FLORENCE, Wis. — Florence County is considering consider an offer to sell carbon credits on its forest lands after hearing a presentation from Jeremy Koslowski from Climate Trust.

The non-profit carbon developer based in Portland, Ore., formed in 1997 with staff working across the country to help landowners access carbon markets. Carbon credits are purchased by companies looking to offset their carbon production.

In Florence County, Climate Trust is proposing a forest management project where Climate Trust would work with the county on practices for its nearly 40,000 acres of forests.

According to Koslowski, an Improved Forest Management project allows the county to continue with sustainable harvests while closely tracking tree growth over time to show that additional carbon sequestration is occurring. This additional sequestration creates a carbon credit, ultimately creating another source of forest product revenue.

The project would have a 40-year term and would be part of the voluntary carbon market. Over the 40 years of the project the county could receive an estimated revenue of $6.39 million, most of that coming in the first 20 years, Koslowski said.

The county could enter the program with no upfront costs. However, through the 40-year-life of the project the county would be responsible for monitoring and verification costs.

Commissioner Joe Mills said that the forestry and parks committee had received an in-depth presentation of the proposal. He reported that the only way the committee would approve it is if the money received stayed in a separate account and the principal was left alone so money would not have to be pulled from the general fund for the required monitoring.

Commissioner Matt Brunette noted that the plan does not differ much from what the county is already doing for land management.

It could be a windfall for the county if properly managed, he said.

The project would need to be approved by the forestry and parks committee before coming before the board for final approval.

In other business, the board:

— Passed an ordinance amendment delegating to the county treasurer the power to acquire and manage tax-deeded lands, including the power to determine which properties to acquire. Also, the county forest administrator, through the forestry committee, may keep or sell tax-deeded lands.

– Adopted an amendment to the ordinance regulating storage and disposal of automobiles, tires, junk and other miscellaneous waste. The amendment states this is due to the fact that there has been a proliferation of junk yards, tire piles and miscellaneous waste within the county that presents a threat to the public health, welfare, convenience, scenic beauty and economic well-being of citizens.

– Adopted a resolution urging Gov. Tony Evers to support county courts.

– Approved Angela Schalow as an emergency fire warden for 2025.

Jim Paul can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85229, or jpaul@ironmountaindailynews.com.