MAINE MONITOR • May 8, 2022
Environmental stewards trying to slow global warming have sought to limit the amount of carbon in the atmosphere by encouraging the use of what are known as carbon offsets. The idea seems simple: pay landowners to manage their land in a way that traps carbon, usually by not cutting down trees or planting certain crops, and then force polluters to buy carbon “credits” to counter their emissions. But in Maine, the timber industry and small woodlot owners have not taken to the programs. Only 3.5% of the state’s large landowners have made deals to sell their carbon. “It’s kind of a lost opportunity,” said John Hagan, president of Our Climate Common, a group working to get commercial landowners to participate in the programs. Small woodlot owners have also been reluctant to buy in, citing payments too low to justify the costs of complying with rigorous standards.