Carbon credits sold from forestland in Washington County

Baskahegan Company, a Forest Stewardship Council certified forest, has announced the sale of carbon offset credits from the Bluesource-Baskahegan Improved Forest Management Project in Brookton. In 2018 the project generated nearly 700,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emission reductions. The offset credits were sold into the California cap‑and‑trade market to help regulated entities meet greenhouse gas reduction requirements and into the voluntary market to help corporations achieve sustainability goals.
The project comprises over 86,000 acres of hardwood and conifer forest in northern Washington County. A generation of careful forest management has produced a standing volume of trees well in excess of average stocking levels in Maine.
Baskahegan President Roger Milliken says, "Managing our forests to reduce the risk of catastrophic climate change is a reflection of the family's values and completely consistent with our long‑term objectives for the forest. In addition to providing sustainable annual harvests of valuable timber, the protection of wildlife habitats and the provision of clean water, we are happy that our management also contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere."
Pat Strauch with the Maine Forest Products Council also weighs in on the move. "The Maine Forest Council represents a diversity of landowners and manufacturers all focused on growing trees and making wood products that sequester carbon from the atmosphere. We concur with the recent statement by the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change: 'In the long-term, a sustainable forest management strategy aimed at maintaining or increasing forest carbon stocks, while producing an annual sustained yield of timber, fiber or energy from the forest, will generate the largest sustained mitigation benefit.' We applaud our member Baskahegan Company for designing a project that meets these objectives."
Bluesource completed the carbon calculations on the property and led the project through a series of standards, regulatory bodies and third‑party auditors including the American Carbon Registry, S&A Carbon LLC, and ultimately the California Air Resources Board. Bluesource also facilitated the sale of credits to ensure revenue was generated from Baskahegan Company's sustainable actions.
"Maine's private forest lands bring many benefits to our state, but their importance to the climate is often overlooked," says Mark Berry, forest program director in Maine for The Nature Conservancy. "Baskahegan Company's forest carbon offset project underscores their long‑term commitment to forest stewardship and will help ensure the sustainability of forest management and timber harvest on this property for the next 100 years."
Baskahegan Company is a family company dedicated to the long‑term stewardship to develop the natural potential of Baskahegan's forest to produce value for both present and future generations. John Manganello, vice president of Baskahegan and a fourth‑generation owner, says of the project, "I think about my three young kids whenever I am on Baskahegan land. It is good knowing that this landscape will be managed to benefit future generations of all stakeholders. This project indicates our continued commitment to sustainable forestry while enabling Maine's greatest natural resource be part of the needed climate change solution for years to come." The company will celebrate its 100th year in 2020.