployment to achieve climate change mitigation objectives. 

For more information, please contact WSRCD Climate Stewardship Coordinator Leslie Bryan at leslie@westernshastarcd.org, or 365-7332 ext 215.