The Climate Trust Named Recipient of Two U.S. Forest Service Grants Totaling $7 million

PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- This past Wednesday, The Climate Trust was awarded two grants from the U.S. Forest Service totaling nearly $7 million through the Biden-Harris Administration's Inflation Reduction Act. These funds will support The Climate Trust's pioneering work in the carbon market, extending opportunities to climate vulnerable and underserved landowners while incentivizing climate-smart forest practices.

A $2 million award will fund The Climate Trust's Tribal Reservation Allotment Carbon Enrollment (TRACE) program, that will pilot the development of a replicable forest carbon project that aggregates small parcels owned by or held in trust for individual Tribal members.

"Our team is thrilled to support Tribal access to carbon markets in developing this first-of-a-kind project," said TCT's Forest Carbon Manager, Madeline Montague.  "To date, no carbon projects include allotment lands because it has been too challenging to aggregate them. The Dawes Act of 1887 broke up large areas of Tribal lands into small allotments that face significant obstacles to carbon market inclusion because of their small size, fractionated ownerships, and bureaucratic hurdles to decision making."

The Climate Trust's second award, Enabling Reforestation and Afforestation Success (ERAS), includes nearly $5 million to provide private landowner payments for forest management practices that increase tree regeneration success and reduce forest health threats and risks. Funding will be deployed in the fire-prone forests of Montana and Oregon and the north woods of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan.

"In Oregon and Montana, we will be funding post-wildfire forest restoration and wildfire risk reduction activities such as hazard tree removal and fuels reduction treatments. These forest management activities are critical to making Oregon's forests more resilient to climate change and protecting their ability to continue storing carbon and producing timber," said Victoria Lockhart, TCT's Director of Reforestation. Additionally in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan, "ERAS funding will pay for various deer browse protections for seedlings to support the development of diverse and healthy forests capable of long-term carbon storage," explained Jeremy Koslowski, TCT's Director of Forest Carbon Partnerships.

Both of the new programs will complement The Climate Trust's existing work developing carbon credit projects with landowners across the country.  To read more about these types of carbon projects, visit us on our website at The Climate Trust.

About The Climate Trust
Founded in 1997, The Climate Trust is focused on climate impact using the power of carbon markets. By scaling nature-based solutions that support America's forests and grasslands, The Climate Trust promotes healthy ecosystems and climate resilient communities through project development and financing across three key areas: Reforestation/Afforestation, Grassland Conservation, and Improved Forest Management.

Contact: Julius Pasay
Executive Director
503-238-1915 | [email protected]

SOURCE The Climate Trust