Carbon Work-Study Series
History of Forest Management Woodstock- Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller
For our first Work-Study Group discussion Vikke Vas from Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historical Park presented and led a discussion about the history of conservation in Woodstock and how unsustainable deforestation of Vermont led to a legacy of conservation and the longest managed forest in the United States.
Presenter: Vikke Jas
Different Perspectives of the Forest
A local landowner, Lynn Peterson, a local logger, John Adler, and the Windsor County Forester, AJ Follensbee, delved into their different perspectives of the forest. Looking at the objectives of these individuals and industries and through informed discussions we explored ways to balance the economic needs of our state with the need for more conservation.
Presenters: Land Owner (Lynn Peterson), Forester (AJ Follensbee), Logger(John Alder)
Compliance Carbon Markets – Regional Green House Gas Initiative(RGGI)
Carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere have long-term effects that are not recognized in the short-term market price of fossil fuels. Traditional pollutant regulation sets limits on individual emitters, which may or may not result in overall emissions reductions and may not be economically optimal. One approach that policymakers can utilize is to impose a price on carbon dioxide/greenhouse gas emissions that attempts to internalize these external future costs. Mr. Woods will discuss various approaches to carbon pricing with a focus on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Presenter: Brian Woods, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Air Quality and Climate Division
The Negative Impacts of Forest Fragmentation
Recent research has shown that since 2012 Vermont forest lands have been in decline. This is a reversal of a trend of regrowth over the last 100 years. Much of the deforestation has been due to development and forest fragmentation from new homes being built. Forest fragmentation decreases our state’s resiliency against natural disasters, and disrupts wildlife habitats among many other things. Join us for a discussion with the Two Rivers Regional Planning Commission, and the VT Fish and Wildlife department to learn why it is so important that we conserve our forests and prevent forest fragmentation.
Presenters: Kevin W. Geiger, Senior Planner with TRORC and Monica Przyperhart, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department
Current use and Use Value Appraisal (UVA) Policies
UVA or “Current Use” was created as a mechanism to keep Vermont’s agricultural and forested land in use by creating a tax policy based on the use of the land as opposed to its market value. The program has successfully enrolled almost one third of Vermont land, keeping it in use and providing an economic stimulus for many Vermonters. The challenge is determining how we balance the needs of our economy and Vermont livelihoods with the need to increase conservation and carbon sequestration and storage.
Presenter: AJ Follensbee, Windsor County Forester
Forest Carbon Market Analysis and Assessment of Opportunities for Vermont’s Private Forestland Owners
The prevailing thought among environmentalist was that forest ecosystems take care of themselves best when left alone. Dr. Keeton’s long term research has shown that it is possible to manage forests in a way that sequesters and stores carbon almost as much as if it were left alone. Join us for a discussion with Dr. Keeton as he talks about his research, his recently completed carbon assessment of VT forests, and his project with his company, SIG, in North West Vermont to aggregate land owners into a larger carbon credit scheme.
Presenter: Dr. William Keeton, Spatial Informatic Group (SIG), UVM Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources
Resource:
Resources:
- Mycorrhiza-mediated Competition Between Plants
Colin Averill, Benjamin L. Turner, Adrien C. Finzi - The World Beneath Our Feet
Ashley Lang, PhD
The Role of Fungi in Storing and Sequestering Carbon
Mushrooms play an important role in many ecosystems, and their role with carbon is no different. Ashley Lang talked about the two main kinds of fungi in forests (decomposers and mycorrhizal fungi), how they operate, how they impact soil carbon storage, and how much carbon they sequester in soil compared to carbon released to the atmosphere from human activity. We also discussed how different ecosystems have different amounts of soil carbon and why.
Presenter: Ashley Lang, PhD candidate in the Ecology, Evolution, Ecosystems, and Society graduate program at Dartmouth College
Appalachian Mountain Club Managed Forest for Carbon in Maine
The Appalachian Mountain Club recently set aside 10,000 acres of forest land in Maine in a 100 year management plan for carbon storage and sequestration. The carbon credits will be sold in the Californian Compliance Market earning money for continued conservation efforts in Maine. The management plan equates to “100,000 tons of atmospheric carbon reductions, or the equivalent of taking 21,000 gasoline-powered cars off the road.”- Article. Learn more about this project and how lessons learned from this management plan can be applied locally.
Presenter: David Publicover, Senior Staff Scientist/Assistant Research Director with the Appalachian Mountain Club
