MAINE PUBLIC • May 2, 2025
A new state law requires Maine woodland owners to report contracts they've entered with forest carbon offset programs. University of Maine forest resources professor Adam Daigneault said the law will help policymakers and others better understand Maine's changing forest industry and clarify the state's greenhouse gas reduction goals. Carbon markets have grown in recent years as companies and other entities try to offset their greenhouse gas pollution by preserving woodlands and other environments that are natural carbon dioxide traps. The programs pay landowners to manage forests in ways that maximize that storage.