Forest Carbon Markets
Empowering access for economically marginal landowners
Completed
Challenge
Minnesota forests are underperforming in their potential to mitigate climate change, in large part because non-industrial forest landowners, who manage almost half of the state’s timberland, are currently not rewarded for carbon sequestration. Simultaneously, forestry-dependent communities are struggling economically.
Impact Goal
Innovate a low-cost project development process to help economically-marginal forest landowners overcome the cost and complexity of entering forest carbon markets.
Funding
Project Leads
formerly Natural Resources Research Institute
Laurentian Resource Conservation and Development
formerly College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Department of Forest Resources
Minnesota Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils
Making Forest Carbon Markets More Accessible
Improved forest management (IFM) has the potential to sequester vast amounts of carbon, delivering powerful natural climate solutions (NCS). However, costs and complexity of joining carbon markets have limited IFM-NCS on non-industrial forest lands.
This project proposed to lower these barriers through translational, engaged research on economically-marginal forest ownerships in Minnesota. This research benefits a range of forest ownership types, including family forestlands, counties, municipalities, and Tribes. Empowering access to forest carbon markets among excluded landowners has the potential not only to maximize the role of Minnesota forests in mitigating climate change, but also provide a needed alternative revenue stream for our struggling forest products sector.
Outcomes
- Conducted the first comprehensive review of carbon market opportunities in Minnesota
- Enabled their community partner, Minnesota Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils, to secure the first Climate Forward pilot project in Minnesota
- Provided a key step in their graduate student, Marissa Schmitz, moving on to a career with Climate Action Reserve
Meet the Project Team
Project Leads
Marissa Schmitz
formerly College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
University of Minnesota
Forrest Fleischman
Associate
Since 2020
Department of Forest Resources
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
John Beckwith
Minnesota Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils
Executive Director
Project Status
Last Updated
Aug 05, 2026
Impact Location
Northern Minnesota