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Ashland County's carbon-credit project moves to ACR review after third‑party verification
Summary
County staff said a third‑party verifier approved the county’s carbon inventory; the project will be submitted to the American Carbon Registry for review and potential listing, with county commitment to hold credits for 40 years.
Ashland County staff told the Forestry Committee that a third‑party verifier has approved the county’s forest carbon inventory and the project will be submitted to the American Carbon Registry (ACR) for formal review, a step that could allow the county to begin selling carbon credits within months.
The county’s outside partner, Anew, verified the project data and will submit the verified project to ACR “within the next couple of weeks,” a staff member said. ACR will then review and either approve, deny or ask for modifications; staff estimated that ACR’s review could take approximately three to four months.
Why it matters: If ACR accepts the project, the county can offer verified carbon credits on the voluntary market. Buyers purchase credits to claim that emissions associated with their operations are offset by sequestered forest carbon.
County staff reiterated that the carbon project carries a long-term commitment: “We’re committed to 40 years of holding the carbon,” a staff member said at the meeting. Under the existing agreement, Anew covers initial project development costs; after initial sales, revenue is split between Anew for sales and services and the county for the credits themselves—an arrangement the committee previously approved.
Staff cautioned that market prices for carbon credits have fluctuated; nation‑wide supply increases and verification challenges depressed prices in recent years. County staff said their project’s timber-management approach meets ACR’s high standards for timber‑management carbon projects and may command higher prices, but they declined to provide a current per‑ton market estimate.
Committee members were told that, if ACR approves the project, the committee and then the county board will see contract documents tying the county to the 40‑year commitment before any credits are sold. Staff said those documents will come before the committee for review and then to the county board for final approval.
Quote from the meeting: “Our project has been finally approved by, the third party verifier,” a county staff member said; “Anew will be sending our project to ACR… I’m assuming after the first of the year.”
Ending: The committee received the update and expects to review any ACR‑acceptance paperwork and associated agreements before the county enters the market.
