Governor Mills Establishes Task Force to Develop Forest Carbon Program for Maine Woodland Owners

MAINE GOVERNMENT NEWS • February 3, 2021

As part of Maine's ambitious effort to fight climate change by reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions, Governor Janet Mills has signed an Executive Order to create the Maine Forest Carbon Task Force. The Task Force is a recommendation from the state's new four-year climate action plan, Maine Won't Wait, and aims to develop a voluntary program for small-to-medium size woodland owners in Maine of who want to utilize their land for long-term storage of carbon emissions, a process known as carbon sequestration. Forest carbon programs provide financial incentives to preserve forests, thereby storing carbon emissions. However, today, most existing programs are not accessible or economically feasible for smaller woodland owners.