Hillsborough County’s

Carbon Offset Project

Co2-forestry.com

Carbon Offset Project

Phase I: Countywide Land Inventory & Carbon Credit Feasibility Study (Complete)

Can ELAPP lands be used to generate carbon projects?

What kind of carbon projects would be possible on County Land?

What would a possible carbon project look like from a legal, cost, and revenue perspective?

What are next steps?

Phase II: Lower Green Swamp Feasibility Study & Business Plan (Complete)

What would an Improved Forest Management Project (IFM) look like at Lower Green Swamp Preserve (LGSP) from a legal, cost, and revenue perspective?

How would the LGSP IMF Project look from a management perspective?

Would the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approve the project?

Phase III: Pilot Program Execution (In Progress)

Buyer secured and contracts in place.

Project validation complete (more than 75 sample plots established and sampled, formal carbon inventory in progress nearly complete)

Third party verification and initial credit payment is issued

Phase IV: Pilot Program Management & Expansion

Management practices to maintain project area to sequester carbon

Continue to develop new projects based on the current model developed

Improved Forest Management, Reforestation, and Avoided Conversion

Phase I: Feasibility Study

Assess all preserved lands

to see if a carbon offset

project is possible.

Lower Green Swamp Nature

Preserve was selected

because of its size,

ownership, and habitat

structure.

Phase II: Feasibility Study

& Business Plan Project Boundary Cleary Defined

Project Type Determined (Improved Forest Management)

Registry Identified (American Carbon Registry)

Market Identified (Voluntary Market)

Initial Forestry Cruise Completed of Initial Sample Sites

Credits Estimated (162,000 ERTs)

Secured Credit Buyer for 10 Year Term

Secured BOCC Approval in 2017

Forester performing initial forestry cruise to develop preliminary carbon

stock estimate

Phase III: Pilot Program

Execution Project Further Defined

Project Sampling Design Completed

All Plots Sampled

Initial Credit Estimate Verified

Third Party Verification – complete

Pending Verification Credit Issuance and Payments (December

2019)

Foresters sampling permanent plots to refine preliminary

carbon stock estimate

Project Benefits

Demonstrates that natural areas can bring in

revenue just for being natural ($1,158,300 in

total)

Funds are being used to expand staff and restore

native habitat.

Adds another layer of protection to the preserve

(40 year commitment)

Helps outline Best Management Practices for

sustainable forests

Allows the County to assess other preserves for

possible carbon offsets projects.

QUESTIONS?

Ross Dickerson

Environmental Lands Manager

Conservation and Environmental Lands Management

Dickersonr@HCFLGOV.net

(813) 672-7876