MAINE PUBLIC • December 21, 2022
A new study published in an international forestry journal finds that better forest management could significantly grow New England's carbon storage, improve wildlife habitat and provide a reliable timber supply. The study finds improved forest practices including increased stocking of trees could bolster carbon storage by an estimated 488 million metric tons. The authors say that's nearly a quarter of the emissions reductions New England needs to reach net-zero by 2050. Robert Perschel of the New England Forestry Foundation, which led the research, says a recent $30 million grant from the U.S.D.A. will compensate landowners willing to implement climate-smart forest practices as part of a pilot project. But more investment will be needed. The study, based on forest growth and yield models, only takes into account carbon stored in the forest and not carbon stored in long-lived wood products.