Project description

The ground-breaking Darkwoods Carbon pilot project is North America’s largest private forest carbon project to date. Through the use of a new methodology and third-party validation and verification, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has carefully quantified the carbon stored in the forests of Darkwoods – a 136,000 acre (55,000 hectare) project area in southeastern BC. Pacific Carbon Trust has purchased 450,000 tonnes of carbon offsets from the carbon sequestered during the years 2008-2010.

How it reduces emissions

NCC carries out the stewardship of Darkwoods, resulting carbon being sequestered over time in addition to what would have happened in the absence of NCC’s conservation efforts. Had NCC not purchased the property, it likely would have been developed or logged at an intensive, “liquidation harvest,” level.

Additional benefits

The long-term protection of Darkwoods will support a diversity of plants, animals and ecological communities that thrive on the property. Darkwoods is home to 19 confirmed threatened or endangered species, including mountain caribou and an isolated population of grizzly bear.

Developed through a rigorous procedure involving numerous advisors and meeting international standards, this ground-breaking project opens the door for other landowners and conservation groups to consider the use of carbon offsets as a means of helping finance the conservation of natural areas that are also important carbon sinks.