Sustainable Forestry

MACED’s forestry program, known as the Forest Opportunities Initiative, aims to show forest landowners that their long-term interests will be better served by using sustainable principles for managing their woodland properties. The program’s goals are to promote:

• landowner knowledge and practice of sustainable forest management;

• tools needed to improve their prop-erty’s economic value and ecologic health;

• revenue options emphasizing carbon credits and selectively harvested wood products.

As a renewable resource, forests have the ability to adapt to a range of demanding, naturally occurring conditions. But forests cannot withstand the effects of continual, human-caused abuse without suffering a marked decrease in diversity and value. The Forest Opportunities Initiative can help landowners restore the health of degraded forests while providing a new source of revenue and a lasting legacy for future generations.

Sustainable Forestry

433 Chestnut Street • Berea, KY 40403TTD: 859-986-2373 • Toll-free: 1-888-677-2373

forestry@maced.org • www.maced.org

About MACEDThe Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) works with people in Appalachian Kentucky to create economic opportunity, strengthen democracy and support the sustainable use of natural resources. For 30 years we have worked to achieve these ends through business development, natural resource enhancement, promotion of citizen partici-pation and the strengthening of local enterprises.

Since 1979, MACED has been involved in forestry-related issues in the Appalachian region of Kentucky. We have invested millions of dollars to support value-added, wood processing businesses, developed resources to support good forestry practices and provided tools to help landowners and communities better manage forest land. Today, MACED’s forestry program offers support to private, non-industrial forest landowners in three essential categories: financial assistance, professional consulta-tion and educational outreach.

Innovative Revenue Potential

STEP

1

EQUALS

Practices in ActionSTEP

2

MACED defines sustainable forestry as a holistic, conservation

ethic based on environmental balance and health that helps

ensure forests will be managed in ways that have the potential to meet the social, physical and economic needs of the present while ensuring similar options

for the future.Sustainable forestry

can be practiced effec-tively using basic tools

and concepts. A forward thinking landowner needs

a stewardship plan, a forest inventory and certification,

all completed by credible, third-party organizations.

A stewardship plan serves much the same purpose for a forest land-

owner as a road map does for a traveler. Plans can be written in ways

that emphasize a wide range of manage-ment options such as preservation of

wildlife habitat, conservation of soil and water quality or development of working

forests. A landowner’s stewardship plan helps guide management decisions by indicating a

reasonable way forward.

Benefits provided by a forest inventory have critical importance for landowners. Without an inventory, landowners can do little more than guess how much timber they have, or what its value is in the market. They also can’t know what their forest’s potential for future growth actually is, or whether it’s capable of producing revenue from the sale of carbon credits. In the long term, the expense incurred for an accurate inventory will be one of the best, most responsible investments a forest landowner will ever make.

Forest certification is further acknowledge-ment that landowners have committed to managing their prop-erty as they would any other asset with long-term value. Landowners who certify their forests tend to be respected for their vision in combining tradition with innovation. Stewardship plan, forest inventory and certifi-cation are all recommended practices. Together they repre-sent a sensible prescription for helping improve forest health, timber value and environmental balance.

Recommended practices help forest landowners develop sustainably managed working forests. A working forest delivers multiple benefits. In addition to producing wood products, working forests also filter water run-off, control erosion, create recreational opportunity and improve air quality. Thinning and timber stand improvement are practices used to help develop multiple-age stands, another feature that often characterizes working forests.

Forests whose ages are mixed tend to be better at utilizing soil nutrients, sunlight and water. They also remove pollutants

from the atmosphere more efficiently, partic-ularly carbon dioxide (CO2).

CO2 is a gas that occurs naturally in the atmo-sphere and is always present at some level. As long as the level isn’t excessive, CO2 in the atmosphere is a good thing. In fact, life on earth couldn’t exist without it. But, too much CO2 from human activities is a reality that threatens the health of our climate and every person on earth. There are many solu-tions to this problem. One answer lies with trees.

Among the many other benefits they provide, trees act like a giant magnet by pulling CO2 out of the atmosphere and storing it as carbon in wood. This process takes place as trees make food out of CO2 through the process of photo-synthesis. This food is used by the tree to make its roots, leaves, trunk, stems and fruit. The diagram on the following page illustrates how this process works.

Economic and Environmental BenefitsSTEP

3

CO2CO2

CO2 CO2

CO2

CO2

CO2

CO2

CO2

CO2

CO2

CO2

CC

C

C CC

C

C

C

C

“�e largest source of CO2 emissions globally is the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas in power plants, automobiles, industrial facilities and other sources.” Source: US EPA, 2007

The Carbon CycleIn general, relatively young, developing trees remove CO2 from the atmosphere at a rate faster than larger, more

mature trees. More mature trees store greater total volumes of carbon than younger, less developed trees. Since

sustainably managed working forests are often thinned and utilize timber stand improvement, they’re particularly

good at removing CO2 and storing carbon because they make more efficient use of available growing conditions.

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Innovative Revenue Potential

Landowners now have access to an entirely new and innovative program for generating revenue from the sale of the hidden value produced by their forests. The hidden value forest landowners will sell is referred to as a carbon credit and is the same carbon stored inside their trees. A market designed specifi-cally for trading carbon credits already exists and is fully functional. MACED is the only organization in Kentucky certified to represent forest landowners interested in selling carbon credits produced by their forests. Here’s how the program works.

Partnering with MACED As the landowner’s representative in this newly emerging market, MACED’s goals are driven by advocacy for sustainable forestry and the long-term, multiple benefits it provides. Using basic tools and thoughtful stewardship will enable landown-ers to develop working forests capable of producing revenue derived from wood products and carbon credits. MACED will provide financial assistance, forestry consultation and educational outreach to landowners enrolled in the program. Landowners interested in learning more are invited to contact us by calling toll free 1-888-677-2373.

STEP

4

The original printed copy of this brochure was printed and shipped through investments in Renewable Energy Credits and Climate Cool™ shipping practices for a carbon neutral impact on the environment. Paper and printing chosen were 100% recycled fiber, 100% post-consumer waste, processed chlorine-free paper using vegetable-based inks.

To be considered for enrollment, landown-ers must have a stewardship plan, a current forest inventory and a certified forest. They must also sign a contract agreeing to abide by the program’s rules. For every forest property enrolled in its program, MACED will:

• measure its change in wood volume over time;

• convert its wood volume to volume of carbon credits;

• sell the credits based on their value in the marketplace.

Based on the June 2007 market price, a land-owner could expect to receive $4.00 to $5.00 per acre per year dependent on the average age of their trees and the overall condition of their property. In exchange for providing its services, MACED will deduct a management fee from each landowner’s gross carbon payment.

Be the first in your community to join this newly emerging market!

Visit www.maced.org to learn more!

433 Chestnut Street • Berea, KY 40403TTD: 859-986-2373 • Toll-free: 1-888-677-2373

forestry@maced.org • www.maced.org