The Heart K Ranch is owned and managed by the Feather River Land Trust (FRLT), and is located in the Genesee Valley in Plumas County, California.  Sierra Business Council, in partnership with the Land Trust, through funding from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy and under Climate Action Reserve standards, has completed a carbon inventory and analysis as part of an “improved forest management project” on the property.  By placing value on the healthy management of a natural ecosystem services, Sierra Business Council and FRLT are creating sustainable revenue while providing a number of environmental, social, and financial co-benefits.

The Heart K property supports a number of wildlife, including several threatened endangered, special concern, rare or significant species.  Such diverse habitat in one area is a benefit for increased biodiversity.  Natural forest management will ensure that the habitat for these species is enhanced and preserved. 

The socio-economic co-benefits of the Heart K property extend beyond the direct benefits of the property, for the project is a pilot for Plumas County.   The timber industry has been the largest employer in Plumas County for many years, and unemployment statistics correlate negatively with timber harvest trends.  As timber harvests increase, unemployment goes down, and as timber harvests decrease, unemployment goes up.  Plumas County needs to diversify its economy, and because of its large natural resource base, the County needs to establish revenue streams based on a different model of natural resource (i.e. conservation rather than extraction).   The results and feasibility analysis of the project will guide future carbon sequestration projects in Placer County as they try to adapt to challenging times and changing economic conditions.

It is the mission of the Land Trust to protect sensitive resources, wildlife species and habitats, in perpetuity.  FRLT will use native forest land management, timber, and harvesting practices to maximize carbon sequestration while promoting a resilient, sustainable, and properly managed forest.

If you are interested in supporting this project by purchasing the value-added offsets that will be available once we reach the final verification stage, please contact us today.

SBC also developed a forest carbon project for the Truckee Tahoe Airport District in order to explore the carbon stored from the conservation of Waddle Ranch. Had the ranch been developed according to the plans submitted, about 65% of the forested part of the property would have been affected from the clearing of trees and woody debris for hundreds of vacation homes and a golf course. These activities would have resulted in hundreds of thousands of tons of CO2 being emitted into the atmosphere. Through the help of various public and private funders, the property was conserved and much of that carbon remains stored in the beautiful Jeffrey pine forest. 

The project is registered with the Climate Action Reserve under the current Climate Action Reserve Forest Protocol.