Montana Forests Are a Powerful Carbon Capture Mechanism
- KLM Contracting
- Jun 9
- 2 min read
Written by: Erin Clark, Montana Forest Consultants
Montana’s forests provide many services ranging from the clean and cold water that our trout populations require to bounteous huckleberry harvests that can be turned into the best milkshake or pie you’ve ever enjoyed. Our forests also quietly, consistently, and significantly capture carbon by using sunlight to transform carbon dioxide and other nutrients to form roots, bark, branch
es, and trunks – long lived wood that captures carbon until it decomposes or combusts. The capture capacity is enormous. A 2022 NOAA study conducted in Arizona found that one acre of ponderosa pine forest can nearly offset the carbon output of an entire single-family home.[1] Growth rates of ponderosa pine in Montana may exceed that of Arizona’s ponderosas, so a Montana ponderosa pine forest’s carbon capture capacity may be even greater than what was found in this study. Healthy Montana forests are a powerful, nature carbon capture mechanism.
And the capture services can extend beyond the life of the living forest. When wood is harvested from our Montana forests and turned into long-lived wood products, such as timber used in home construction and siding for houses we extend the carbon capture potential beyond the life of that tree.
When we think about good management of Montana forests from a carbon capture standpoint, key objectives are to improve forest health, extend harvest rotations, maximize productivity (which often requires forest thinning to maintain or increase tree growth rates), and increase resilience to wildfire. The good news is that these objectives are not unique and are often already desirable or being pursued by many landowners. This often makes carbon capture an ‘icing on the cake’ outcome of forest management.
While there currently isn’t an easy way for a Montana forest landowner to monetize their forest’s carbon capture contributions, carbon credit and market options are expanding and before long we anticipate Montana landowners will be able to receive market compensation for their efforts to deliver durable climate benefits through intentional, good forest management. If you’re interested in an assessment of your forest’s carbon potential local forestry companies, such as Montana Forest Consultants, can visit your land and provide you with a detailed assessment. Even without tangible compensation or intervention, it’s helpful to understand (and celebrate!) the work our forests are doing every day to provide this natural climate solution.
Erin Clark, Director of Strategic Development and Partnerships at Montana Forest Consultants
Comentários