The California Climate Action Registry has certified Tom Gaman, Registered Forester and President of Forest Data, as qualified to conduct forestry sector certifications for participants in the California Climate Action Registry. This is an exciting new development in our evolution as promoters of sustainable resource use and conservation.

Our CCAR Certificate

The California Climate Action Registry has developed a voluntary program. It is an effort to quantify Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and sequestration by an '"entity"--a person, a company, a government, or other program participant. In its simplest interpretation the quantification works like this: for each participant GHG emissions are quantified at the entity or administrative level, and also at the project level. The sum of entity emissions, and other emissions from all of the participant's projects are the gross emissions. These emissions must be offset through sequestered carbon, ideally to reach a net zero GHG emissions.

Other participants, such as forest landowners, may be net carbon GHG sequesterers, and therefore have credits to sell. In order to participate landowners must determine "baseline" or business as usual carbon sequestration, and then develop "additionalities" that increase carbon sequestration. A most practical way to do this is through forestry management and other biological means. Sequestered carbon may be used to offset GHG emissions from other sources (transportation, electricity consumption, construction, etc.) or may be traded on the market--such as in the Chicago Climate Exchange. "Entities" such as utilities, retailers, construction companies, airlines, governmental entities may desire to privately purchase carbon credits (which are usually measured in metric tons) to offset their emissions.

GHG emissions are unregulated in the US, but, given the advent of Kyoto, are coming under increasing scrutiny. Using established inventories and a defined protocol, forest GHG sequestration is quantified and reported. Independent certifiers (such as us) review the site, the documentation and the logical procedures, and confirm that the sequestered carbon indeed exists in biomass continuously under the control of the entity. Certified sequestered carbon may be used to offset an entity's emissions. If an entity has excess credits then they may be sold to participants with positive net emissions. Such transferred carbon credits are recorded on a property's title.

Tom Gaman of Forest Data Corporation has received training and has been qualified and certified to conduct Certifications in California. We work cooperatively with Lead Certifiers and independently will certify compliance with the Forest Sector Protocols as developed by the Registry and the State of California. For more information please contact Forest Data tgaman@forestdata.com or phone 1-415 669 7100.