R ecent reports that the planet had its hottest four years on record - PDF document

LOOKING TO THE LAND TO MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE BY MARINA SCHAUFFLER R ecent reports that the planet had its hottest four years on record highlight By advancing natural climate solutions, the need for accelerated work to keep global warming below critical land trusts can provide a wealth of ecological tipping points. While nations shift to carbon-neutral economies, Earth’s and economic benefjts that extend beyond forests, grasslands, wetlands and soils can help reduce atmospheric cost-efgective climate mitigation. Lands carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) levels. “Land trust work is more vital than ever,” managed with the climate in mind also fjlter says Kelly Watkinson, Land and Climate Program manager at the Land Trust Alliance, and protect water supplies, increase soil “because improved conservation, restoration and land management actions enhance the fertility and forest productivity, foster biodi- capacity of natural systems to absorb and hold carbon.” versity and strengthen ecosystems’ capacity to withstand drought and extreme weather— Two recent studies affjrm the potential Published in the Proceedings of the National reducing fmooding, runofg and erosion. of natural ecosystems to scale back atmo- Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study spheric CO 2 . New research published in examined the global carbon storage and Seeing Land Through New Eyes Nature this January cites the “unexpectedly reduction potential of 20 conservation, Natural processes for transferring carbon large impact” that forest management and restoration and improved land management from the atmosphere into vegetation and soil grazing has on the planet and atmospheric practices, collectively called “natural climate are highly effjcient, economical and avail- carbon. “We have forgotten half of the story solutions.” Tieir combined power was sur- able nearly everywhere. While these paths up to now,” lead study author Karl-Heinz prisingly high, providing 37% of the cost- of carbon storage are all well-established, Erb told Tie Washington Post . efgective CO 2 mitigation needed by 2030 their potential for global climate mitigation Another analysis is the culmination for a greater than 66% chance of keeping has “clearly been underappreciated,” observes of a partnership between the accredited warming below 2°C, the target agreed to at Joseph Fargione, science director for Tie Nature Conservancy and the Doris Duke the 2015 Paris climate talks. Tie mitiga- Nature Conservancy’s North American Charitable Foundation that brought tion potential of natural climate solutions in Region and one of the study’s authors. With together 32 leading natural scientists and 2030 represents 11.3 billion tons of green- a follow-up report on natural climate solu- economists from 15 research, educational house gases, equivalent to stopping burning tions’ potential in North America due out and private institutions around the world. oil globally. this year, he expects that more conservation 22 Spring 2018 SAVING land www.landtrustalliance.org

Marin Carbon Project co-founder and rangeland ecologist Dr. Jeff Creque visits the ranch of a local producer as part of the carbon farm planning process. MICHAEL WOOLSEY groups—while maintaining long-standing to 35 agricultural management practices that markets ofger enterprising and persistent priorities—will begin asking how their work benefjt the climate—either by absorbing and land trusts a chance to sell forest carbon can further climate mitigation. storing carbon or helping make the land more ofgsets, potentially generating signifjcant Fargione sees “a lot of opportunities for resilient to climate change. Carbon farming revenues to bolster land acquisition and adoption” of natural climate solutions and has become so popular that MALT Director stewardship programs. expects funding opportunities to increase of Conservation Jefg Stump says there are Tie accredited Nisqually Land Trust in (in part due to growing carbon markets). “twice as many applicants each year as we can Washington recently completed that state’s “Tie climate mitigation need is so great complete plans for.” Tie MCP model is now fjrst-ever carbon credit transaction, relying that we should have investments in the replicated by Resource Conservation Districts on the verifjcation, registration and transac- land sector as well as the energy sector.” in 20 California counties and several states. tion process of the regulated California MALT raises private funds to ofger more market but collaborating with a voluntary local ranchers incentives for adopting and buyer. Tiis approach involved less risk for Realizing the Potential implementing Carbon Farm Plans. the land trust than entering the voluntary of Carbon Farming Tie vast carbon storage potential of natural Fundraising for stewardship work is market, where roughly half of credits went ecosystems worldwide is just now coming always challenging but donors fjnd the unsold in 2016. to light, but one local land trust has already spent a decade deliberately increasing the carbon held in its conserved grasslands. Tie accredited Marin Agricultural Land Funding for stewardship is always challenging Trust (MALT) in California helped launch the Marin Carbon Project (MCP) to see but donors fjnd the carbon-climate link inspiring, whether improved agricultural manage- ment practices, such as managed grazing and several have made large dedicated gifus. and spreading compost on rangeland, could help soil take up more atmospheric CO 2 . Data from the past nine years show that a single compost application led treated carbon-climate link inspiring, and several As part of a voluntary commitment to soils to store one metric ton more carbon have made large dedicated gifts. According ofgset its worldwide carbon emissions, per hectare per year—a much greater to Stump, “Tiis is the fjrst time our donors are Microsoft paid the land trust for carbon increase than expected. Their findings saying, ‘I get it. Tiere is something I can do at stored in its Mount Rainier Gateway confirm extensive research that such the local level to address climate change.’” Reserve, purchasing 38,000 carbon credits. practices as fertility management, cover Carbon farming is also strengthening Simple as that transaction might sound, the cropping and rotational grazing increase MALT’s ties to farmers and ranchers who process was marked by “insane complex- soil’s capacity to absorb and hold carbon. now see fjrsthand both the personal and ity,” says Nisqually Land Trust Executive At MCP’s fjrst demonstration project, planetary benefjts of conservation stew- Director Joe Kane. Stemple Creek Ranch, soils already had ardship. “It is really improving long-term “One reason we went with the highly rig- relatively high carbon levels from decades of relationships with landowners,” Stump says, orous verifjcation process that California sound stewardship. But owner Loren Poncia “and helping move their operations toward demands,” Kane explains, “is that once saw further increases as an important means more economic and ecological sustainability.” you register those credits, you’re virtu- to minimize runofg and ameliorate the ally guaranteed to have buyers and at efgects of drought: “I want my ranch to be a guaranteed price minimum. We also Venturing into Forest Carbon Markets a sponge when it rains, and [soil]carbon is Tie carbon storage potential inherent in wanted to be able to say that we had met essentially a sponge.” Soil with 5% organic conserved lands now has value in carbon the highest possible standard.” Alongside matter can absorb six times more water markets, both voluntary ones (involving its conservation mission, he notes, the than soil with only 1% organic matter. buyers motivated by social responsibil- board maintains “a secondary assignment With more extended droughts interspersed ity or marketing potential) and regulated to ourselves—to innovate.” But for most by deluges, increasing capacity for water ones (involving buyers who must comply land trusts, he acknowledges, “Tiere’s retention can help keep ranches like Poncia’s with legislation, which in the United little incentive to do this until the barriers more resilient and productive. States currently applies primarily to come down.” A new “Carbon Farm Planning” process businesses subject to California’s cap- Nisqually Land Trust invested sig- developed by MALT and MCP identifjes up and-trade program). Tiese expanding nifjcant funds in the initial verifjcation www.landtrustalliance.org SAVING land Spring 2018 23