Renewable Energy Director Urges Producers to Sign up for Carbon Credits

“The Chicago Climate Exchange has announced that carbon credit contracts for prescribed grazing on native rangeland will no longer be eligible for 2003-2007 as possible bonus years as of January 30, 2009,” said Tony Frank, Director of Renewable Energy Development at Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU). “This means ranchers should sign up right away to get the best deal.”

Farmers Union, which aggregates acreage for CCX, has moved up the deadline for their new rangeland enrollment pool to January 30, 2009. Existing carbon credit enrollments are not affected by this rule change. “Since it takes some time to enroll, ranchers should get started with their enrollment applications as soon as possible and not wait until the end of January,” Frank said.

Carbon storage, or sequestration, helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere, causing temperature increases and local changes in climate. Carbon credit programs buy time while long-term answers to pollution are developed.

RMFU’s carbon credit program allows landowners to earn income by storing carbon in their soil. Carbon credits can be earned and sold by conservation tillage, long-term grass seeding practices, native rangeland enhancement, forestry, and with methane capture projects. Companies can buy carbon credits to offset their carbon footprints through this program.

For more information on the carbon credit program go to www.carboncredit.ndfu.org or call 303.752.5800.