BENEFITS OF PLANTING RIPARIAN BUFFERS

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Ecological Restoration and NIMBY Nature in My
Back Yard! Presented by

• BENEFITS OF PLANTING RIPARIAN BUFFERS
  REFORESTATION

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WHY ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION?

• Some reasons for restoration, such as water
  quality improvements, are obvious......

Before
After
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.......and restored habitat means flora and fauna
abound!!
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But there are other beneficial reasons.....

• for planting forested riparian buffers!!

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Including removing excess CO2 from the atmosphere
through vegetation and storage in biomass and
soils !
Source Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 2005

• THIS IS KNOWN AS THE PROCESS OF
• CARBON SEQUESTRATION

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A carbon sequestration forested riparian buffer
demonstration project by a unique partnership

• On the lands of Lancaster General Hospital
• East Hempfield Township, Lancaster County, PA

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• Little Conestoga
• Creek Watershed
• (65.5 Square miles)

Demonstration Site Location
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• Forested Riparian Buffer Planting Area 3.22
  acres
• (Approximately 1,100 feet long X 120 feet wide)

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• Streamside Buffer Planting Zone
• Shrubs
• Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) 25
• Red-Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) 25
• Silky Dogwood (Cornus amomum) 10
• Smooth Alder (Alnus serrulata) 10
• Trees
• American Sycamore (Planatus occidentalis) 50
• Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) 25
• River Birch (Betula nigra) 25
• Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor) 25
• Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum) 50
• Total Streamside Plantings 260
• Outer Buffer Planting Zone
• Shrubs
• Shadbush Serviceberry (Amerlanchier
  canadensis) 50
• Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) 25
• Blackhaw (Vibrunum prunifolium) 25

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• Healthy Tree and Shrub Stock
• 3 x 3 x 9
• Potted Containers

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• Mobilizing Stock to the Planting Zones

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• This Beats Digging with a Shovel
• Using a Power Auger on Wheels!

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• Involving the Future Generation The Key to
  Tomorrow's Success!

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• Ready to plant.......

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• ....with lots of eager volunteers!

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• Installing Protective Tree Shelters

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• For some it was a family affair...

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• ...while some just enjoyed watering alone.

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• Job Well Done by Volunteers!

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• Over 70 Volunteers Made it Happen!

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• Future Forest Carbon Bank

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• Just Give it a Few Years!!!!

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• What Incentives Can We Offer For Conservation
  Projects???

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• Environmental Credit Markets or
• Multi-Credit Trading

• Water quality
• Carbon Sequestration/Offsets
• Wetlands Mitigation Banking
• Endangered Species Habitat
• Groundwater Recharge/Flood Control

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• Mechanics of a Demonstration Multi-Credit Trade

• Conservation Easement for 25-year Term with LCC
• Nutrient Reduction Credits
• Carbon Sequestration Offsets
• Contracts

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• Nutrient Reduction Credits

• 6acres of soybeans
• No-Till
• Poultry Manure Application for Fertilizer
• Rotation - Year 2 Corn

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• Results

• Use N P calculation spreadsheets developed for
  DEP trading program for forested buffer BMP
• N 40 credits/yr
• P 1 credit/yr
• Relatively low results due to very moderate slope
  and low P concentration in soils at site.
• PA DEP nutrient trading website
• http//www.dep.state.pa.us/river/Nutrient20Tradin
  g.htm

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• Carbon Credits

• Site Visit and Baseline Analysis in April 2008
  with assistance from Environmental Resources
  Trust
• Estimated Seq. Rate 1.07 tC/ac/year sequester
  appr. (Elm/Ash/Cottonwood for years 0-35) Source
  USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and
  Analysis estimates
• Total Sequestration 80.25 tC
• ERT to issue letter of attestation 10yrs. after
  installation to enable voluntary registration of
  carbon sequestration with US Department of
  Energy 1605(b) Registry.

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• Many Moving Parts

• 25-year conservation easement on forested buffer.
  Title to be held by LCC
• LCC to assist with annual monitoring under
  contract with PEC
• Contract PEC and LGH for maintenance of buffer
  and transfer of env. credits
• Contract Transfer of env. credits from PEC to
  Exelon, Inc.

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• Nutrient Trading Cont?d.

• PA Nutrient Trades
• Mount Joy Borough 11,718 N credits for 3.81, 3
  yrs.
• Dunn Lake 223 N credits for 9, 5yrs.
• Dunn Lake 3 P credits for 4, 5yrs.
• Hamm Equities, LLC 1592 N credits for 9, 5yrs.
• Hamm Equities, LLC 73 credits for 4, 5yrs.

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• Carbon Markets

• Chicago Climate Exchange CCX 4.75 T
• http//www.chicagoclimateexchange.com/
• European Climate Exchange ECX
• Dec Contract 19-22 Euros/Tonne
• 140 Mt EUAs (emission allowances) traded on ECX
  in Feb 2008
• http//www.europeanclimateexchange.com

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Public involvement is available now
Program Highlights for Municipalities
http//www.globalemissionsexchange.com
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GEX Value and Uniqueness

• The Peoples Exchange allows creating carbon
  management programs at community, municipal or
  individual organization
• Comprehensive solutions for emissions component
  of sustainability programs
• Immediate qualification, quantification,
  tracking, aggregation, and trading of carbon
  emissions credits
• Fractional Carbon accounting for individuals,
  states, cities, municipalities and corporations

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Emissions Tracking Made Easy

• Local Government Energy Conservation Emissions
  Reduction Initiative

Municipality Challenge
Dept 1
GEX works to implement local Government
Initiatives and coordinate all departments/agencie
s
Dept 2
Public
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Difference between Talking Green or Going
Green

• PROACTIVE Embark on comprehensive energy
  conservation programs with associated emissions
  reductions
• BENEFITS Reduce overheads, generate emissions
  offsets, self-generated carbon footprint
  reduction
• PASSIVE Buy emissions offsets on market
• BENEFITS Achieves footprint offset